First Pan-European Masterplan for the promotion of cycling
On the 17th and 18th of May 2021, the fifth UNECE/WHO pan-European ministerial conference on transport, health and the environment took place. With over 850 registered participants, it was the largest such conference since the program was conceived. One result of which was the ‘Vienese Declaration’, the first multi-regional masterplan for cycling. Austria will become a pan-European competence center for [...]
International Study confirms the positive effects of pop-up cycling infrastructure
During the first months of the Coronavirus pandemic, a worldwide trend emerged: the bicycle is a resilient mode of transport the use of which grew dramatically. Many municipalities saw this and responded by implementing pop-up bike lanes. Scientists at the climate research institute MCC asked, if this kind of investment in bicycle infrastructure would lead to the desired behavioral effects. [...]
Bike subscription service now in Austria
In the Netherlands, subscription bikes have proved to be a successful alternative to buying a bike. Now this concept has arrived in Austria: rental bikes including repair service and insurance for a fixed monthly fee. The Financial Times recently listed the Dutch bike subscription service startup ‘Swapfiets’ in the top ten most rapidly growing businesses, such is the booming international [...]
Austria-wide study: Cycle traffic, the potential for expansion
The Institute of Advanced Studies was tasked by Radkompetenz member Klimaaktiv to perform a representative survey assessing the potential to increase cycling uptake in the Austrian population based on behavioral ecomonomics and subsequently, to compare these results to the participation group of the initiative ‘Österreich radelt’ (Austria cycles). Below, we will summarize the most important findings. The future cyclist is [...]
German Bicycle Award and the new Bike Citizens App
Bike Citizens, one of the Radkompetenz founding members, has recently modernized their free App, offering it to the worldwide public for the first time. The commitment of the company, based in Graz, alongside the City of Hannover, was awarded the first place in the ‘Service’ category at the German Cycling Award 2021. The region has been working on digitalization since [...]
New website for digital knowledge campaign on cycle traffic
Since 2015, the platform Cycle Competence Austria aims to improve cycle traffic, to offer the best possible cycle traffic solutions made in Austria, to launch international networking activities and to transfer knowledge. From this year, we will focus even more on knowledge transfer. Our website was updated and a comprehensive online-database was included containing the most important publications on cycle [...]
Cycle Competence online seminar as cycling summit substitute
The Austrian Cycling summit 2021 unfortunately had to be postponed to spring 2022 because of the measures taken to limit the spread of Covid-19. As a substitute the platform Cycle Competence Austria is offering a top-level seminar series on the two summit days, 12 & 13 April: Distance learning for everyone interested in the topic cycle traffic be it for [...]
Cycle Competence Raumverteiler re-designs streets
The new online-tool “Raumverteiler” (ie. space distributor) serves to re-assign Austrian street space based on well-founded facts. Where is space for a cycle lane in a road cross-section? How wide does it have to be according to legal guidelines? Where do trees, seating areas and cycle parking fit in? Or should the street be turned into an encounter zone (“Begegnungszone”)? [...]
COVID and mobility: Cycling brings freedom during the crisis
Over one year ago now, we saw the start of the Corona crisis. One of its most surprising results is the increase in cycle traffic and bicycle sales. No matter whether for every-day cycling trips or sportive activities – since last year, the bicycle has significants gained in popularity and importance. Cycle Competence members Bike Citizens, Fahrrad Wien and KTM [...]
Federal subsidy campaign brings cycle lane expansion
The successful promotion of the ministry for climate protection’s (BMK) cycling campaign will be continued this year. It means more possibilities for subsidies for municipalities, businesses and associations for measures supporting active mobility. The regional government in Vorarlberg actively took up this offer and created a subsidy package worth 62 million euros. One of its implementations is prepared by the [...]