This document summarizes a conference on supporting cycling for liveable cities in Venice. It discusses several European cities' strategies for promoting cycling, including developing cycling infrastructure and policies. Speakers addressed economic, health and environmental benefits of increasing cycling rates, such as job creation, health cost savings, reduced pollution and accidents. City examples highlighted goals of expanding cycling networks and facilities, bike sharing programs, and using cargo bikes for urban deliveries. Data collection and cost-benefit analyses were presented as tools to evaluate policies and cycling developments.

1. EU Supporting cycling for liveable cities: Arguments for policy-makers.
Venezia 1 October 2014 Palazio Franchetti
Opening
Paola Ravenna manager for city of Venice policies.
(Marco Agostini Director General city of Venice)
Paola is using european funds for developing the city of Venice. The more important part is the
mainland part of Venice city. This is where most of the projects are organised. Bicycle and clean
transport are part of Venice project in mobility means. From house to school for students it is
also a safety measure. 16th project of EU policy. Metropolitan areas are now heading traffic
system in Italy and program is also about wheels and rails.
Stephan Renner European Commission EASME
Why cycling meeting in Venice? Because there is a beautifull artwork outside of the building and
convincing collegues and official to invest into cycling infrastructures. Cycling have positive effect
on economy and daily life of the cities. The right argument will come from today's conference.
Logistics can be using bicycles inside cities. There will be high level speakers about cycling
experience in european cities. Thanks to rain outside you will not get upset to stay inside the
building today. We must keep in mind that investing into cycling infrastructures will have positive
effect on economy and city life.
Klaus Bondam Director of danish cyclists federation.
Venice is may be not the best place for talking about cycling but it is also a very interesting place
to talk about mobility. "That clean mobility strategy in a city is not only on environement but for
people to meet, traffic is a part of city life but not the main part".
A lot of cities in Europe are giving an impulse to clean mobility. This whole conference will be
lifestreamed. Evening events needs registration 6 O'Clock to go to Mestre Tonight and back.
Arguments for policy-makers to invest in cycling.
Phillipe Crist OECD Key note: cycling, health and safety: mobility chalenges for cities today.
International commission for transport has worked on transportation strategy on several
continents. Bipedalism and supernormal concepts to be developed. Huge cities are places where
to develop new strategies for transportation because it is very popular to live in big cities. What
are the fondamental questions for interaction within cities? Does the cities invite us to seat, to
meet, to play? Is it a good place for cultural exchange, business? First we shape the cities and
later the cities shape us. Trillions of trips each years and the major parts are made inside cities.
For Paris to Amsterdam always people are moving inside cities depending to local means. People
have the right to move reely and safely. Bipedalism means two people using a bicycle for school
and other reasons for moving. Bicycles are better for speed and more reliable inside cities.
Unreliability of transport is very costy for cities and tha is what cyclist avoid. Health impact is also
better because cyclist have less deseases linked to pollution. Improvement is up to 20% better.
Actually children have 15% Less cardiovascular possibilities compared to their parents. Cost for
parking is tenth of time less for bicycles. Bicycle must be seen as a great goal for better growth
within cities. Examples show that cycling is better for city finance and mental health. Face to face
interaction is higher with cycling. Cycling also change the way we see the city. Speed of

2. movement decrease the reliabilty of ordinary perception of life scene. Cyclist is still marginal way
of movement. The more the population is developing the more cycling people you find. Traffic
system must be safer for cyclists. Cycling system is still more complicate in most cities where cars
are still the main moving habit. Speed is may be the most important factor for action. The cycling
ways in Paris should raise from 30 to 37%. Copenhagen may raise up to 41% this year. Benfit to
cost ration for cycling infrastructure is 13 to 1. Cycling ways can reduce accidents to 20% and
increase cycle speed up to 160%. Cycling is safe and fun, it makes people happy to move inside
their city. Venice is a man made city created by dreams and we need to use dreams to rebuild
our cities.
Bas de Geus Vrije Universitei Brussel, Human physiology.
Air pollution, health and economics: the positive impact for cycling.
As a scientist health study was made to prove that muscles and heart will benefit from cycling. All
different aspects of cycling are studed by the experience. Being active every day will benefit to
your health. Obesity, diabetes can decrease and health to improve also with better savings. Being
seated allday increase the risk of death. You can live longer by physical activity up to 14 months
when you risk to die earlier of 3 Days because of pollution effect. Health benefit is 1310 Euro per
year when someone is cycling. Air pollution will remain but health benefit is valuable. Climate
change and noise are the most costy dammages in cities.
VELIB system in Paris have decrease of 11% the non fatal accidents. For every euro invested in
changing people to walking or cycling will be a return of 127 to 1290 euro. Decreasing the
number of cars will also change the way people are living in cities and increase walking and
cycling activities. Of course cycling distance must be increased with cars. Also the difference of
itinerary will benefit to traffic because cyclists can use secondary streets and avoid accidents with
motorised vehicles.
As conclusion: the benefits of walking cycling activities are higher than negative side.
Holger Haubold ECF European Cycling Federation
Cycling economics: providing rational arguments for policy-makers (Cost-benefit analyses and
tools)
European cyclist federation is acting with 70 members within 40 countries. Jobs creation is above
4000 In Germany. 77000 additional jobs in Europe. HEAT tool estimate the reduction of mortality
by the amount of kilometers of cycling. It is developed by WHO. Local structure for cycling costs
100000 euro and 50% of new cyclists wil be generated. Also positive aspects on health will be
generated as the number of cyclists can raise up to 5500 with this budget. Individual projects,
cost/Benefit and noise/Emission reduction can be analysed.
Cycling bridge is a huge investment but the benefit is also very interesting because also car
traffic will benefit from the cyclist bridge. Cost:/Benefit is around 1 1.7.
Questions: How to share streets with bicycles, cars and invalid people in wheelchairs?
Managing speed is helping to calm down the traffic and increases safety for everybody. If you
can not reduce speed then you must separate the cyclist way from cars. Politic is the sense of
doing not of thinking only. Cyclists must also respect the other users. The problem of obesity and
diabetes is how to bring this people back to physical activity, but keep in mind this will not solve
the whole diabetes problem. The space is there for wheelchairs, cycles and cars, the problem is
how we distribute the space.
Good connections for cars and bikes will not increase the use of bikes because people can prefer
the most convenient transportation means which is car to go to work and school. Time factor is

3. not really studied in the investment study, so how to deal with this factor? What about road
safety and getting funds?
German federal agency published the result that electric bicycles and bicycles can be faster on
short trips than cars. Also the time you spend seated in your car is the time you loose at the end
of your life because of being inactive.
Investing in bicycle routes is made because of economic reasons because it leads to significants
results.
coffee brake
Policies and strategies for cities.
Vincent Meerrschaert Traject
How to develop a city cycling strategy?
Experience in city of Gent Belgium. Local autorities wants to increase pedestrians space and
increase car park price. How to make cycling normal?
"you don't have to be cyclist paradise to get results, just start."
The first step must be done. Gaps must be filled with measures. It is called CHAMP project. This
project is based on 12 commandements. It is a project that encourage people to know the
benefits of cycling. It is also about involving users to solve problems and learn from their
experiences. The problems must be analysed in order to find the convenient solution. Sometimes
too many cycle park is not solving a problem but removing them is better. Cycling might be in
better position in political agenda in short term goals and also for long term strategy.
Cycling experience must be studied within the field of means of transport. It is important to push
administrations to move forward into cycling strategy. Creating an impact is also a way to
influence your city leaders. Measures must be appropriate to the location and results might take
time because it is not easy to change people's habits.
Marketing can be used for targeted messages with understandable goals. The medias must be
used to develop cycling spirit in people's mind.
Marianne Weinreich VEKSO
The bicycle account: asseses developments in cycling
Enriching urban life with new kind of furniture for cities. Cycling Embassy of Denmark is aiming to
improve cycling image within the public and official's minds. Champ is showing a better practice
of cycling for several cities.
Danish are normal people with no special genes, they just use bicycle has transportation mean
naturally.
Decisions about cycling strategy must be made thanks to rational figures based in bicycle
account. 96 was the first date of publishing a report called bicycle account. Study must be done
through modal split, infrastructure available, bicycle facilities, cyclist casualties and satisfaction.
Investment already done is also part of the assesment with Press articles.
It is a tool to observe what data you have, and which data you have to get for decision-making.
Realistic goals and reasonable investment will help monitoring the progress as well as cycling
knowledge in the city.
Select, Collect, Analyse and Publish. All work done early will be used as data for coming projects.
If you communicate your data visualy you will have the best results in spreading the cycling
spirit. Decision makers are the main target but also citizen and daily users. The priorities can be
changed by opening discussion about cycling and this will give a higher status to cycling in the
town. The cycling account gives also a reference status to the experience because it has rational
and understandable results.

4. It is a strategic tool not a marketing procedure.
City examples: Barcelona, Ljublana, Utrecht.
10 minutes for presentation.
Ajuntament of Barcelona: Felix Arnal.
Barcelona persents a report about bicycle trip with the city and the goal of +67% within 2018.
Pedestrians and cyclists can be a problem because they are using the same space. Six thousand
bikes are located in Barcelona for sharing bicycles. The problem in this city is that cycling trip are
mostly done from the hill to the center, then it cost a lot to bring back bicycles to the upper
stations. Electric bicycles are now in use in Barcelona with GPS system. Cycling lanes are actually
104,9 Km and 436 km of slow speed streets. Parkings for cycles are distributed within the whole
city. Also a lot of new types of cycles are used in this touristic city. Regulation depends on
pavement and location of circulation.
Ljubljana: Pr Janez Koželj.
Systematic and gradual project for making Ljubljana a cycling city. On hundred thousand cars are
going through the city every day. The main concern of everybody is to get enough car parking.
Need of more roads for bicycles and changing the priority of transportation to pedestrians and
bicycles wether than cars. But cars are industry and this is creating doubts in decision maker's
mind. Streets have been rearanged also with places, crossings for better safety in circulation.
18% of the population of the city is registered in this bike sharing system. Walking have better
results with 35% actually and bicycles remain around 10-11%. Twelve new stations will be
opened. Delivering is also made by tricycle and a main street have turned into pedestrian way.
Utrecht: Frans Jan Van Rossen Project manager cycling.
It is the fourth largest city of the country and largest university in Nederlands. Still a growing
economy and the busiest railway station. Noted the best city for cycling by CNN. 43% Cycling
trips are under 7.5 km and 26% of a new district residents are using bicycle. Twenty two
thousand bike parking will be built. Bikes are parked on two levels in shared spaces. The biggest
parking will store twelve thousand five hundred bicycles. It is much better than highway
investment and cost fourty times less. Electronic information is displayed outside to know how
many bicycle spaces are available. Specific bicycle ways are built for transportation. New bicycle
ways are nicer and safer without obstacles.
Afternoon.
Parallel session
Urban cycle logistics as last mile solutions:
Karl Reiter FGM AMOR cyclelogistics ahead.
Malin Manson.
City example: Gothenburg.
The city is problematic for space used by trucks and bicycles. Various use of bicycles is
encouraged. The second trip by motorised means could be replaced by cycling. 250000 trips
could be shifted to cycling and cargo bikes because less than 200 kilos. The main goal is on local
logistic around shopping. Also leisure trip and commuting trips for teachers for example. The
most interesting thing is that usally almost all goods we buy at supermarket can be transported

5. by bike. Emergency activities can be organised through cycling equipment as well for tourist
office and pizza delivery. Pharmacists can also use specific delivery. Specialists for delivery are
actually using cargo bicycles. Some specific projects can be financed like cargo bikes for schools.
In UK the city of Benton offers delivery through cargo bikes. Organic farms do use transport by
cycling for restaurant delivery. In Graz only 60 cargobikes for 260000 people and Copenhaggen
25000 cargobikes for 530000 inhabitants.
The first driver who had to jump out of the truck to ride the cargocycle was surprised by public
acceptance and question. He got so famous by is new type of activity that he had the homepage
of city logistic system. Then, his collegues were also willing to get involved in local cargocycling.
Gotenburg: Malin Manson.
Cycle distribution in urban transport of goods within the city. Three years ago there was a trafic
problemn about good transport in the city. It was first done by motorised means. Goods were
autorised for delivery only during some timeschedule and restricted lenght vehicle. The
restrictions are quite large and lorries are actually shorter than 10 meters. The city delivery pilot
center is receiving the goods and organise the last kilometers distribution. But the last kilometer
delivery could be organised by local post office unless there is a additional cost.
The system leads to less congestion, less air pollution and traffic. At the beginning it was only
one company wich wanted to skip to local cycling delivery but there are actually several and it
must be reviewed.
Setting up and upgrading successsful public bike sharing schemes:
Sander Buningh DTV consultants Velocittà.
City examples: Nantes, Barcelona.
Bike sharing workspace. Main sucess and risk factors are knowledge sharing, expertise and
knowing the cyclists.
http://www.velo-citta.eu
E-course will be opened to anyboddy.
Barcelona: Electric bike sharing project. 2015-2017.
Bicing has a result of 50000 trips a day and there are improvement to be made. Also promoting
the electric bikes with a first test. The data system is monitoring 300 bicycles and 600 electric
bike at 47 stations. The local factory will provide aluminium bike of 23 kilo and maximum 25
km/h. Batterie will be provided at the station and also charging during parking time. The
vandalism must be reduced by keeping the bike inside car parks. The stations are distributed
inside the whole city of Barcelona. Pickup vans will be used for specific task of transporting bikes.
The main goal of the city is around infrastructure, technical, accidents and system management.
If the system has too many subscribers it will be established a rotation between members.
Investment is made by carpark and municipality, nothing for European Commission. The use of
citybikes have increased a lot after some months when people figured out how much convenient
it is. The insurance is covered by Municipality in case of injury with biking facilities.
Nantes: Public policy for active modes of transport in Nantes.
Few years ago the report on cycling was very bad. It was decided to encourage people to use
bicycles. The goal is to develop cycle and become a cycle friendly city. Many arguments are used
to encourage better use of bicycle for health, better atmosphere, leisure and professional trips.

6. Experienced and new cyclists are now on bikes. Safer travel is an aim also with better routes.
Only 2% Of trips where made by bicycle in 2002 and now 4,3 to 5%.
Local plans for better cohabitation of pedestrians/wheelchair users where organised by debating.
It is very dificult to organise a conclusion between school pupils, wheelchair users and cyclists.
Counters have raised from 800 a day in june 2012 up to 5000 a day in september 2014. Local
associations, prevention to adult and children also bike repair workshops are organised. For the
use of public space it is very difficult to come to an agreement between children, blind people,
cyclists and motorbikes. Also a regulation for obstacles is a problem because some people want
seperations and other not. 20000 biking routes have been printed and 2000 safety equipments
given away. Congress in Nantes 2 to 5 June 2015. Welcome to participate to call for papers. The
system for publicity is complementary to the main cycling budget, it is not the main source of
funds.
The way forward for sustainable mobility in cities.
City examples: Bologna, Venice.
Policies in Bologna: Tommaso Bonino
Cycling policies.
Data available on Bologna. 6.6% to 11% of citizens are using bicycle during weekdays. Cycling
and walking are valued by Tdays while you can't go to city center by motorised means. The
center of Bologna has data about infrastructure for cycling. The deputy mayor was going around
with citizens and made the opening of public event. The event was totalising 1500000 km during
the third session.
Venezia Ing. Roberto Di Bussolo
The first project in Mestre was to realize around 10 km of cycling routes inside the city. The goal
was to connect any dsitrict of the city with the center. The cycling ways aims to be easy to
identify and secure for users. Also it had to deal with an antique city with desorganised
constructions and streets. The most interesting project is to connect Mestre to Venezia with a
two way cycling route in order to reach the famous island by slow trip.
Klaus Bondam, Danish cyclists Federation.
Making visions realities for cities.
It might be good to start with children because they can integrate bicycle culture by riding to
school and back home by their own. Also it has an importance in climate change effect when
thess children will transport their own children to school. These cargobike can also be used for
carying christmas trees and gifts, it is free of charge. Some people can also choose to cycle more
than 7.5 km because it is sunny and they come back home by train if rainning later.
Health effects are goods as well as walking. Children starting by physical activity will be 10% in
better condition. 25000 less early retirement and 42000 less cases of women deseases. From
1912 to 2008 the cycled distance in Copenhagen has raised from 50 km to 300 per year.
Supercycle hghways will be needed because e bikes will complety change how far we can go and
how we move around in the city. Recreational areas are more visited since cycling facilities have
improved in Copenhagen. By 2015 people in Copenhagen will spend 20% more time in public
places.
Working on long term strategy.
Working on professional advocacy.
Respect cycling activity.

7. Understand social and economic developments.
Promote campaigns for cycling.
Make activity visible.
Inform people about risk to be inactive.
Promote participation and project for better cycling infrastructures.
Demonstration of IEE-project "Bike the track" at Mestre.
RDM-ROW http://www.slideshare.net/reporter/documents Dominique M. DESCHAMPS