European Union Firmly Backs
The Bicycle
Irish Times Mar 17, 2001

Frank McDonald

There is growing evidence the bicycle is about to experience a renaissance

"Bicycles cause no pollution. They are silent, economical, discreet, accessible to all members of the family and, above all, faster than a car over short urban distances."

As a result, bicycles represent "a solution that fits perfectly into any general policy which seeks to enhance the urban environment".

It was not the Dublin Cycling Campaign which expressed these sentiments, though it has long been pressing for better facilities for cyclists in the city. It was not the Green Party, which has been pro-cycling since it emerged on the Irish political scene 10 years ago. The words quoted above are those of the European Commission.

The Commission now believes that the promotion of cycling is "one of the key features of sustainable transport systems" in urban areas and last June it published an easy-to-read, illustrated handbook, Cycling: The Way Ahead for Towns and Cities, which demolishes some of the prejudices associated with bicycles.

One of the oldest canards, as it notes, is that bicycles are "dangerous" in urban areas. While cyclists are relatively slow and somewhat vulnerable compared to heavier road users (cars, buses and trucks), statistics show the most dangerous mode of transport in a city is the car.

The handbook cites numerous studies across Europe which show that a reduction in speed limits to 30 k.p.h. (less than 20 m.p.h.) "would benefit all urban dwellers and would encourage the use of bicycles" as well as reducing the accidents attributable to cars involving pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

"A speed limit of 30 k.p.h. is compatible with the many activities which have to co-exist in a town. At this speed, trips in cars hardly take any longer . . . . motorists are better able to perceive their environment, can react more swiftly to unexpected events, traffic accidents are less serious and the traffic is altogether calmer."

It also points out that more than 30 per cent of trips made by cars in Europe cover distances of less than three kilometres and 50 per cent are less than 5 kilometres. "For such journeys alone, bicycles could easily replace cars, thus satisfying a large proportion of the demand and contributing directly to cutting down traffic jams," the handbook says.

According to the European Commission, "we cannot afford to ignore the potential of cycling, whether for daily trips to school or to the workplace, which account for 40 per cent of all journeys made, or for other reasons (60 per cent of journeys are to do with shopping, services, leisure pursuits and social activities)".

A recent EU-funded study highlighted the fact that a "very high proportion" of car journeys could "perfectly well be made using another mode of transport without any significant difference in journey time door-to-door". This is especially true in the congested conditions that Dublin suffers.

ONE of the main obstacles to a more pro-cycling policy in cities and towns, the handbook says, is the fear among politicians that they will come up against "massive opposition" from well organised motoring pressure groups. But it says that, in fact, towns that ignore their protests quickly gain support from the population.

It notes that the AA in Britain is now "wholly in favour of persuading its members to step up their use of bicycles", declaring that cycling is "an environmentally friendly mode of transport . . . and constitutes an appropriate alternative to the car for some trips". The Confederation of British Industry has also recognised the potential of cycling.

"By combining measures to promote cycling and public transport, towns can succeed in lowering the car-use rate," the European Commission handbook says. "Motorists can be persuaded to cycle regularly - still keeping the family car - while people who used to be transported by car (such as schoolchildren) become autonomous by riding a bicycle."

It points out that cycling is also healthier, citing a British Medical Association report which "refutes the tired old excuse which is often trotted out by those in power - that cycling should be encouraged if it weren't so dangerous, because its advantages for public health far outweigh its disadvantages as regards the risk of accidents".

Noting that the risk of heart disease for a person who takes no regular exercise is equal to that of smoking 20 cigarettes a day, the handbook says that cycling is as beneficial as swimming and much easier to do. "Two trips of 15 minutes by bicycle a day are enough to guarantee a healthy heart," it says.

A study in Washington of 600 men and women found that the rate of heart problems was only 42.7 per thousand among cyclists as against 84.7 per thousand for non-cyclists. Equally remarkable reductions were noted in cyclists for high blood pressure, chronic bronchitis, asthma, orthopaedic problems, varicose veins and diseases of the sebaceous glands.

THE European Commission's handbook suggests that a "relatively low cycling rate" of up to 10 per cent of all trips is "without doubt within the reach of most European towns" with rates of up to 25 per cent "quite possible".

Most of the time, it says, cycling is associated with two countries - Denmark and the Netherlands, notably the cities of Copenhagen and Amsterdam. It is not so common in southern Europe - and in Ireland - where cycling is seen as "an archaic mode of transport, a toy for children or as an item of sports equipment".

Ireland has one of the lowest number of bicycles per thousand inhabitants at 250, compared to 900 in Germany, 980 in Denmark and a staggering 1,010 per thousand in the Netherlands. Only Spain and Greece have lower numbers than us.

As for the perceived disadvantages, such as steep gradients, strong winds and heavy rain, the handbook says that objective conditions favourable to cycling "are in fact met more often than is usually imagined" with car drivers cycling to work for the first time "often pleasantly surprised by the qualities of the bike".

Sweden is a cold country - yet 33 per cent of all journeys in Vasteras (population 115,000) are made by bicycle. Switzerland is not a flat country but the equivalent figure in Basel (population 230,000) is 23 per cent. Even in Britain, described by the EU as "a wet country", 27 per cent of all journeys in Cambridge (population 100,000) are made by bicycle.

In London, no less than 100,000 commuters regularly use the bicycle as their preferred mode of transport, though this represents a mere 2 per cent of the commuting population. Cycle lanes in the city are patchy at present but when the full network is in place by 2005, it will cover more than 3,000 kilometres at a cost of £70 million.

Under its short-term action plan, the Dublin Transportation Office expects to complete a 180 kilometre network of cycle-ways within five years. The objective is to double the use of bicycles, which account for a mere 3.3 per cent of peak-hour trips in the Greater Dublin Area - though it is fair to point out that the DTO's area includes parts of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow.

Within the canal ring, however, the proportion of commuters cycling to work is much higher, at around 10 per cent. In 1960, it would have been five times that figure but we were poorer then and owning a car was the luxurious exception. Nonetheless, there is growing evidence the bicycle may be about to experience a renaissance.

Planning conditions now specify that a much larger proportion of the more limited parking space attached to new office buildings must be allocated to bicycles. Great strides are also being made by Dublin Corporation and other local authorities in providing new cycle tracks and a multitude of secure on-street parking bays.

Though motorists who have never considered cycling will be persuaded only by active promotional campaigns, the European Commission says a large number of car drivers are already thinking about the possibility of switching to cycling; all they are waiting for is "a sign from the public authorities" that proper facilities will be provided.

Dublin architect Mr Paul Keogh believes that anyone who lives in the city's inner suburbs and drives into town is "absolutely mad". He and his wife Rachael Chidlow cycle to work from Rathmines almost every day, while their two daughters walk to school.

"Why do I cycle? I suppose the first thing is convenience; the sheer hassle of parking in the city centre is unbearable. But with a bike you can leave it outside the office door and then use it to get to wherever you want to go within the central area in five or 10 minutes."

Mr Keogh says fitness is also a factor. "Cycling is a good way of keeping healthy, and I know lots of people - lawyers, accountants, advertising executives and other architects - who all cycle to work, use their bikes to get around town, and think nothing of it."

One of the great advantages of cycling, he believes, is that anyone on a bike can guarantee "without fail" to be in a certain place at a certain time, however bad the traffic. It takes him just five minutes to get down to the Civic Offices from his own office in Stephen Street.

Mr Keogh says he uses the family's BMW 320i for site visits outside Dublin, supermarket shopping - "though we do less and less of that" - weekend trips down the country, and for carrying bulky items, such as boxes of books and "big piles of papers".

He believes that sitting behind the wheel of a car in heavy traffic is a huge waste of time and those who do it when it is not really necessary are being socially irresponsible. "Even cycling in wet weather is better than walking, waiting for a bus or sitting in a car."

Indeed, in really heavy rain, when the traffic is usually worse, the bicycle is the first option for him. It is also much faster. "If we left the house at 8.15 a.m. in the car, it could take us three-quarters of an hour to get to Stephen Street. On a bike it's 15 minutes."

RTE considering cycle allowance

RTÉ may become the first major employer to give an allowance to staff who use bicycles for work-related trips, in the same way as car-drivers receive a mileage allowance. The initiative, spearheaded by journalist Tom Kelly, is likely to bear fruit next year.

Mr Kelly organised a seminar on the issue last March and has since received a lot of support. "The personnel department is now looking at it very actively, though it might end up as a flat fee of around £600 a year rather than a mileage allowance," he said.

Such allowances were "commonplace in other EU countries," he said, and the National Union of Journalists chapel (office branch) in RTÉ was confident that it would become "the first company in Ireland to formally recognise cyclists" in this way.

Mr Kevin Healy, RTÉ's director of communications, confirmed that it was currently engaged in a round of discussions with the NUJ and other trade unions representing its staff of 2,000 on a range of issues, including the proposed allowance for cyclists.

European cities have curbed car use

Nearly two-thirds of motorists in Strasbourg believe that cars in towns are "a thing of the past", according to a recent survey. The mayor, Mr Roland Ries, agrees: "The city does not belong to the car. Cyclists and pedestrians have more right to use the city."

Calling for political courage to deal with traffic, he said it was up to politicians to spell out what was at stake if unlimited car use continued - and to propose alternative solutions. Otherwise, he warned, "our cities will deteriorate into formless heaps" with everexpanding sprawl. The mayor's predecessor, Ms Catherine Trautmann, championed the most radical change in Strasbourg transport during her two terms in office. Her policy was based on "reducing the hegemony of the car" by banning through-traffic from the city centre and improving public transport.

The most beautiful trams in Europe now glide through the city, winning an approval rate of 92 per cent from the public. After the first tramline opened in 1994, with attractive park-and-ride sites to serve it, planners began work on an extension and, more recently, on a second line.

Passenger numbers on Strasbourg's public transport system have doubled since 1992 and car traffic entering the inner city has dropped by 17 per cent. Some 50 per cent of passengers use the park-and-ride facilities on weekdays; most of them would have been car commuters.

Incredibly, traffic volumes in Copenhagen are down by 10 per cent on their 1970 levels. Apart from roads associated with the Oresund link to Sweden, the city's road infrastructure is no larger than it was then; what has made the difference is public transport and a lot of cycling.

Copenhagen's planners are determined that the total level of road traffic in the city does not increase. So, all the time they are working to improve the public transport system and provide better facilities for cyclists, including covered secure parking at every rail station.

Traffic calming and reduced speed limits are being introduced in the city centre, not only to reduce traffic levels but to make the streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Onstreet parking, none of it available for commuters, is gradually being replaced by underground car parks.

The Austrian city of Salzburg also restricts access to its central area. Private cars must pay a toll equivalent to £10 to enter, in addition to the usual parking charges, and this measure has reduced traffic levels and made more room for the thousands of tourists exploring Mozart's birthplace.

All over Europe, cities are increasingly pursuing similar policies. "They realise that unbridled use of cars for individual journeys is no longer compatible with easy mobility for the majority of citizens," according to the former EU environment commissioner, Ms Ritt Bjerregaard.

She believes that traffic is having "a detrimental impact on the way of life of about 80 per cent of European urban residents, with multiple harmful effects on their local environment increasingly confirmed by the results of scientific studies on the health effects of air pollution".

European Commissioner Mr Neil Kinnock said traffic congestion was now "so bad at peak periods that the principle of free movement underpinning the Single European Market is compromised". Thus, the development of "sustainable forms of transport" is now a Commission priority.

It also has a powerful weapon to help achieve it. Under the EU air framework directive of 1996, local authorities are required to implement action plans to improve urban air quality where it does not comply with pollution limits, as has been the case for several years for ozone.

The directive obliges towns with more than 250,000 inhabitants to keep them informed about ambient air quality and to adopt improvement plans to deal with 13 pollutants, mainly from traffic. It also empowers towns to suspend traffic should the authorised peaks be exceeded.

By affirming the right of citizens to quality air, the directive has prompted local authorities to take alternative measures, including the promotion of cycling and public transport. In France, any renovation or construction of urban thoroughfares must include provision for cyclists.

France has also led the way in developing modern tramways, starting with Nantes and Grenoble in the late 1980s. Valenciennes, near the Belgian border, has become the 13th French city to join that club, following the successes achieved elsewhere - notably in Strasbourg.

La Rochelle, where the Luas trams for Dublin are being manufactured, has pioneered the use of electric cars, scooters and vans. In 1997 it held an experimental "carfree day' in the city centre, an idea that was adopted by 35 French towns last year. It was another great success.

"If you ask the inhabitants of a town which transport policy should be followed, they will not choose the car", says Mr Ernst Joos, of the Zurich transport authority. "They are much more intelligent than politicians believe and have higher values than merely standing still in a traffic jam."

Delivering a lecture in Dublin last June, he declared that cities could not expect to solve their traffic problems by building more roads and car parks. And he pointed to Zurich as "living proof" that the economy of a city does not suffer from a transport policy based on restraining car use.

Over the past 20 years, in a series of referendums, its citizens defeated plans for an underground metro system in favour of reallocating road space for the benefit of buses, trams, pedestrians and cyclists. This also showed that people were "ahead of the politicians" on the issue.

Mr Pierre Laconte, of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP), says urban areas must be planned primarily for people, "allocating to the motorcar only the space which is compatible with a good quality of life", while taking decisive steps to upgrade public transport. There is another reason for adopting this approach. According to Mr Laconte, public transport "generates twice as much employment per thousand passenger kilometres as the use of the private car, and it gives those without cars greater access to jobs".

An opinion poll commissioned by the UITP among 1,000 citizens in each EU member-state found that 83 per cent on average agreed that public transport should receive preferential treatment over private cars while 73 per cent would favour a similar priority for cyclists.

Commenting on the poll, the EU Commission's cycling handbook said: "Politicians and technicians are more timorous than any other group of persons questioned, including motorists, perhaps because they confuse their own mobility requirements with those of the average citizen."

The gates of Salzburg, where motorists are charged tolls to enter the city. In this Austrian city private cars must pay a toll equivalent to £10 to enter, in addition to the usual parking charges. This measure has reduced traffic levels and made more room for the thousands of tourists exploring Mozart's birthplace.