SABRINA Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure Strategies, Planning, Implementation, Maintenance and Assessment SABRINA – Safer Bicycle Routes in the Danube Area Table of Contents Table of Contents 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04 2. Identified cycling safety issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 2.1. General conditions for cycling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 2.2. Infrastructure issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 3.1. Strategies and policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 3.1.1. International and national strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3.1.2. Regional and local strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 3.1.3. Legal frameworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 3.1.4. Policy Development and Evaluation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 3.1.5. Assessment of cycling infrastructure safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 3.1.6. Intermodality of cycling and public transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 3.1.7. Education and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 3.1.8. Promotion and awareness raising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 3.2. Planning principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 3.2.1. National guides and manuals (available in English) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 3.2.2. Guides and manuals developed in EU-funded projects (available in English) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 3.2.3. Selected national guides and manuals from the SABRINA partner countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 3.2.4. Planning cycle routes and networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Title and subtitle: Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure: Strategies, Planning, Implementation, Maintenance and Assessment Published by: EuroRAP Institute on behalf of SABRINA Project Partners Authors: Marielis Fischer, Maria Fleischer, Marlene Mellauner, Klaus Machata, Aggelos Soteropoulos (all: KFV – Austrian Road Safety Board) with contributions from all SABRINA Project Partners Contact: Olivera Rozi, Project Director, olivera.rozi@eurorap.org | www.eira-si.eu European Institute of Road Assessment – EuroRAP, Dunajska cesta 128, 1000 Ljubljana Graphic design: Identum Communications GmbH, Vienna | www.identum.at Image credits: iStock, SABRINA Project Partners (September 2022) Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 119764739 ISBN: 978-961-07-1265-7 (PDF) Copyright © 2022 Ljubljana, September 2022 Available online: https://eira-si.eu/ The SABRINA Project has been co-funded by European Union Funds (ERDF, ENI). The information and views set out in this document are those of the SABRINA Project Partners and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union/Danube Transnational Programme. 02 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project Table of Contents 3.3. Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 3.3.1. Junctions and crossings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 3.3.1.1. Advanced stop lines (bike boxes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 3.3.1.2. Protected intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 3.3.1.3. Roundabouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 3.3.1.4. Over- and underpasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 3.3.2. Types of facilities between junctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 3.3.2.1. Mixed with motorised traffic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 3.3.2.2. Mixed with pedestrians, E-Scooters etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 3.3.2.3. Separated from motorised traffic and/or pedestrians . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 3.3.3. Driving conditions (Maintenance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 3.3.4. Organisational measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 3.3.5. Signing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 4. Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 4.1. Project Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 4.2. Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 4.3. List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 4.4. Abbreviation List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 SABRINA: No fears about safety on two wheels. www.interreg-danube.eu/SABRINA @SABRINAproject @SABRINA_project Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 03 1. Introduction 1. Introduction Cycling infrastructure in the Danube region is largely » The chapter on planning principles of safe in an early stage of development, especially outside of (cycling) infrastructure focuses on regional and the major urban areas. Considering the benefits that local bicycle networks and their planning guide lines cycling has on the environment, tourism, health, trans- and issues. (Chapter 3.2) port multimodality, etc. this fact is both a development » Finally, examples for safe cycling infrastructure are opportunity and a substantial safety risk if not properly shown. (Chapter 3.3) addressed. The SABRINA project focuses on road infras- tructure safety for cyclists, as one of the most vulnerable In each subchapter, a best practice example is given. road users. It tackles cycling infrastructure safety issu- Since there is much discussion about the term ‘Best es on existing, planned, and missing cycling corridors, Practice’ – and whether there can be such thing as ‘Best crossing nine countries in the Danube region, by raising Practice’ at all – relevant good, best and promising prac-the capacities of all relevant national, regional and local tices are included in the report, i.e., a strategy, method or stakeholders, to build and improve bicycle infrastructu- activity in the field of safer cycling infrastructure that … re in a safe and sustainable way. » has shown (or has great potential) to solve an issue, to bring about improvement in a sustainable way, In this report, several cycling safety issues identified in with good public and political acceptance, in a the SABRINA project are described (chapter 2). State-of- cost-efficient way. the art and evidence-based best practice knowledge on » is transferable – usually with modifications – the essential ingredients of safe cycling infrastructure to other settings, regions, countries, jurisdictions. are described in chapter 3, together with practical re- Hence, good practices are more than a blueprint commendations for implementation. to copy & paste! » is well enough documented, so that others can The content was collected and collated by all SABRINA build on this knowledge for their individual settings. partners and comprises evidence from practitioners in the Danube region1 and beyond, as well as from scienti- The report is closely aligned with SABRINA’s Outputs T2.1 fic literature and previous EU research projects (INTER- (Best practice bicycle safety improvement fact sheets), REG and Horizon programmes). and T2.3 (National Consultations). It informs Output T3.1 (Safe Cycling Routes Toolkit); the recommendations will The report facilitates learning from each other by ad- be integrated in the Safer Cycling Routes Toolkit (SCRT) dressing three different levels: decision making algorithm. » Cycling development and improvement strategies & policies are presented on national, regional and local level from, but not limited to, countries within the geographic scope of this project. (Chapter 3.1) 1 Specific reference is made to the following SABRINA deliverables: D.T2.1.1 Documented good and poor practices from cycling route infrastructure assessments, D.T2.2.1 Report on available evidence on best practices in providing and assessing cycle route safety, D.T2.3.1 Stakeholder Questionnaire on national and regional problems and solutions in cycling safety, D.T2.3.3 Status Report on current problems and solutions in cycling infrastructure safety, and D.T3.1.2 Report on SCRT user requirements. 04 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 2. Identified cycling safety issues 2. Identified cycling safety issues The following chapters present cycling safety issues as identified during EuroVelo route surveys as well as in the course of stakeholder consultations in all participating countries. 2.1. General conditions for cycling The success of cycling promotion generally depends not AWARENESS only on concrete infrastructure but also on the mind- Although the knowledge on health and environmen- set, the (legal) framework and the resources of deci-tal benefits of cycling seems to be ubiquitous, only in a sion-makers, the public and other stakeholders. There limited number of cases concrete activity can be identi- is a variety of deficiencies that need to be overcome fied based on this knowledge. A large part of the society before cycling can be considered acceptable as a travel in the countries of the Danube Area seems to be divided mode by all levels of society. It is somewhat surprising on the topic of cycling, consequently the agenda of mo- that the main issues seem fairly similar across the SAB- torised transport often prevails. There are, however, also RINA-countries, although they are all in different stages some positive developments noted, e.g., among youn- of the cultural development process to make cycling a ger generations of decision-makers and administrative self-evident and safe part of mobility. personnel who have personally experienced less depen- dency on cars – and tend to act accordingly. Even though the severity of the following topics differs from country to country, one can identify a certain uni- FUNDS versality of the issues identified during/in the project. There are various funding structures for cycling infrastructure in the countries of the Danube Area, but the- ATTITUDE / CULTURE re is a lack of systematic integration in other projects Cycling is still predominantly seen as a leisure activi- (road/rail/tram), making retrofit at later stages substan- ty and not as an everyday transport mode – by many tially more expensive. What is common to practically decision-makers and practitioners as well as a substan- all schemes, is that they are mostly focused on invest- tial part of the public, especially car users. Further, the ment, whereas maintenance – and especially safety mindset of decision-makers is still car-oriented; the-assessment of infrastructure – are hardly ever covered. refore, the interests of motorised transport still prevail Funding mechanisms for investment as well as mainte- over those of cyclists. Notably, while towns declare that nance and safety assessment are partly lacking. they aim at “sustainable mobility”, they do not consider cycling as one of its full-bodied components. The diffe- rence between objective safety and subjective sense of safety is disregarded – while the latter is key to raising the share of cycling. Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 05 2. Identified cycling safety issues KNOWLEDGE (GUIDELINES & CAPACITY) RESPONSIBILITIES The capacities of acting people in administrations and Complex and diverse roles and responsibilities exist consultancies for the development and construction of in the Danube Area countries in the realm of cycling safe cycling infrastructure, as well as the availability of infrastructure. The distribution of responsibilities bet- adequate technical guidelines vary across the Danube ween national, regional and local levels is often inade- Area countries. Expertise, competences and capacities quate – mostly the municipalities – and sometimes re- also differ a lot amongst authority levels (national, regi-gions – have to carry the full burden of investments and onal, local) and other stakeholders. In the planning and maintenance. The common impression is that many implementation of cycling networks there is a lack of jurisdictions could benefit from improved communica- strategic approaches. tion and coordination between the many actors. What is also common to all, is an inherent lack in the DATA FOR SAFETY ASSESSMENT uptake of prevailing rules and regulations, and a cer- In many countries of the Danube Area, both the acces- tain tendency to end up making political instead of evi- sibility and quality of cycling-related data are both dence-based decisions. EU institutions often depend on ranked poor; this applies to both data on accidents (not NGO work, as there is no in-depth inter-governmental to mention conflicts or near misses) and traffic flows. co-operation on cycling infrastructure. However, a lack of the latter, exposure data, makes it impossible to correctly evaluate risks and effects of sa-LEGAL ISSUES fety interventions. Cycling accidents are often underre- A large part of the traffic rules and regulations in Da-ported as they often remain unnoticed by the police. In nube Area countries have been set up decades ago, addition, many of the data on accidents is not very de- with motorised traffic as key focus. There seems to be tailed. Experts and institutions outside administrations a common understanding among most countries’ sta-have poor access to data for safety and planning related keholders that the individual legal apparatus does not activities. live up to the requirements of cycling as a full-fledged The scarcely available data on cycling infrastructure are transport mode. In addition, currently liability regula- hardly comparable between different jurisdictions. No tions may be detrimental for infrastructure develop- detailed data is available for safety assessments of in- ment, as in some jurisdictions authorities can be held frastructure. responsible for crashes on cycling facilities. Two of several other problematic issues include land acquisition and environmental permits – outside urban areas it is sometimes more difficult to construct a cycle track than a motorway, as the legal tools for linear investments do not apply to cycle tracks. Expertise and legal require- ments to carry out safety assessments are virtually absent in most countries. 06 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 2. Identified cycling safety issues 2.2. Infrastructure issues NETWORK ISSUES Discontinuous bicycle facilities on cycle routes and a to crossing intersections and high traffic volume and low directness and connectivity of cycling network cyclists have to cross the road. Another example is when routes, i.e., incomplete cycling network, can disfavour such endings encourage detours in unsafe conditions bicycling and might lead to conflicts due to unsafe or or risky manoeuvres of cyclists when crossing the road. uncomfortable conditions. Sudden endings of bicyc- Accurate numbers of accidents in which cycle network le facilities can be dangerous for cyclists in particular, issues have led to accidents are scarce, but studies in- especially at occasions where the cycling facility ends dicate that an incomplete cycle network is one of the on the left-hand side of the road with a large distance main factors that discourage people from cycling. Figure 1: Sudden end of cycle path at EuroVelo 8 in Croatia Figure 2: Poorly accessible underpass due to stairs at EuroVelo 9 in Austria NARROW INFRASTRUCTURE Too narrow bicycle infrastructure and insufficient space insufficient safety distance. These issues are particu-between bicycle infrastructures and curb-side parked larly prevalent in urban areas as well as at bridges and cars can cause dooring collisions and impose safety underpasses where there is usually limited space for risks for cyclists. Cyclists are at risk of frontal collisi-the implementation of cycling infrastructure. Bicycle ons with oncoming cyclists and collisions with vehicle crashes due to narrow infrastructure and dooring are a doors as well as collisions with other vehicles. This can common phenomenon and especially in urban areas a happen when cyclists swerve to avoid a collision with significant proportion of bicycle accidents are dooring opening vehicle doors and end up in the path of on- collisions. coming traffic or when vehicles overtake cyclists with Figure 3: Too narrow bicycle infrastructure at an underpass on the Figure 4: Curb-side parked cars too near to bicycle infrastructure on EuroVelo 9 in Austria the EuroVelo 6 in Austria Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 07 2. Identified cycling safety issues SPEED DIFFERENCES IN MIXED SPACES (PEDESTRIANS, E-SCOOTERS ETC) Speed differences between cyclists and pedestrians im- environments or near tourist attractions. Studies in-pose safety risks especially in areas where both share dicate that a considerable proportion of accidents and the same space, i.e., mixed spaces, and can lead to se-conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists appear on rious injuries in particular for pedestrians. Such con-shared pedestrian and bicycle paths. flicts typically occur in mixed spaces in dense, urban Figure 5: Conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians at a mixed space on Figure 6: Mixed space of cyclists and pedestrians on the EuroVelo 8 in the EuroVelo 14 in Austria Croatia, typically with conflicts between walking and cycling tourists during summer SPEED DIFFERENCES IN MIXED SPACES (MOTORISED TRAFFIC) In mixed spaces of bicyclists and motor vehicles, the injuries and even death for cyclists. It is indicated that speed differences between the two transport modes a considerable proportion of accidents between bicyc- can lead to enormous safety risks especially in passing lists and motor vehicles occurs in mixed spaces where manoeuvres. This is particularly problematic on rural cyclists have to share the road with motor vehicles and roads with higher posted speed limits, where motor ve- that these accidents can often be attributed to drivers’ hicles travel faster, and speed differences are relatively infringements of overtaking rules. high. Collisions at these occasions often result in serious Figure 7: Mixed space of cyclists and motorised traffic on a road Figure 8: Cyclists and motor vehicles sharing a road section outside urban area and posted speed limit of 100 km/h on the on the EuroVelo 6 in Croatia, with a posted speed limit of 90 km/h EuroVelo 6 in Austria 08 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 2. Identified cycling safety issues JUNCTIONS AND CROSSINGS: BLIND SPOT The blind spot issue imposes safety risks for cyclists and can lead to conflicts and collisions at junctions. It typically arises in situations when the cyclist is riding straight ahead and has right of way and a motor vehicle turns right but cannot see the cyclist because he is lo- cated in the vehicle blind spot, i.e., not visible through the window or mirrors. This is mostly a phenomenon in urban areas at junctions with traffic lights that turn green for cyclists and other traffic simultaneously on roads with cycle tracks or cycle lanes and is especially pro- blematic for heavy goods vehicles and lorries leading to serious injuries or even death for the cyclists in case of a collision. Studies indicate that a considerable number of collisions, especially between lorries and cyclists, can be attributed to the blind spot issue. Figure 9: Problem of blind spot occurring at junction on EuroVelo 9 in Austria Figure 10: Sharing the road with heavy vehicles is especially risky for cyclists JUNCTIONS AND CROSSINGS: LEFT TURN ISSUES Left turns for cyclists are a demanding task and can im- high speed of motor vehicles as well as at wide and pose safety risks because cyclists often have to weave complex intersections which make turning difficult with traffic from behind and identify acceptable gaps and could lead to cyclists doing risky manoeuvres, i.e., in the traffic flow of oncoming traffic. This can lead to turning without a sufficient gap. Studies indicate that conflicts with motor vehicles. This issue is particularly at least a small number of cyclist fatalities is related to problematic for cyclists with high traffic volumes and these left turn issues. Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 09 2. Identified cycling safety issues JUNCTIONS AND CROSSINGS: ROUNDABOUT ISSUES Roundabouts can be problematic for cyclists as pas- especially problematic for cyclists when there is no bi- sing through roundabouts is a challenging orientation cycle facility, when there is a marked cycle lane next task, physically demanding and it involves bicycle-to the circulation carriageway when there are multiple motorised vehicle interactions. Conflicts particularly lanes, and when there are high speeds and high traffic arise when motorists entering the roundabout do not volumes. Studies indicate that a considerable percen- give way to the cyclist on the edge of the roundabout tage of especially bicycle-motor-vehicle accidents occur or motorists leaving the roundabout overtake the cyc- at roundabouts. list at the edge of the roundabout. Roundabouts are Figure 11: This roundabout in Tulcea, Romania, is lacking any mar-Figure 12: This roundabout in Pula, Croatia, has recently been built, kings (central, cycle path, lanes) and makes it very difficult to navigate and even though cyclists can be frequently seen along this road section, by cyclists and drivers together. no infrastructure has been dedicated to them (EuroVelo 8). POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS Poor driving and road surface conditions are a major maintained bicycle infrastructure whose paved surface risk factor for cycling safety. Uneven road surface con- has cracked and worn over time, or on bicycle infras- ditions due to potholes or damage from tree roots, the tructure that is often affected by water and snow but presence of sand and gravel as well as slippery road is not subject to (winter) maintenance services. Studies surfaces caused by water and snow can cause cyclists indicate that a high share of especially single bicycle ac- to lose control or skid and fall, often resulting in seri-cidents can be attributed to poor driving conditions or ous injuries. Poor riding conditions are typically obser-road surface conditions. ved on unpaved roads, but also on old, not properly Figure 13: Potholes and damage due to tree roots at EuroVelo 8 in Figure 14: Presence of unpaved / gravel road at EuroVelo 8 in Croatia Croatia 10 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 2. Identified cycling safety issues POOR SIGNING Poor signing, i.e., missing signs, signings in a poor state intersection alignments and road works, when detours or inappropriately placed cycle signing, imposes risks are not properly signposted, leading cyclists to underta-for cyclists as it is difficult for them to understand whe- ke risky manoeuvres or even break traffic rules. Studies re to ride and which traffic rules apply. This decreases indicate that poor and missing signing are problematic the level of service on cycling routes and can lead to and amongst the most important factors for the sever-conflicts. This is particularly problematic at complicated ity of bicycle crashes. Figure 15: Incomprehensible traffic sign at road section at the EuroVelo Figure 16: Problematic traffic signs at construction site, with not safe 6 in Austria detour route at EuroVelo 14 in Austria OBJECTS ON/ASIDE INFRASTRUCTURE Objects on or aside the bicycle infrastructure and road- visibility caused by these objects lead to collisions. This way, e.g., bollards, railings, traffic signs, trees, bushes is particularly problematic on narrow roads and bicycle or parked cars, often impose safety risks for cyclists as infrastructure, in curves or at junctions. Studies indi-they either represent obstacles that cyclists could pos-cate that a considerable share of cyclists’ accidents are sibly collide with or limit visibility. Cyclists get injured collisions with a stationary object. when hitting such objects and falling, or the limited Figure 17: Bollard in the middle of the cycle path at EuroVelo 6 Figure 18: Railing as obstacle at EuroVelo 14 in Austria in Austria Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 11 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3. Recommendations and best practice examples Based on the analysis in chapter 2, recommendations These following recommendations comprise a large va- and best practice examples are reported in the follo- riety of very different aspects of cycling infrastructure wing chapters. The chapter is structured along three development. Each one of them can contribute to the main topics: success of promoting cycling as a mode of transport. In » Strategies and policies some cases, the success depends on the interaction of » Planning principles several factors. In many cases – this is also an outco- » Infrastructure me of the stakeholder interviews of all SABRINA project partner countries – the communication and coopera- In each of these subchapters, several different aspects tion between all institutions and the public is crucial of the topics are described, and best practice examples for the success of sustainable infrastructure planning. are given. (Cycling) strategies and policies (chapter 3.1) provide 3.1. Strategies a framework for future activities to build and improve bicycle infrastructure in a safe and sustainable way on and policies national, regional or local level. By setting medium to long-term goals and priorities, appropriate actions can be determined to achieve these goals. Defining a vision for a country, region or city is an im- Planning principles which are presented in chapter portant element which reflects values and thought 3.2 include several guidelines covering general requi- structures. Depending on the stakeholders involved, rements and criteria for cycling infrastructure planning cycling strategies may focus more on improving traffic for decision makers. safety, fight climate change or foster physical activity. Taking health and environmental impacts of cycling In chapter 3.3 recommendations and examples for con- into account can help to promote cycling on a strategic crete infrastructure designs are given. The examples level. With the “EU Cycling Strategy. Recommendations aim at ensuring the safety and comfort of cyclists at for Delivering Green Growth and an Effective Mobility in sections/stretches and junctions, e.g.: 2030” the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) wants to » Physical separation of cycling infrastructure from address fragmentation in the development of relevant motor vehicle traffic when speed differences and/or policies across EU institutions and avoid inefficiencies in traffic volumes are high the expansion of local cycling strategies and devises to » Sufficient widths and adequate minimum turning encourage the European Commission to develop their curves should be provided, taking account of new own EU Cycling Strategy.2 One outcome of the stakehol- vehicle types like cargo bikes and bicycles with chil- der interviews was, that a clear and long-term strategic dren or cargo trailers vision of a basic cycling network should follow the five » Road markings and pictograms can help to improve principles: cohesion, directness, safety, comfort and safety, e.g., by keeping cyclists out of dooring zones attractiveness. 2https://ecf.com/sites/ecf.com/files/EUCS_full_doc_small_file.pdf [26.05.2021] 12 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples The following chapters present cycling (safety) strate- funding of investments in cycling infrastructure and gies in the SABRINA project partner countries (and be-the funding of pilot projects, research and awareness-yond) at the international, national, regional and local raising campaigns. In addition to a general framework level and describe examples of good implementations for the development of cycling, national cycling strate- in the fields of education and training, promotion and gies enable the adoption of new legislative and fiscal awareness raising as well as the connection of cycling frameworks at national level. Finally, national cycling with public transport. strategies are also a means to boost dynamics at na- tional level and in various cycling-related areas such as cycling tourism, inter-modality, education or physical 3.1.1. International and national strategies activity. An increasing number of European countries have put The analysis shows that the existence of a good national in place and implemented national strategies on cyc- or regional cycling strategy and the reliance on it in the ling. Among them are Austria (with a Cycling master- process of creating programming documents is one of plan), Croatia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary. In the factors that increase the effectiveness of countries Bulgaria and Romania cycling is a part of the national in applying for EU funding for bicycle investments. First, road safety strategies. Most of these national strategies cycling strategies often include specific investment and/or action plans set clear activities and precise goals needs and projects which can easily be transferred to for the development of cycling at the national level all-the programming documents. Second, they show to owing national governments to set a clear framework. European institutions that planned investments are This way, they can signal to regional and local autho- not isolated ad-hoc ideas but part of a larger strategy rities that cycling is important and it should be consi- whose stages and final benefits are clear for the natio- dered in public policies. The framework provided by nal decision-makers. Third, they guarantee that the im- national cycling strategies ideally refers to the coordi- plemented projects will make a real contribution to the nation of cycling policies, exchange of good practice, long-term goals of countries and regions. capacity building for local and regional authorities, co-Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 13 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Pan-European Master Plan » Include cycling in the planning processes and facili- for Cycling Promotion tate multimodality » Promote cycling through incentives and mobility Problem / issue to be solved: The Transport, Health, En-management vironment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP) is a » Improve health and safety joint initiative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) » Improve cycling statistics for use in efficient moni- and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe toring and benchmarking (UNECE). The ministers of Transport, Health and environ- » Promote cycling tourism ment of the Pan-European Countries signed the Pan- » Make use of new technology and innovation European Master Plan for Cycling promotion. It aims » Promote cycling for a more resilient transport system at promoting cycling as climate-friendly zero-emission healthy and sustainable active mode of mobility and Main actors & barriers: implementation depends on emphasizes the positive effects on environment, clima- the efforts of the member states te, health, recovery and economy as well as a creator for green jobs and social inclusiveness and wellbeing. References & contacts: Pan-European Master Plan for Cycling Promotion (unece.org) (in English) What is it about? The Master Plan is designed to help national and local stakeholders streamline efforts to promote cycling. It European Cycling contains seven key objectives to be implemented by Strategy (EUCS) by ECF 2030: Increasing cycling in the region, provide appro- priate space in favour of active mobility, extend and im- Problem / issue to be solved: The European Cycling prove cycling infrastructure, develop and implement Federation (ECF) developed the EU Cycling strate- national cycling policies, plans, strategies and program- gy (EUCS) as recommendations for delivering green mes, significantly increase cyclists’ safety and reduce growth and effective mobility by 2030. One main ob- the number of fatalities and series injuries, integrate jective was the removing of the fragmentation in the cycling into health policies and integrate cycling and development of relevant policies across EU institutions cycling infrastructure into land use, urban, regional and and avoiding inefficiencies in the expansion of local cy- transport infrastructure planning. cling strategies. Another important focus was to show the big impact cycling has on socio-economic and en- To help all countries in the region to unlock the poten- vironmental indicators. tial of cycling, the Master Plan includes 33 recommen- dations, grouped under 11 areas: What is it about? » Develop and implement a national cycling policy, ECF together with over 1,000 experts involved in the supported by a national cycling plan process of developing the EUCS determined four objec- » Improve the regulatory framework for tives that are central for the strategy timeframe 2030: (1) cycling promotion Grow cycle use by 50 % at an average across the EU; (2) » Create a user-friendly cycling infrastructure Halve rates for killed and seriously injured cyclists (in km » Provide sustainable investment and efficient cycled); (3) Invest 3 billion € in cycling in the period 2021- funding mechanisms 2027, and 6 billion € from 2028-2034; (4) At a qualitative 14 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples level, it is strongly advised that cycling is treated as an » jobs in the cycling economy: equal partner in the mobility system. To achieve these 650.000 (2017) – 875.000 (2030) objectives, policy recommendations to the EU, national » number of cycling trips per day: and regional/local level are formulated in the Chapters 160 million (2017) – 240 million (2030) 3 to 11 of the documents. Key recommendations to the » number of cyclist killed/100 million km cycled: EU include: Behavioural change; Cycling-Friendly In- 1.6 (2014) – 0.8 (2030) frastructure; Vehicle Regulation; Multimodality and In- telligent Transport System; A financial and fiscal playing References & contacts: https://www.ecf.com/what- field for cycling; The European bicycle industry; Contri- we-do/eu-cycling-strategy (in English) bution of cycling to achieve global goals; Governance, as well as Monitoring & Evaluation. Cycling Master Plan What triggered the improvement process? The list of 2021-2025 (AUT) challenges where cycling can make a cost-efficient im- pact at city, regional, national, and global level is long. In recognition of the many co-benefits of cycling, there are a growing number of public authorities that have placed cycling high on their political agenda as well as developing and implementing an integrated policy on cycling. The European Union, however, is not yet a mem- Main goals: The Cycling Masterplan 2015-2025 aims to ber of this group. This document makes the case why, in increase the cycling mode share in Austria to 13 percent addition to the EU having the competence to act, Union by 2025 as a contribution to the achievement of natio- action has great added value in improving conditions to nal and international environment, energy and health get more people cycling, compared to Member States’ goals. There are six priority areas with 24 measures: action at local, regional and national level alone. » The klimaaktiv mobil cycling campaign » Cycle-friendly conditions Main actors & barriers: implementation is depending » Information systems and awareness raising on the EU Commission – DG Transport. ECF marked » Optimising connections the hand-over of the EUCS to the EU Commissioner for » Cycling as an economic factor Transport Violeta Bulc during Velocity Arnhem-Nijme- » Cycling for the promotion of health gen 2017. The Commission replied positively by stating its will to land the cycling strategy as part of the 2018 Topics concerning safety: The priority area of “Cycle-initiative on multimodality. friendly conditions” addresses the measure “Road safe- ty for cyclists” with the goal that a high level of safety Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: should the must be achieved for cycling in road traffic by: EUCS be implemented, the following impacts could be increasing the share of cyclists (safety by numbers), achieved: » improving the visibility of cyclists (improvement of » economic benefits of cycling: visual appearance as well as building measures in 513 billion (2017) – 760 billion (2030) accordance with the Austrian Guidelines for the De- sign, Construction and Maintenance of Roads (RVS)), Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 15 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples » learning the correct and safe handling of bicycles in them for later periods – not least because they are not road traffic (road safety education) and reinforcing seen as a service primarily for their own residents. In environmentally-friendly and sustainable mobili- consequence, gaps remain within the cycling network ty behaviour (mobility education) at an early age – and cyclists may end up on dangerous A-roads, e.g., (measure “Road safety education and cycle training“ higher level roads, which usually lowers their subjecti- in priority area “Information systems and awareness ve perception of safety and thus the attractiveness of raising”) cycling. The measure “Initiating implementation-oriented re- If the aim is to implement useful, interconnecting and search projects” (priority area “Cycle-friendly conditi- safe networks of cycle routes, i.e., off the 2nd and 3rd ons”) recommends that road safety research should be class roads with heavy traffic, it is necessary and ap-consistently pursued in the area of cycling. The measure propriate to start thinking about financial contribution “Education and training in the area of cycling/bicycles” from regional resources. There are notable examples of (priority area “Cycling as an economic factor”) aims at regional authorities assuming a coordinating role, but integration of cycling matters in academic road safety not yet at a systemic level, and every region approaches education. the issue differently. References & contacts: https://www.klimaaktiv.at/ser-For the EU countries that have national documents on vice/publikationen/mobilitaet/mprad2015englisch.html cycling, it appears advisable that regional administra- (in English) tions coordinate the implementation of the national strategies and action plans. 3.1.2. Regional and local strategies Strategy of infrastructure development for alternati- Besides national cycling strategies, regional and local ve transport in Chisinau strategies are equally important: although cycling is (Republic of Moldova) primarily considered as a transport mode for short and medium distances, routes connecting towns and ci- ties are also needed – e.g., for leisure cyclists as well as for commuters from neighbouring towns. The laws in many countries require that municipalities are responsi- Main goals: The increase of citizens who prefer to travel ble for this type of transport infrastructure. The regional by bicycle has increased the need to create a well-deve- structure in several Danube Area countries, however, is loped, comfortable infrastructure in the shortest possib- highly fragmented, with small and economically weak le time. The process of preparing this project/draft (local municipalities, and insufficient capacities in the cycling strategy development) was a public one – active citi- domain; it is a difficult task for them to provide funding zens, cyclists and future users of the bicycle infrastruc- for relevant projects, as well as professional staff. There- ture were involved. A series of working group meetings, fore, municipalities often do not include new, intercon- as well as public surveys, ensured real engagement and necting cycleways into their priority lists, or postpone the collection of information from bicycle users. 16 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Main objectives and tasks: developments in the development of cycling » Improving urban mobility metrics: integrate the infrastructure. bicycle as a mode of transport with full rights. » Giving recommendations for improving the » Reducing the intensity of traffic on city roads, regulatory framework for cycling. through the flow of motorists and passengers of public transport, by bicycle. Topics concerning safety: » Establishing principles for development of cycling The expected results for the development of alternative infrastructure in the city of Chisinau, based on exis- transport: ting experience and local specifics in urban mobility. » Improving the health of the capital’s residents » Creating a comfortable and safe environment for » Increasing the types of transport for citizens the development of cycling. Enabling the safe use » Reduction of death and trauma as a result of the bicycle by a wider circle of the population of road traffic crashes and improving urban accessibility. » Tourism development » Ensuring the equality of all road users, especially » Reducing air pollution and reducing vulnerable groups of the population – children, background noise people with disabilities, elderly. » Rational use of the city budget » Stimulating the authorities to develop and imple- ment programs for the development of urban Funded by (describe the resources needed): infrastructure in accordance with international UNDP, ACM, EcoPro criteria for sustainable development and the forma- tion of a “city for people”, “a comfortable city for life”. Timescale (start/end date): » Increasing road safety by reducing the number of July 2020-present (development and approval stage) vehicles and the speed of road traffic, especially in residential areas – giving priority to pedestrians Evidence of success (results achieved): and cyclists. In Summer 2020, the Automobile Club of Moldova (ACM) » Reducing the level of air and noise pollution, while was invited by Mayor Chironda and involved (along with reducing traffic intensity and redirecting part of the another NGO, urbanism and cycling experts, UNDP) to traffic to the bicycle; improving the health of the develop a Local Strategy on alternative transport and capital’s citizens. cycling in Chisinau (capital of Moldova). Initially, a Pu- » Proposing ways to attract investment for the blic Survey was conducted among the residents of the development of bicycle infrastructure. Defining capital, related to the bicycle infrastructure of Chisinau. the principles for the creation of several urban More than 2,000 people were interviewed by the middle bicycle rental centres. of September. The purpose of this survey was to deter- » Stimulating the development of a culture of mine the potential of cycling infrastructure in Chisinau cycling and changing people’s attitude towards the and to what extent the residents of the city are ready to bicycle. Treating the bicycle as a mode of transport support this initiative. Preliminary results in September and not as a means of recreation. Increasing the showed that among those who travel by private car or tourist attractiveness of Chisinau. public transport, 80% would like to use a bicycle as an » Establishing so-called “corridors” for cycling from alternative mode of transport if the appropriate infras- one sector to another, taking into account current tructure appears in the city. Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 17 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples The Cycling Infrastructure Development Strategy in the On an international level the Vienna Convention on city of Chisinau has been developed and submitted to Road Traffic (1968) aims “to facilitate international road the public hearings and to the Local Council of Chisinau traffic and to increase road safety through the adopti- to be approved and launched for its official use and im- on of uniform traffic rules”.3 In the recent reforms and plementation (so far available in Romanian language) amendments of the traffic acts on national level one and was published in October 2020. can find promising developments to ensure and pro- mote active and safe transport by bicycle: Difficulties encountered/ lessons learned: Political issues, elections, lack of sufficient local experti- » Reduction of speed: In the Netherlands, a plan to se in municipal government bodies. introduce a standard limit of 30 km/h in built-up areas, instead of 50 km/h, was approved on Octo- Further information: ber 27, 2020.4 In Spain, the Council of Ministers has Survey: https://point.md/ru/novosti/obschestvo/ approved a proposal to significantly amend traffic alternativnyi-transport-bolee-2000-chelovek-pri- legislation. The urban speeds on single lane roads niali-uchastie-v-oprose?fbclid=IwAR2t3VXTbANpXHT- with a pavement which does not differ in height o8lPgJP9f86GvfWdj_LBU0RKH7L6VBeMh0QnS- from the road’s surface will now be limited to 20 gcbnof4 (in Moldovan) km/h. Roads with a single lane each way will be Strategy: https://www.md.undp.org/content/moldova/ limited to 30 km/h. Roads with 2 or more lanes each ro/home/library/climate_environment_energy/ghid-bi- way will remain unchanged with a limit of 50 km/h.5 ciclete-chisinau.html (in Moldovan) Since January 1, 2021, Brussels (Belgium) is a 30 km/h zone. A maximum speed of 30 km/h is in force on all roads in the Brussels Capital Region, with the exception of the major axes where the speed limit 3.1.3. Legal frameworks remains 50 or 70 km/h.6 Legal frameworks can be seen as a mirror for values » Passing distance of motor vehicles: While there and attitudes of a society. Before motor vehicles do- are currently no specific rules in the Netherlands minated traffic at higher speeds, road space was both and Denmark7, concrete definitions of a mandatory traffic and recreational space – equally available for passing distance for motor vehicles exist, amongst pedestrians, carts, equestrians, and other uses such as others, in Portugal and Germany. The German Road games or commerce. With the advent of motor vehicles, Traffic Act defines sufficient side clearance as at communication and social rules of behaviour between least 1.5 m in urban areas and at least 2 m in extra- road users became increasingly difficult due to the urban areas.8 Since January 1, 2014 the Portugue- higher speeds. More and more rules, regulations and se Road Traffic Act says that motor vehicles must signs were created, which led to a segregation of road respect a minimum distance of 1.5 m from bicycles space in favour of motor vehicle traffic and disadvanta- when overtaking.9 The parliament of the Czech ged walking and cycling. Republic approved a similar provision (1.5 m) in April 2021. Other countries, among them Austria, are cur- rently considering respective regulations. 3https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/conventn/Conv_road_traffic_EN.pdf [26.05.2021] 4https://ecf.com/news-and-events/news/30-new-50-dutch-reduce-default-speed-limit-nation-wide [26.05.2021] 5https://www.eltis.org/in-brief/news/new-spanish-law-require-30-kmh-speed-limit-urban-areas [26.05.2021] 6https://www.brussels.be/brussels-30-kmh-zone-1-january-2021 [26.05.2021] 7https://safercycling.roadsafetyngos.org/best-practice-guide/ [26.05.2021]] 8https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stvo_2013/__5.html [26.05.2021] 9http://www.ibexinsure.com/news-item/new-road-traffic-act-in-portugal-1 [26.05.2021] 18 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples » Right-turn casualties: Since spring 2020 the Ger- Bicycle Policy Audit (BYPAD) man traffic act codifies crotch speed for right-turn- ing motor vehicles over 3,5 tons. The Danish Minis- Problem / issue to be solved: In terms of quality ma-try of Transport appointed the Danish right-turn nagement, it is necessary to question how effective and committee in 2005. This unique type of cooperation efficient cycling policy is. Therefore, an assessment of between different parties and players lasted for the current situation is required. several years and consisted of drivers and haulage contractors of the trucking industry, Danish Cyc- What is it about? The tool BYPAD offers an opportuni- lists’ Federation, the Police, the Danish Road Safety ty for cities, towns and regions to evaluate the quality Council, as well as researchers and representatives of their cycling policy themselves. It considers cycling from government ministries and agencies. Follo- policy as a dynamic process, consisting of nine fields in wing their proposed broad spectrum of knowledge- permanent development and influencing each other. based, inclusive measures, the number of annual By using a strengths and weaknesses analysis for these right-turning cycling casualties dropped from nine modules, the quality of cycling policy is evaluated about 35–40 to 10–15. and concrete suggestions on how cycling policy can be improved in the future are made. Since cycling trips are often shorter than trips with other modes of transport, cycling is often perceived as a The BYPAD method is developed for the different cate- local issue. However, the possibilities of local authorities gories of geographical areas in terms of size and orga- to provide and ensure safe cycling infrastructure are af- nisation: 1) towns (less than 50.000 inhabitants), 2) cities fected by national legislations like regulations on signs and agglomerations (above 50.000 inhabitants) and 3) and signals. regions as the administrative level above the municipa- lities (like provinces, regions, counties). 3.1.4. Policy Development After the implementation of the audit all cities and regi- and Evaluation Tools ons receive the official BYPAD certificate together with a bicycle action plan from their national auditor. Policy development and evaluation tools play a crucial role for cycling policies and strategies. Such tools can Main actors & barriers: The BYPAD (Bicycle Policy Audit) support the development process of cycling policies was developed by an international consortium of bicyc- and strategies and/or help to investigate whether the le experts as part of an EU funded project. implemented policies, activities and interventions have the desired effects, and what can be done differently to Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: improve the impacts.10 The audit has been implemented in almost 250 cities, towns and regions spread over 25 countries. Since 1999, bicycle-experts from different regions are educated to become certified auditors in order to guide the towns, cities and regions to implement BYPAD and to join the BYPAD network. References & contacts: https://www.bypad.org/about/ one_minute (in English) [11.06.2021] 10Garrard (2015) Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 19 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples CIVITAS WIKI project 3.1.5. Assessment of cycling infrastructure safety It is advisable to regularly assess safety aspects of cur-Problem / issue to be solved: Over 70% of all Europe- rent and future cycling infrastructure. Whereas road ans live in cities and cities are becoming increasing- safety audits and inspections are already common ly congested. Citizens suffer from poor air quality and for infrastructure for motorised traffic, the assessment noise, which makes the cities less liveable. CIVITAS is a of cycling infrastructure safety is still under develop- network of cities for cities dedicated to cleaner, better ment. While the CycleRAP methodology has its origin transport in Europe and beyond. Since it was launched in the field of traffic safety and focusses solely on the by the European Commission in 2002, the CIVITAS Ini-assessment of the level of risk that is built into cycling tiative has tested and implemented over 800 measures infrastructure, the European Certification Standard and urban transport solutions as part of demonstration (ECS) and the ADFC quality certification consider cyc-projects in more than 80 Living Lab cities Europe-wide. ling infrastructure safety aspects as part of a broader set of criteria to evaluate the quality of a cycling route. The What is it about? The mission of the CIVITAS WIKI pro- different approaches are presented below. ject was to provide information on clean urban trans- port and the CIVITAS Initiative to EU city planners, de- Regular and independent monitoring and evaluation cision-makers, and citizens. With its policy documents, of cycling infrastructure (before and after comparison, WIKI wants to inform people in cities about a number needs and requirements of all involved parties, crash of topics that currently play an important role in urban and traffic data) is not only essential for road safety but mobility. The final policy analysis focuses on the topic of can also be used for public relation. Ideal is a regular cycling in the city. This document provides information data collection and analysis for infrastructure safety as- about measures that can be taken in order to increase sessment according to a national plan and giving ac- the use of cycling as a transport mode in the urban en- cess to the database to all relevant stakeholders. vironment. References & contacts: [11.06.2021] » https://civitas.eu/projects/wiki (in English) iRAP Star Ratings of NACTO-GDCI’s Global » 5th Policy analysis: Smart choices for cities. Cycling Street Design Guide in the City: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/de- fault/files/cycling-guidance/smart_choices_for_the_ Problem / issue to be solved: Every year 41,000 cyclists city_cycling_in_the_city_0.pdf (in English) die in road traffic-related crashes worldwide. Millions more are injured while cycling, some of whom beco- me permanently disabled. 22,800 road users lost their life on the European Union (EU) roads in one year, 2000 of which account for cyclists. Despite the massive un- derreporting problem with bicycle crashes, the increa- se in bicyclists’ fatal and serious injuries on roads is 20 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples apparent. Infrastructure safety plays an important role What triggered the improvement process? In the re- in preventing bicycle crashes. Modern cities are invited spective document an integration of iRAP star ratings to take seriously into account overall safety of vulnerable for infrastructure safety into the GSDG is tested with the road users on their roads, including bicyclists. New road aim to create a 5-star environment for all road users whi- infrastructure designs that support shift towards safe, le supporting mobility outcomes that can best provide sustainable, and healthy cities through transforming for healthy, safe, sustainable, equitable, and liveable ci- of streets plays a key role in preventing bicycle crashes ties for both current and future generations. The safety with serious injuries and fatalities. assessment of the road infrastructure in cities has be- come an ever-growing demand in cities which aspire What is it about? To prevent the growth in the cycling to improve road infrastructure safety performance. This fatalities and serious injuries, the International Road Guide provides an interesting insight on how the pro- Assessment Programme (iRAP) Star Ratings of NACTO- posed design changes can be assessed and evaluated GDCI’s Global Street Design guide (GSDG) offers a useful even before the actual work takes place. iRAP road safe- framework for validating the design strategies offered in ty assessment is one of the available methods to assess the Global Street Design Guide. The Star Ratings of the safety of designs. GSDG’s transformations provide decision-makers, en- gineers, and designers around the world with possible Challenges: Decision-makers, engineers and designers reconfigurations for a variety of street and intersection involved in road infrastructure around the world are types, drawing from global case studies that have also busy people dealing with multiple priorities where road been endorsed by iRAP‘s proven methodologies. For safety is a small part of their everyday business. Moreo- those using the iRAP methodology, this effort can also ver, the availability of funding is in most cases limited. offer ideas and potential strategies for achieving higher The star rating of designs provides a useful tool in rai- safety ratings while simultaneously supporting broader sing awareness about infrastructure safety but also of- citywide goals. fering valuable insights at the early stage of projects on how the safety ratings of proposed designs are assessed and can be improved. Figure 19: iRAP Star Rating for the example of residential streets Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 21 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples and other light mobility users by identifying high risk Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: The impact of locations without the need for crash data. CycleRAP will assessing road design for safety in early stage of design power software tools used for pinpointing and mapping can have huge impact on overall safety of one project. where crashes are likely to occur and offer suggestions Costs for star rating road design is significantly lower for treatments to reduce this risk. The model uses data than improving safety in post implementation phase. about the features of a road, street, or path to evaluate the risk of crashes for bicyclists and light mobility users References & contacts: [11.06.2021] – irrespective of the type of facility (or whether it is on or » WHO (2020): https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/ off road) and for all crash types. It can be used anywhere handle/10665/336393/9789240013698-eng.pdf in the world. The iRAP bicyclist Star Rating provides an (in English) assessment of the level of risk that is built into cyclist » iRAP (2021): https://irap.org/cyclerap/ (in English) infrastructure, with 1 star being the highest risk and 5 » European Commission (2020): https://ec.europa.eu/ the lowest. The concept of CycleRAP originated in 2015 transport/media/news/2020-06-11-road-safety- by the collaborative efforts from iRAP, the Royal Dutch statistics-2019_en#:~:text=Compared%20to%20 Touring Club (ANWB), the Province of Friesland and the previous%20years%2C%20fewer,%E2%80%93%20 Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV). They a%20decrease%20of%2023%25. (in English) have developed a first-generation model dedicated to » European Commission (2021): https://ec.europa.eu/ assessing bicycling risk, “CycleRAP version 1.3”. Several transport/road_safety/users/cyclists_en pilot assessments using the CycleRAP model have been » https://globaldesigningcities.org/wp-content/ completed or are underway in the Netherlands. iRAP, uploads/2020/09/iRAP-Star-Ratings-of-the-Global- via its subsidiary company, Road Assessment Services Street-Design-Guide.pdf (in English) Ltd (RASL), is assisting in the quality review of these pilot projects. In late 2018, ANWB engaged RASL to conduct further research to strengthen the evidence base that CycleRAP methodology underpins CycleRAP attributes. Problem / issue to be solved: Every year in the EU, a CycleRAP measures the risk of four crash types: vehicle large number of bicyclists are fatally or seriously inju- – bicycle/ light vehicle; crashes between bicycles/ light red on roads, and cyclists belong to a large portion of all vehicles; bicycle/light vehicle – pedestrian; and single those fatally or seriously injured. Of these bicyclist cras-bicycle/light vehicle crashes; and is applicable on any hes it is estimated that the road design plays a role in kind of road or other facility. CycleRAP can be used in at least half, and a significant proportion are single bi- conjunction with, or independently of, the iRAP Bicyclist cyclist crashes. Road authorities (in particular urban and Star Rating (which is focussed on vehicle-bicycle crash municipality authorities) are grappling with provision of risk and best suited for assessing roads or facilities asso- infrastructure for bicyclists and with associated impacts ciated with roads). Like Star Ratings, CycleRAP provides to vulnerable road users’ safety. an objective measure of the likelihood of a road crash occurring and its severity when one does occur. What is it about? CycleRAP is an evidence-based in- frastructure risk evaluation model. It aims to reduce What triggered the improvement process? In 2014, crashes and improve safety specifically for bicyclists SWOV published several studies on the development 22 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples of a quantitative method for assessing bicycling safety. irap.org/cyclerap. In 2015, ANWB formed a cooperation agreement with CycleRAP is intended to be an enhancement of the iRAP the City of Amsterdam and SWOV to develop a Network Bicyclist Star Rating, providing an objective measure of Safety Index (NSI) to map the road safety situation, with the likelihood of a road crash occurring and its severity a particular focus in urban areas, with the goal of hel- when one does occur. The focus is on identifying and ping municipalities to increase proactive measures to recording the road attributes which influence the most promote road safety. A second goal of the collaboration common and severe types of crash, based on scientific was the development of the CycleRAP instrument as evidence-based research. In this way, the level of bicyc- part of the iRAP/EuroRAP methodology. list risk on a particular network can be defined without the need for detailed crash data, which is often lacking Challenges: CycleRAP needs to be as practical and af- for bicyclist crashes. fordable as possible to use. The model was tested ex- tensively in the Netherlands, and as a result of this, a References & contacts: [25.06.2021] second generation of the model has now been develo- » Website in English, https://irap.org/cyclerap/ & ped. The new version simplified the data requirements https://www.irap.org/project/irap_urban_cyclerap/ and crash types to improve its efficiency, effectiveness & https://irap.org/2021/05/innovation-project-in- and the quality of the outputs. Reducing the number focus-cyclerap/ (in English), www.irap.org/cyclerap of attributes will reduce the labour-intensive exercise (in English) of coding. Currently there are 55 CycleRAP attributes, » CycleRAP Research and Review: Evaluation and plus 14 location attributes that should be collected for Literature Review Report, CycleRAP Research and each 25m coding segment. To reduce the assessment Validation report, International Road Assessment burden, CycleRAP is now undergoing its final stages of Programme (iRAP), 8 February 2021 (in English) testing and will be ready for pilot projects in the second » https://resources.irap.org/Report/CycleRAP_RV2020_ half of 2021. The development of the second generation Evaluation_and_literature_review_report.pdf of the model has been overseen by the CycleRAP Advi- https://www.anwb.nl/binaries/content/assets/anwb/ sory Committee, which involves stakeholders from over pdf/belangenbehartiging/cyclerap/cyclerap-rd_in- 20 organisations around the world. Attributes could be ception-report_280319.pdf (in English) consolidated and simplified as much as possible. There are a few cases where there is unnecessary duplication (such as tram rails being separate from bicycle facility European surface quality) or where, based on current assessment Certification data, attributes appear of limited value. Standard (ECS) Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: The initial Problem / issue to be solved: The European Certifica-CycleRAP model was piloted on over 450 km of road tion Standard (ECS) aims to improve the quality of Euro- and other facilities in the Netherlands. In 2018, ANWB Velo, the European cycle route network, and other rou- engaged iRAP to undertake an evaluation of the Cycle- tes by identifying critical deficiencies and motivating RAP pilot trials and to complete a comprehensive litera- decision-makers to invest in solutions to the identified ture review to strengthen the link between the model problems. ECS provides quality control to motivate dif- and available evidence. The report is available at www. ferent target groups with varying levels of experience to use the certified trans-national routes. Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 23 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples %28ECS%29%20is%20a%20set,harmonise%20 What is it about? The European Certification Standard the%20different%20regulations%20in%20the%20 (ECS) is a set of rules developed by the ECF to certify European%20states. (in English) EuroVelo routes and evaluate their quality. It can also be » Short Manual in English: https://eurovelo.com/ used to assess the quality of national or regional rou- download/document/European-Certification- tes. It can help set up national standards where they do Standard-Manual-short-version-English.pdf not exist and harmonise the different regulations in the » Long Manual in English: https://eurovelo.com/ European states. The criteria for the assessment are ca- download/document/ECS-Manual-2018_04_16.pdf tegorised according to (1) infrastructure, (2) services and » App (log in necessary): https://ecfapp.com/pages/ (3) promotion. index (in English) Regarding (1) infrastructure the following criteria are as- sessed: » Continuity of the route: physical disruptions, legal 3.1.6. Intermodality of cycling disruptions, entry and crossing restrictions and public transport » Route components: infrastructure type, direction, infrastructure width, volume of motorised traffic, Cycling is perfectly suitable to be interconnected with speed limit, traffic category, dangerous crossings other modes of transport. Especially when combined » Surface: surface material, surface quality with public transport, cycling can be encouraged as » Different route components, traffic, surfaces the first/last mile solution on journeys. Measures that or widths in a minor section ease this combination include the provision of cycling » Gradients facilities close to public transport stops, hubs and in- » Attractiveness: area/landscape, attractions, terchanges and the possibility to take bicycles onboard nuisances public transport, including adequate onboard storage. » Signing: conformity with signing standards, EuroVe- Covered and locked garages protect bicycles from theft lo logo integration, sign content, signing defect and weather. Good bicycle parking facilities are properly » Public Transport: public transport reliability, number located, comfortable, visible and easily understandable, and capacity of connections differentiated, secure and safe, available, i.e., the num- In addition to the short and long ECS Manual (see re- ber of spaces should match the number of users, as well ferences), EuroVelo Route Inspectors use an app speci- as maintained and serviced. They are more advanced fically designed to evaluate long-distance cycle routes: than just a parking facility and indicate that cyclists are the European Certification Standard app. Official Euro- respected.11 Moreover, the introduction of a single ticke- Velo Route Inspectors have participated in the manda- ting system including shared/rented bicycles support tory ECS training. the use of different modes of passenger transport.12 References & contacts: [11.06.2021] » Website: https://pro.eurovelo.com/projects/ european-certification-standard#:~:text=The%20 European%20Certification%20Standard%20 11 https://cyclingsolutions.info/good-bicycle-parking-isnt-rocket-science-just-get-it-right/ [08.06.2021] 12 https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/cycling/guidance-cycling-projects-eu/cycling-measure/19-multimodal-integration_en [11.06.2021] 24 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples tlenecks had to be eliminated, including cycling related Bike+Ride services at the issues. At the same time, demand from the public and Austrian-Hungarian border region commuters also motivated the company to take the ne- (Austria / Hungary) cessary steps. Problem / issue to be solved: CO2 emissions need to Main actors & barriers: GYSEV Ltd. is a key actor of pu-be reduced at both regional and local levels. Linking blic transport in the West Transdanubia region, playing up sustainable modes of transport, like the rail and the an active role as a catalyst of green transport. For 18 ye- bicycle, can encourage workers to utilise these modes ars, it has worked towards transforming into an inter- instead of cars. It is shown that cycling can meet the modal passenger mobility hub, providing innovative needs of commuting in the region if there are no ti- services and infrastructure development to smooth out metable bottlenecks or comfort obstacles. At the same modal transfers for commuters and visitors. Intensive time, among other factors, suitable infrastructure for cooperation with municipalities, commuters and other cyclists was missing when GYSEV Ltd. (Györ-Sopron- public transport actors, and the complex management Ebenfurth Railway) took over the operation of the pu- of service and infrastructure development both at local blic rail passenger transport in the West Transdanubia and regional levels is also a valuable experience and a region starting from 2001. key success factor. Local, regional and national autho- rities along line managed by the company contribute What is it about? In order to better cater for the needs financially to the operation of passenger transport. of bikers, several measures have been taken: The railway operator now runs low floor electric trains for getting on Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: The utilisati-and off easily, with and ample space for bicycles trans- on of Bike+Ride (B+R) parking and the transport of bicy- port. Platforms in all stations have been renovated to cles on trains are constantly increasing on GYSEV lines, match train floor levels. Secure bike storage areas have as the quality of service is improving. Secure bicycle sto- been established at 39 stations, conveniently storing rage facilities had to be extended several times due to more than 1800 bikes along the lines. Moreover, GYSEV heavy demand to a current capacity of 1881 bicycle sto- offers many discounts to cyclists: bicycle ticket prices rage places. Despite a drop in petrol prices (10%) and a have been standardised within 50 km transport distan- rise in car numbers (22%) in the region, passenger num- ce. On the cross-border routes the price of the EURegio bers increased by 8% in the period 2012-18. For cross- Special return tickets include the carriage of bicycles in border trains to Austria, the increase is 34%. In 18 years, Hungary as well as in Austria. People can use these ti- since 2002, GYSEV has spent ~2,2 million € on cycling ckets even with stopovers. and intermodality-related development. Projects were partly financed with own capital and partly through What triggered the improvement process? Regar- Structural Funds (Hungarian OPs: WTROP, Transport ding passenger transport, the strategic goal of GYSEV OP; Integrated Transport Development OP; ETC pro- Ltd. was to establish a passenger transport company of grammes: INTERREG AT-HU, CENTRAL, DANUBE). regional significance along the West Transdanubia re- gion and at the cross-border lines between Austria and Hungary. To reach this goal, the above-mentioned bot- Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 25 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples dren’s cycling, learning to cycle can be seen as a family matter with parents teaching their children and passing on this tradition, their knowledge and skills. However, in countries where cycling is not yet part of the mobility culture, other approaches are necessary to ensure the acquisition of these skills. Targeted cycling program- mes from national and local authorities in cooperation with schools or day care facilities guarantee that the responsibility does not rest solely with the parents. Mo- reover, cycle training can increase road safety of all age groups i.e., by improving the skills and confidence riding Figure 20: Covered bicycle parking in Sopron (Source: ikvahir.eu 2014) a bike, and can be an opportunity to get to know new bicycle types like pedelecs / e-bikes or cargo bikes.13 In order to provide adequate cycle education and training, it is necessary to train the instructors as well – as it is the case for example in Hungary or Austria.14 15 In addition, it is necessary to include scenarios in the theoretical and practical education of drivers in which special attention to cyclists is needed. For example, it is recommended to include the so-called Dutch Reach in the list of requirements for drivers to pass the driving Figure 21: Covered bicycle parking in Wulkaprodersdorf test, i.e., to open the door of the car with the hand that is furthest from the door. In this way one automatically turns the own body to face the rear where a cyclist may References & contacts: [11.06.2021] be approaching, and ‘dooring’ incidents can be redu- https://www2.gysev.hu/ (in Hungarian), ced. https://www.raaberbahn.at/ (in German) Know how is not only necessary to those riding a bicycle in public traffic but is also key to improve the conditions for (safe) cycling. Since cycling is an interdiscipli-3.1.7. Education and training nary topic and needs efforts on different (political and administrative) levels a common understanding and Daily use of the bicycle in road traffic requires various teamwork is necessary. skills which are generally acquired during childhood and adolescence and lay the foundation for future mobility behaviour. In a society where cycling is the norm and the environmental conditions support chil- 13 PRESTO (2010a) 14 https://cyclingsolutions.info/cycling-children-cycle-training-and-traffic-safety [26.05.2021] 15 https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/cycling/guidance-cycling-projects-eu/cycling-measure/cycle-training_en [26.05.2021] 26 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples » To involve more primary school teachers in trai- Cycling education ning-of-trainers programmes that prepare them for cycling safety education. BringaAkadémia – » To reach all 4-5th class pupils in Hungary, at least A Hungarian cycling safety educational through the BringaAkadémia workbook. programme (Hungary) » To strengthen cycling safety education in primary schools by implementing a theoretical course that Problem / issue to be solved: Cycling is a strong sym- is obligatory for all pupils and which can become bol of freedom. Already children feel that on two wheels the basis of voluntary practical cycling courses is the they can go faster and further, while they also experien- long-term objective. ce their independency. On the other hand, only a mino- » To establish an obligatory theoretical cycling exam rity of them will cycle with proper theoretical and prac- in the 4th or 5th class of primary schools. tical knowledge day-to-day – to school, to the grocery store, or to the grandma. What triggered the improvement process? Almost all children love cycling, but the majority of them are not What is it about? BringaAkadémia’s goal has been to acquainted with the basic rules and highway code sti- provide professional background knowledge for cycling pulations for cyclists. In Hungary, the National Curricu- safety education to primary school teachers (and police lum contains traffic safety education, i.e., three lessons officers) by training-of-trainers courses and by develo- per year on average, in primary schools. However, this ping educational materials (like the BringaAkadémia amount of lessons is not sufficient to provide well-foun- workbook for pupils and the BringaAkadémia Mentors’ ded practical knowledge of these rules. For primary guide for teachers). Vuelta Ltd. (a private company ela- school teachers (and police officers who are regular- borating the BringaAkadémia programme) has dealt ly presenting at these traffic safety classes in primary with cycling safety education since 2004. In their first schools) there is a lack of useful traffic safety educa-4 years they have implemented ‘cycling project days’ in tional or supporting and advisory material. In addition, dozens of primary schools, bringing along there their bi- according to a survey of the Hungarian Institute for keability track equipment and giving lessons about safe Transport Sciences (based on 2014 data), cycling safety cycling in classrooms. In 2008, they had been assigned knowledge of 1st and 2nd grade pupils is excellent, but by the government to develop and implement a cycling as the children are growing up, results are getting worse safety education programme in Hungary as a pilot pro- – in 3rd and 4th class only 42% are aware of basic traffic ject, based on Western European best practices, that codes for cyclists. Among 5th to 8th grade students the focussed on practices for improving the pupils’ cycling latter value is getting better (59%), but accident statis- skills. tics show that it is not enough. The data shows that the- re is a huge need for cycling safety education, and this BringaAkadémia objectives: The main aim has been to should be started in primary schools. involve all 10 to 11 years old pupils in cycling safety edu- cation nationwide in Hungary. Other objectives of the Main actors & barriers: Their main partners were the BringaAkadémia are: Office of the Government Commissioner for Active Hungary, the Institute for Transport Sciences (KTI), the Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 27 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Commission on Prevention of Accidents of the Hun- of cycling safety at the highest levels of the Hungarian garian Police (ORFK-OBB) and the Hungarian Cyclists’ government. The government commissioner for cyc- Club. The Commission on Prevention of Accidents of ling and active leisure, initiated to form a task force to the Hungarian Police (ORFK-OBB) provides the possi- complete the Workbook and the Mentors’ Handbook bility to reach police officers with their programmes, (also including rules for pedestrians) in August 2017. A and, in addition, in the last three years BringaAkadémia task force has been formed from experts from the Of- and ORFK-OBB have implemented training for trainer fice of the government commissioner, the Institute for courses for police officers (for the ‘police officers of the Transport Sciences (KTI), the Commission on Prevention schools’ primarily) in every Hungarian county, based on of Accidents of the Hungarian Police (ORFK-OBB), the the BringaAkadémia methodology. On the international Hungarian Cyclists’ Club and Vuelta Association. The level, they have formed professional partnerships with resulting Safe4Cycle Workbook was delivered to all 4th organisations dealing with the same issue in the last six and 5th grade students in November 2018 (200,000 co- years. First of all, they have helped to start safety cycling pies in total). education in Romania, in cooperation with Fundația Comunitară Mureș, a civil organisation in Mureș county. With the start of the Safe4Cycle project (funded by In 2014, they organised a training for trainers’ program- the Erasmus+ Programme with 283,000 €) with the me in Târgu Mureș, that was the basis of AcademiaVelo European partners Mariborska kolesarska mreža (SLO), programme. In the last six years the Romanian partner Fundația Comunitară Mureș (RO) and the Bikeability has been improving its programme permanently, rea- Trust (UK), recent activities focus on interactive videos, ching hundreds of pupils and dozens of teachers in the an interactive workbook and a new training for trainers secondary schools or at various cycling events. programme. Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: BringaAka-démia programmes, events and booklets have reached ten thousand children, and hundreds of primary school teachers were trained for educating cycling safety and guiding cycling tours to pupils. As a first step, in the fra- mework of the Safe4Cycle project, Vuelta Sport Asso- ciation in cooperation with three partners (Easy Drivers Radfahrschule from Austria, Mobycon from the Nether- lands, Fundația Comunitară Mureș from Romania) it was decided to develop a cycling road safety education pro- gramme in the frame of the Erasmus+ Programme. The four partners had two and a half years and a 340,000 € Figure 22: Practical cycling safety education subsidy from Erasmus+ for the implementation of the project. An important impact of the work at national level in 2017 was that attention has been raised for the importance 28 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples educational programme in which everyone is both tea- cher and student. The four following characteristics make the approach of the Partnership unique: 1) Focusing on training of new urban mobility managers; 2) Providing independent consultations on Figure 23: Theoretical cycling safety education the SUMP development and implementation; 3) Talking more about the humanitarian dimension References & contacts: [11.06.2021] of SUMP than the technical one; » www.bringaakademia.hu (in Hungarian), 4) Stronger emphasis on the need of creating public www.bringaakademia.hu/en (in English), and street space with regard to the promotion of www.facebook.com/bringaakademia (in Hungarian) active mobility, environmental protection » www.safe4cycle.com (in English) and safety of vulnerable users. The website www.akademiemobility.cz was developed Training and education analogue to the EU website www.eltis.org. This is a plat- for (prospective) experts form where not only single lessons, but also all relevant information on sustainable mobility planning is publis- Urban hed. The Urban Mobility Academy compiles a “library” Mobility Academy with information, guidance and inspiration useful for (Czech Republic) those who struggle for regional and urban mobility support. The library content focusses on various target Problem / issue to be solved: Urban transport and mo- groups such as local politicians, engaged citizens and bility are very complex issues. Important topics in the associations, professionals, business sector, or transport integrated urban development, such as sustainable service providers. development, climate change in urban areas, reducing barriers, innovative mobility solutions, or a human-ori- The website structure is based on four areas of the new ented social city concept relate to many disciplines and Urban Agenda for the EU: sectors, and require the engagement of various stake- 1) Governance = Participation = Communication holders and network structures. Strategy = Strategic Planning; 2) Active Mobility Support; Public Space Solutions; What is it about? Together with the Faculty of Trans- 3) Public Transport; Multimodality; port CTU Prague, the University of Pardubice and the 4) Smart Technologies. University of Economics Prague are updating the SUMP methodology (so-called SUMP 2.0), based on ongoing References & contacts: www.akademiemobility.cz consultations with politicians, officials, experts and (in Czech) [11.06.2021] the public. This participation can be seen as a mutual Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 29 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.1.8. Promotion and awareness raising At international level, several high impact actions regar- ding cycling can be identified that influenced people’s The link between promotion and awareness raising mode choice in favour of the bicycle in time: concerns two areas. On the one hand, following the idea of “safety in numbers” , the more people cycle, the safer World Bicycle Day – In April 2018, the United Nations it is for each individual cyclist.16 On the other hand, safe- General Assembly declared June 3 as International ty concerns influence whether people cycle or not, i.e., World Bicycle Day. The resolution for the World Bicycle various studies, e.g., Sanders (2015), found that people Day recognises “the uniqueness, longevity and versati- say they would cycle more if they felt safer. Depending lity of the bicycle, which has been in use for two cen- on the aims and objectives, promotional campaigns or turies, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean targeted cycling campaigns for schools, workplaces or and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport“. specific population groups like children, students or the The World Bicycle Day is a global holiday meant to be elderly may be recommended. enjoyed by all people regardless of any characteristic. Professor Leszek Sibilski, Polish social scientist working In recent years, the number of cycling campaigns has in the United States, led a grassroots campaign with his increased significantly across European countries as sociology class to promote a UN Resolution for World many European cities have started to promote cycling Bicycle Day, eventually gaining the support of Turkme- as a mode of urban transport. Experience shows that nistan and 56 other countries. The bicycle as a symbol of infrastructure is no longer the only concern in the traf- human progress and advancement promotes tolerance, fic domain – and relatively inexpensive communica- mutual understanding and respect and facilitates social tion, promotion and awareness raising campaigns are inclusion and a culture of peace. The bicycle further is a also an efficient contribution to reaching the main goal. “symbol of sustainable transport and conveys a positive Awareness raising can include a wide variety of activi- message to foster sustainable consumption and pro- ties aimed at encouraging individuals to change their duction and has a positive impact on climate.”19/20 habits and to use the bicycle as a mode of transport instead of driving, by explaining its potential benefits. Kidical Mass – Kidical Mass is a family bike ride that Moreover, cycling campaigns can also address specific encourages families to ride bicycles for transportation, issues of cycling safety e.g., the visibility of the cyclist fitness and fun. The rides are no more than a few mi-to other road users or the safety of the environment les (2-4 miles depending on the ages of the children) around the cyclist.17 However, promotion and awareness and should be comfortable for people of all ages and raising activities do not only encompass broad promo- abilities. The goal is to bring people together by riding tional or safe cycling campaigns, but also bike events bikes through a neighbourhood to a destination where and festivals, the certification of cycle friendly emp-everyone can gather and enjoy food, refreshments and loyers, the installation of bicycle counters or the imple-conversation. Kidical Mass usually occurs once a month mentation of shared bicycles schemes.18 on a weekend. Kidical Mass is popular in various count- ries from Europe to the United States.21/22 16 Elvik & Bjørnskau (2017) 17 PRESTO (2010b) 18 PRESTO (2010c) 19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bicycle_Day [07.06.2021] 20 https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/rides-and-events/world-bicycle-day/ [07.06.2021] 21 https://kinderaufsrad.org/ & https://www.kidicalmass.at/ [07.06.2021] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass_(cycling) [07.06.2021] 30 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples CityChangers Campaign (Czech Republic) Bike to Work (BTW) campaign Problem / issue to be solved: Based on an analysis con- (Slovakia) ducted, it was found that there is a lack of interest and awareness towards the SUMP concept among policy- makers at all levels; it seems that the whole Czech socie- Problem / issue to be solved: The most often mode of ty is so far only interested in the topic to a limited extent. commuting in Slovakia is a car. Thus, a goal of the Bike Therefore, a marketing concept is needed to present the to Work campaign is to show people that commuting topic to the public and policymakers in an appropriate by bike is often possible and that it is even better and way. This goal will be achieved in cooperation with Mas- more attractive than by car. Organisers hope that at terCard which is the author of the CityChangers draft least part of the participants commute by bike after the campaign. campaign for a longer time - and the experience of the last 9 years since the campaign has been established What is it about? The CityChangers campaign will put show that this is a justified assumption. together cities, companies, non-profit organisations and civic initiatives which strive for making our cities What is it about? Nationwide campaign for increasing better places to live. The initiative gathers active and en- the use of the bicycle for commuting to work. The main gaged people from local communities. It is a platform of element is a gamified competition of commuters in local politicians and officials, but also, primarily, of acti- number of trips, driven kilometres and emissions saved, ve citizens in local communities. The aim is to intercon- accompanied by numerous events and awareness rai- nect all people involved to address the issue of transport sing activities. and mobility jointly and to help cities to communicate these issues. Having a vision and knowledge of theory Main actors & barriers: The initiator was the Citizens’ is essential, but that basis needs to result in tangible Cycle Initiative Banská Bystrica association (OCIBB). It changes in streets and neighbourhoods. In addition, was active in motivating citizens of the municipality every change should be discussed with the public. The Banská Bystrica (Central Slovakia) to use bicycles and campaign aims at looking for and sharing good practice to demand more cycle routes. In 2012, it recognized a examples, to inspire Czech towns and cities. There is also large potential of the Bike to Work campaign in other the need to present the topics in a positive way. Every countries and organised it in Banská Bystrica. The first- mobility plan includes a communication and marketing year success was phenomenal, so they developed the strategy to ensure public participation throughout the campaign further nationwide and it is now the most development and implementation phases. The associa- popular and biggest cycle campaign in Slovakia. There tion will cooperate with cities to develop their commu- are more main actors beside the OCIBB: the Ministry of nication strategy as well as a long-term communication Transportation and Construction of the Slovak Repu- plan, to give publicity to the mobility topic and to imple- blic provides important political support showing that ment communication sub-activities. commuting by bike is of national interest. Municipali- ties are also very important within the campaign, but References & contacts: www.citychangers.eu (in they have to show interest by joining the competition Czech) & https://en.dobramesta.cz/citychangers (in (otherwise its citizens cannot participate) and appoint a English) [11.06.2021] local coordinator (some of them are really active and in Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 31 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples some towns he/she even becomes a formally appointed References & contacts: www.dopracenabicykli.eu municipal cycling officer) and organise the final event. (also in English) [11.06.2021] Crucial, though not compulsory actors are employers that very often quickly recognise benefits of commu- ting by bike and create a supportive environment (e.g., Cycle Friendly Employer (CFE) showers, safe bike storages, etc.). There are two main Certification, Bucharest (Romania) barriers: low awareness in the population and authori- ties about cycling as a part of transportation (thus low Problem / issue to be solved: Bucharest is the most interest or even disrespect) and lack of funds for even congested city in the EU, according to ECF, and the better public relations and fees. introduction of bicycle voucher schemes for 1 million bikes in Romania could create socio-economic benefits Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: Such big of more than 600 million €. Only from reduced mortali-campaigns generate several impacts and benefits, ty – 418 premature deaths could be prevented per year among them: – the amounts to an economic value would be 319 mil- lion € per year. The calculations are based on the World » significant increase of cycling during the campaign Health Organisation’s Health Economic Assessment month and slight increase in the rest of the season Tool (HEAT). GRA, together with the EU Bike2Work pro- » slightly increased focus of municipalities to sup- ject consortium, has developed an EU-wide certification port cycling and implementation of some modest for companies that encourage and promote cycling – measures (many municipalities began to collabora- the so-called CFE Certification. te with local cycle communities, some of municipal „bike to work coordinators“ are appointed as perma- What is it about? The Cycle Friendly Employer Certi- nent cycling officers); fication is the only European certification that attests » hundreds of companies and institutions improved the level of involvement, promotion, and evaluation of the environment for commuting by bike (mainly by companies’ support for the bicycle as an alternative me- creating bike parking places); ans of transport among employees. According to ECF, » increased environmental responsibility of part of the employees cycling to work have on average 1.3 days less population. sickness absence days per year. The project started in 2014 and the companies that encourage cycling can be Costs of the campaign consists of (amounts in 2020) awarded the distinction „Cycle Friendly Employer“. the operation of internet registration/evidence system What triggered the improvement process? Each com- (23,000 €), the advertisement of the campaign (10,000 pany acts in such a way as to prove that it is a responsi- €), and fees (7,000 €) (another app 16,000 € is provided ble company towards environment and the employees. as a voluntary work). Main funding sources are grants/ ECF states that the benefits of cycling for reducing mor- donations from public and private organisations and bidity (diseases) to be 40% of the mortality benefits. The merchandising. An interesting new source of income “Cycle Friendly Employer” Certification can have major are heat maps created from registered data of partici- benefits for employees and the company‘s image and pants (via internet registration/evidence system) sold to assure a long-term statement for the employees regar- municipalities to help them to improve cycling environ- ding cycling topic. ment efficiently. 32 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.2. Planning Main actors & barriers: GRA is the only NGO in Romania certified to audit companies and make available principles its knowledge of cycling to them, providing consul- tancy and audit to companies. In two years, more than 50 of the largest companies across the country joined the certification. These companies include: Raiffeisen Not only visions and strategies reflect values and Bank, Ericsson, Oracle, Orange, Telekom, Stefanini, In- thought structures of a society. In addition, ideas and Soft, Romanian Post, and KFC, which encouraged their priorities of the planning disciplines, politics and ad- employees to use the bicycle as an alternative means of ministration are engraved in public space, the built en-transport even after the end of the campaign. Neverthe- vironment. However, in many countries the road system less, barriers seen by the companies (especially the HR and public spaces have not been designed with cyclists departments) are still the unsafe/missing infrastructu- in mind.23 Cycling therefore should become institutio- re, the Romanian legislation which makes the way from nally integrated in land use and transport planning as and to the office covered by the company insurance as well as urban design, i.e., by including cycling in trans- well as behaviour change of the staff which often still port plans, focussing on developments in land-use see the car as status symbol and an important benefit. planning that favour compact and mixed city develop- ment, including cycling provision, and the (re-)building Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: Over 1,700 of safe street designs and public spaces for cyclists employees in Romania cycled during the Bike2Work/ and pedestrians.24 CFE campaign (2015-2016) and over 300 companies in the entire country have joined the Bike2Work cam- Improving the quality of public space, including public paign and encouraged their employees to cycle as an transport terminals, revitalising the urban parterre and alternative means of transportation. Active cyclists have providing more space for pedestrians and cyclists are recorded over 200,000 kilometres, totalling over 15,000 solutions that increase the quality of life for citizens. hours of cycling, understanding the positive impact, The theory can be beautiful, but the reality is often so- both personally and environmentally. mewhat different. Towns and cities of today must face a number of challenges and must decide what is more important and useful for the neighbourhoods, and the city as a whole. What should be provided? New car par- king lots or new cycle lanes? And mostly this is not a technical question, but a philosophical one – what are our priorities? Unfortunately, current cycling infrastructure on urban and rural roads (in contrast to the mostly well-main- tained/well-developed highways) is deficient, often Figure 24: Cycle Friendly Employer Certification leading to critical situations. Insufficient path widths, obstacles at the edge or on the path, blind curves and References & contacts: https://www.bike2work.ro/certi-crests, poor pavement and a lack of markings and il- ficare-cfe (in Romanian) [11.06.2021] lumination are some examples of how single accidents 23 ETSC (2020) 24 PRESTO (2010c) Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 33 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples are generated, i.e., collisions with no crash opponent 3.2.1. National guides and manuals (also see chapter 2.2). Adequate cycling infrastructure (available in English) is not only necessary to prevent (single) accidents but to support children, elderly and people with disabilities to travel independently by bicycle. In this regard, in the Copenhagenize. Netherlands and Belgium the term “vergevingsgezind The Definitive Guide to fietspad”25 was coined, meaning that the infrastructure Global Bicycle Urbanism is forgiving to mistakes, which can always happen. (Denmark, 2018) While it is taken for granted that highways, urban and rural roads are planned, built, and maintained adequa- tely, there is still a lack of knowledge and guidelines on Mikael Colville-Andersen shows cities how to re-esta-how to do the same for proper cycling infrastructure. blish the bicycle as a respected, accepted, and feasible However, over the last years an increasing number of form of transportation. Chapters address among others: guides and manuals on cycle (infrastructure) planning and design became available. The European Commis- THE LEARNING CURVE sion provides an (not complete) overview of guidance » Copenhagen’s Journey and standards developed in several Member States at » Climaphobia and Vacuum-Packed Cities the national level and additional guidance developed by » Arrogance of Space non-governmental organisations (NGOs), cycle interest » Mythbusting groups and by regional/local administrations for cities.26 » Architecture » Desire Lines & Understanding Behaviour The CROW Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic was first » A Secret Cycling Language published in the 1970s in the Netherlands and descri- » A2Bism bes the steps required to create ‘Dutch-style’ bicycle- » The Art of Gathering Data friendly infrastructure. Other well-known examples are available in English from Denmark, the UK and USA. THE TOOLBOX Within the framework of EU funded projects like e.g., » Best-Practice Design & Infrastructure “mobile2020” or “EcoVeloTour”, a handbook to facilitate » Prioritizing Cycling cycling in small and medium sized towns of Central and » Design & Innovation Eastern Europe (2012) respectively guidelines for sus- » Cargo Bike Logistics tainable cycling tourism in the Danube region (2019) » Curating Transferable Ideas have been compiled. Within the project “Safer Cycling » Communication & Advocacy Advocate Program27” a best practice guide focusing on providing and promoting cycling safety has been pu- blished in 2020. 25 https://www.fietsberaad.nl/Kennisbank/Vergevingsgezind-fietspad-inzending-veilig-fietsid [08.06.2021] 26 https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/cycling/guidance-cycling-projects-eu/cycling-infrastructure-quality-design-principles/existing-guidance-and-standards_en [08.06.2021] 27 https://safercycling.roadsafetyngos.org [24.06.2021] 34 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples sustrans Handbook for 3.2.2. Guides and manuals developed cycle-friendly design in EU-funded projects (available in English) (UK, 2014) PRESTO Cycling Policy Guide. Cycling Infrastructure (EU, 2010) The UK charity sustrans wants to enable people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day. The handbook is structured along the following chapters: » Introduction Within the EU project PRESTO – Promoting cycling for » Understanding user needs everyone as daily transport mode – four Policy Guides » Network planning „Giving Cycling a Push“ were prepared to offer a clear » Streets and roads and systematic framework for decision makers: 1) Gene- » Traffic free routes ral Cycling Framework; 2) Cycling Infrastructure 3) Pro- » Rural areas: Roads and villages motion of Cycling and 4) Electric Bicycles. The Guide on » Crossings 1: General Cycling Infrastructure includes the chapters » Crossings 2: Rural » Give Cycling a Push / PRESTO policy guides » Interface with carriageway and fact sheets » Bridges and other structures » The riding bicycle » Destination signage » The standing bicycle » Cycle parking » Cycling and public transport » Cycle/rail integration » The PRESTO fact sheets on infrastructure » Development planning » Maintenance and management https://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/projects/en/pro- jects/presto (in English) https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/ cycling-guidance/sustrans_handbook_for_cycle- friendly_design.pdf (in English) https://www.sustrans.org.uk/for-professionals/infras- tructure/national-cycle-network-design-principles/ (in English) Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 35 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Guidelines for sustainable 3.2.3. Selected national guides and manuals bicycle tourism (EU, 2019) from the SABRINA partner countries National Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic (Design of Bicycle Roads and Infras- tructure Elements as part of The guidelines are a preliminary output in the frame of the Hungarian Road Engi- the EU project “EcoVeloTour. Fostering enhanced eco- neering Standards), provi- tourism planning along the Eurovelo cycle route net- ded by the Hungarian Road work in the Danube region”. They provide a basis for Management Authority planning and improving all mobility-related infrastruc- ture and services in connection with bicycle tourism as The Hungarian Road Engineering Standards has a far- the main representative of eco-tourism. It is structured reaching history. As part of the digitalisation process in as follows: the past decades, the Standards became accessible on- line in 2009, at that time on a subscription-based model. » Executive Summary According to a government decision, the system beca- » About these guidelines me available openly and free of charge in 2017. Among » Bicycle based eco-tourism others, the Standards includes » Planning for different types of cyclists » How to start bicycle tourism in your region » Directions on the Design of Bikeable Public Roads » Infrastructure for high-level bicycles tourism » Barrier-free Road Facilities » Transport services and intermodality » Track Design of Cycle Paths, Footpaths » Bicycle rental schemes and Sidewalks » Accomodation and gastronomy » Data Upload and Operation Procedure for the » Information, communication and marketing National Cycle Path Registry System » Measuring bicycle based eco-tourism » Success stories and good practices » Checklist for implementation http://www.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/eco- velotour/outputs (in English) 28 https://www.crow.nl/publicaties/design-manual-for-bicycle-traffic [24.06.2021] 29 https://safercycling.roadsafetyngos.org/ [24.06.2021] 30 https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/cycling/guidance-cycling-projects-eu/ cycling-infrastructure-quality-design-principles/basic-quality-design-principles_en [09.02.2021] 36 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.2.4. Planning cycle routes and networks Before starting the detailed planning of a cycling faci- lity, the demand as well as the approximate location of Bicycle traffic should be considered in all (traffic) plan- each link and its importance in the network hierarchy ning and design measures. In addition to the design must be determined in advance. Only then the suitable principles and the criteria for deployment and opera- form of organisation can be chosen and planned in an tion of cycling infrastructure presented above (Chapter implementation-ready manner. The preparation may 3.2.), the following five principles should be respected consist of the following steps31/32/33/34: according to e.g., the CROW Design Manual for Bicyc- le Traffic28 (see chapter 3.2), the Safer Cycling Advocate » Analysis of the current situation / inventory of Program29 or the European Commission30 already on a existing cycling regime: definition of the planning superior level: area, survey on traffic volume and accidents, inventory of problems » Safety » Defining objectives / estimating the expected traf- » Comfort fic situation: future demand, sources, destinations » Directness and their desired lines of bicycle traffic » Attractiveness » Planning the cycling network in hierarchical form: » Coherence (connectivity/accessibility) specification of main routes, top local routes and local routes The definition of a cycle network is crucial. It provides » Defining the organisational principle (mixing or a mesh or grid that connects the main zones of origin separating cycle traffic with motorised vehicles) and destination within an urban area to offer effective » Selecting appropriate cycle infrastructure / cycle movement for cyclists. A well-designed cycle network measures includes a hierarchy of different route segments that » Routing and detailed planning of cross-sections provide for different levels of cycling traffic and also of- and interlinking areas fer route choices. Depending on the guidelines, cycling » Implementing measures networks with three to four levels are recommended: » Monitoring and assessing the planning The (1) primary network is the backbone of a cycle net- and implementation process work which represents a high-quality and high-perfor- mance connection between cities, suburbs, residential It is recommended to organise a participation process areas and major (work) places like cycle highways or to include relevant stakeholders and the needs of citi- main routes that cross the urban area, and carry most zens and users as well as to inform the public regularly cycle traffic. The (2) secondary network offers connec- about ongoing activities. tion, collection and distribution routes which provide links between the principal cycle routes and local zones. With regard to defining the organisational principle Finally, (3) the third level incorporates feeder cycle rou- (mixing or separating cycle traffic with motorised ve- tes within local zones, and/or connections from zones to hicles), according to the Safer Cycling Advocate Pro-the network levels above. gram 2020 which refers to Dutch decision matrices and 31 https://www.cyclemanual.ie/manual/planning/components/ [27.05.2021] 32 http://www.fsv.at/cms/default.aspx?ID=90406537-9b2d-4210-98b1-81c25b098607 [09.02.2021] 33 https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/cycling/guidance-cycling-projects-eu/planning-cycling-cities/cycle-network_en [27.05.2021] 34 Meschik et al. (2008) Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 37 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Danish know-how, the separation of bicycle traffic from motorised traffic is necessary when speeds are high (50 km/h or higher) and where there is high motor vehicle traffic volume. In general, distributor roads and direct major roads should have full separation. For minor roads, full separation is not required as long as speeds and motor vehicle traffic volumes are low and there is good roadside visibility.35 Figure 25: Decision matrix regarding cycle facilities for outside urban areas Figure 26: Decision matrix regarding cycle facilities for inside urban areas 35 https://safercycling.roadsafetyngos.org/best- practice-guide/ [09.02.2021] 38 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Requirements and quality » different segments of the cycle network: regional criteria of the cycling masterplan main route, top local route, local route for everyday Burgenland (Burgenland, Austria) cycling (red) and touristic cycle routes (yellow). What is it about? The matrix shows which criteria are mandatory √ re- The “Masterplan Radfahren Burgenland” sets require- spectively preferable (√). ments and quality criteria for (daily and touristic) cycling routes and cycle storage. The requirements and quality References & contacts: [11.06.2021] criteria are presented in a matrix according to https://www.burgenland.at/f ileadmin/user_upload/ Downloads/Abt._2/RAD_Masterplan_BGLD_2018.pdf (in » different categories: route guidance, technical re- German, short summary in English and Hungarian at quirements, facilities and maintenance as well as the end of the document) Figure 27: Requirements and quality criteria for cycling routes Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 39 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: Nin has over “Nin Vision 2030“, implementing 110 km of cycling routes in and around the town. The a bicycle network (Croatia) cycling network within the town is partially complete and needs to be connected to the surrounding routes, Problem / issue to be solved: Before the development EuroVelo 8 route among them. The costs of such an of a SUMP, the town of Nin in Croatia had a negligible undertaking are estimated to exceed 2,000,000 €. Ho- amount of sustainable transport measures incorpora- wever, the development and integration of the SUMP ted into its spatial planning documentation, especially into the city plans has a potential to open the channel for cycling. Detailed project documentation, such as towards different fund opportunities supported by EU. traffic plans and studies did not exist, and network de- It is important to note that the development of cycling velopment was defined entirely through spatial plan- as a daily mode of transport, without systematically sol- ning and the Town of Nin development strategy. ving the issue of non-existent cycling infrastructure, will not be complete and a well-working alternative to a mo- What is it about? Recreational cycling activity in the torised traffic for commuting and daily tasks. town of Nin is especially strong in the pre-tourist sea- son and postseason. A well-designed cycling network References & contacts: Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan would be an immense asset in capitalising on cycling “Nin Vision 2030“, Mr. sc. Marko Ševrović, Mr. sc. Marko tourism activities within the area. “Nin Vision 2030” in- Šoštarić, Prof. dr. sc Ivan Dadić, University of Zagreb corporates extensive chapters which explain in detail Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, Zagreb, 2018 all the phases involved in sustainable mobility measu- (Croatian) – CDROM res, including cycling network planning. In short, three main steps are covered by the planning: 1. defining the attractors (points of interest) of Nin, 2. route plotting and 3. structuring a hierarchy within a network. Planning of the cycling network was done in accordance using the “Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic by CROW”. What triggered the improvement process? Lack of proper documentation related to sustainable traffic opened a demand leading to the creation of the Sustai- nable Urban Mobility Plan for Nin, and consequentially Figure 28: Cycling trail in Nin to the cycling network plan. Main actors & barriers: Even though Nin is a major tourist attractor, including for recreational cyclists, the lack of a proper cycling network coupled with disorganisa- tion within the planning department severely hindered any potential for cycling tourism development within Nin. The problem was recognised, and in cooperation with FPZ, Nin Vision 2030 was developed. Figure 29: Cycling trail near Nin 40 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.3 Infrastructure 3.3.1 Junctions and crossings Cycling accidents predominantly occur at junctions between cycling facilities and facilities for other – most- ly motorised – road users. The following principles can help ensuring the safety and comfort of cyclists at junc- tions: » Good visibility and physical proximity (or adequate distance, >5 m) between road and parallel cycling facility, at least for the last 20 metres before the junction » Straight trajectories should be ensured for cyclists to avoid ambiguities on their further Figure 30: Advanced stop line (bike box) for cyclists route choice and/or changes of direction » Right-of-way regulations should be 3.3.1.2 Protected intersections self-evident for all users Protected intersection aims to improve the safety si- » Directional arrows (road markings) increase tuation at intersections for VRU’s by means of physical clarity of dedicated use and trajectories separation between transport modes, providing clear » conflict areas should be colour-coded guidance, adequate visibility as well as encouraging (including those with pedestrians) predictable user behaviour. Protected intersections come as a seamless continuance to protected cycle The following chapters present a selection of junction lanes and offer protection on those parts of the net- interventions relevant for cycling safety. work where vulnerable road users are more exposed. Some of the features a protected intersection can be 3.3.1.1 Advanced stop lines (bike boxes) equipped with are painted cycle lanes, corner refuge At traffic light-controlled junctions, stop lines for cyc-islands, curb extensions, cycle friendly signal phasing lists should be placed 3-5 metres in front of the stop li- and other36. In addition, one can find corner islands, bike nes for motor vehicle traffic. Thereby it can be ensured queue areas and waiting zones for turning cars. Protec- that cyclists have had the chance to position themsel- ted intersections also provide more safety for pedestri- ves in front of motorists and be visible for them when ans through shorter and safer crossings and pedestrian the traffic light is green. This can be crucial in avoiding islands.37 blind-spot collisions with (right-turning) HGVs. 36 Falbo, N. (2014): Protected intersections for bicyclists, available at: http://www.protectedintersection.com/ 37 https://nacto.org/publication/dont-give-up-at-the-intersection/protected-intersections/ [29.11.2021] Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 41 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Figure 31: Example of a protected intersections design 3.3.1.3 Roundabouts should be implemented on the core carriageway Roundabouts can pose a significant safety problem for of the roundabout bicycle traffic, therefore cycling facilities should be de- signed considering the following aspects: Roundabouts are safer for cyclists when they38: » Cyclists riding on cycle paths against the direction » have a low volume of motor vehicle traffic; of travel of the roundabout are particularly at risk » encourage low traffic speeds; due to the viewing habits of motor vehicle drivers » only have one lane; » Unidirectional cycling facilities can be problematic » are smaller in total size, with larger and higher as (illegal) bidirectional use can be expected central islands. » No cycling facilities (e.g., cycle lanes, advisory lanes) Single-lane, low-traffic (< 6000 vehicles per day) roun- dabouts with an outer diameter of up to 30 metres allow for mixed traffic of motorised and bicycle traffic39; cycle facilities should end well ahead in the approach of the roundabout entrance to enable a safe transition. For larger facilities and higher volumes, segregation of traffic modes is strongly recommended. Figure 32: Segregation of two-way cycling facility and motor vehicle traffic on a roundabout in the Netherlands 38 https://www.cyclemanual.ie/manual/designing/4-8-roundabouts/ [08.06.2021] 39 https://www.cyclemanual.ie/manual/designing/4-8-roundabouts/ [08.06.2021] 42 Inter Int r er eg | Danube T r r eg | Danube T ansnational P r r ansnational P ogr r amm ogr e | SABRINA projec e | SABRINA pr t 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.3.1.4. Over- and underpasses Where cycling routes intersect with roads that have high AADT, crossings are very often grade-separated in order to provide maximum level of both safety and mobility. Overpasses and underpasses can be also used to cross other barriers – railroads, rivers or canals, cliffs etc. This type of infrastructure provides continuity of access for bicyclists and prevents significant detours due to high-risk roads and unsurpassable natural or built barriers. The following aspects should be considered when plan- ning an over- or underpass: Figure 33: Underpass in Tulln/Austria » Gradients on ramps should not exceed 6 % » Segregation of cyclists and pedestrians where feasible » Keep the additional energy demand limited and minimise detours and differences in altitude » Especially for underpasses: – Good visibility and lighting – Headroom > 2.5 metres, width > 3.5 metres Over- and underpasses consist of different types of structures, including bridges, and are generally very ex- pensive, though some cost savings can be realised de- pending on the materials used. Figure 34: Cycling bridge in Slovakia Best Pr Best P a r ctices in Cy tic c es in Cy lin c g Infrastruc r ture tur 43 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.3.2. Types of facilities between junctions 3.3.2.1. Mixed with motorised traffic Cycle streets Mixed traffic of cyclists and motor vehicles can only be Cycle streets are a fairly recent type of cycling infras- recommended on roads with low volumes of traffic tructure where priority is given to cyclists. The imple-operating at low speeds. When sharing the same space mentation of a cycle street is recommendable along with motorised traffic, cyclists are endangered by con- major cycling routes if a high volume of cyclist traffic flicts with parked vehicles (collisions with opening car (i.e., more than 50% cycling share, at least in summer) doors) and by overtaking manoeuvres (“squeezing col- and relatively low motor traffic loads and speeds are lisions”). The latter can be mitigated by avoiding critical to be expected. The concepts implies that entry restric- lane widths between 3.0 and 3.75 metres. tions, one-way regulations and speed limits for motor vehicles may apply, and cars must give way to cyclists, Bicycle or Sharrow pictograms can be used to indicate whereas cycling is usually allowed in both directions, the shared use of a street, and to imply a safe trajectory using the full width of the road. For homogenous cyc- choice for cyclists, i.e., avoiding collisions with opening ling speeds and safety, it is advisable to give priority to car doors and discouraging dangerous overtaking ma- cycle streets. They are usually marked with road signs noeuvres. A KFV study40 showed that the pictograms and large bicycle road pictograms on the carriageway. successfully encourage cyclists to ride outside of the door zone. It should be noted, however, that pictog- rams are no replacement for proper cycle facilities and should only be implemented in urban areas with mo-derate motorised traffic, along main cycling routes. Figure 36: Cycling street in Austria Figure 35: Use of sharrows in Tulln/Austria 40 KFV (2020): Dooring-Unfälle: https://www.kfv.at/download/20-dooring-unfaelle [23.02.2021] 44 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples Cycle lanes Edge lanes / advisory lanes Cycle lanes are facilities marked on main carriageways, Edge lane roads (also depicted as “2 minus 1 roads”) are without level changes, usually adjacent to the first dri-road configurations which usually allow two-way traffic, ving lane for motor vehicles, and next to a pedestrian for both motor vehicles and bicycles. They are typical- sidewalk or a parking lane. They are usually marked with ly applied on low volume roads, and where the provi- solid edge lines and can be reinforced e.g., by painted sion of other cycling facilities (cycle paths or cycle lanes) cycling pictograms and directional arrows. The regular is not affordable or unfeasible for other reasons. They minimum width of cycle lanes should be around 1,5 me- are used in urban areas in several countries, but have tres. Higher widths are required for main bicycle routes, successfully been applied also in rural settings, e.g., in or if permitted speed for motor vehicles is higher than Denmark and the Netherlands. The core lane for mo- 50 km/h, or for cycling lanes alongside kerbside, per- tor vehicles can be narrower than normal driving lanes. pendicular or angle parking lanes. As for cycle tracks, Passing motor vehicles are allowed to use (parts of) collision rates are usually higher at junctions than on the edge lane in case no cyclists are endangered. When stretches. Cycle lanes will only unfold their positive im-applied in rural areas, typical speed limits for motor ve- pact on safety and comfort if they are always kept free hicles are 60 or 70 km/h, and the 2 minus 1 configuration of flowing and parked motor vehicles. It is advisable to itself can be seen as a measure of speed management paint, e.g., in red, the surfaces of cycle lanes on potential for motor vehicles. Edge lanes should have a minimum conflict points, such as with turning or joining motor width of 1 metre. For more information see e.g., https:// vehicles or pedestrians. cyclingsolutions.info/edge-lane-roads/ [23.01.2021] Figure 37: Cycle lane in Slovakia Figure 39: Advisory Cycle Lane in Hungary Figure 38: Cycle lane in Austria on a road with tram tracks Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 45 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.3.2.2. Mixed with pedestrians, E-Scooters etc Tracks alongside roads can be segregated e.g., by level Shared (cycle and pedestrian) paths should only be fo- changes (kerbstones), guardrails, bollards or vegetati-reseen for facilities where low volumes of pedestrians on. They can be designed as uni- or bidirectional tracks. and cyclists can be expected, when road space does Bidirectional tracks alongside roads should only be im- not allow for separated facilities, and cycling in mixed plemented after thorough safety assessment and avoi-traffic on the carriageway is not an option. They are not ded, e.g., when there are many side or property access recommended in densely populated urban areas. On roads. Care should be taken that passing or overtaking shared paths, it is advisable to assign separate space for is safely possible, with typical minimum widths of 1-2 the two modes, however not only by classical edge lane metres for the unidirectional and 2-3 metres for the bi- markings but by a tactile separation which can be sen- directional setting. A verge of at least 0.5-1 metre bet- sed by persons with handicaps, e.g., a level change of ~3 ween traffic lane and cycle track is advisable, as well as cm, or a strip of cobblestone. clear marking and signing of travel directions and use obligations & restrictions. Figure 40: Pedestrian and bicycle lane along the roadway in Ruse, Figure 41: Bidirectional layouts of cycle tracks in Bulgaria Bulgaria: The lanes are wide enough and do not cross with pedestrians 3.3.2.3. Separated from motorised traffic and/or pedestrians Cycle tracks are facilities which are physically separated from roadways dedicated for motor vehicle use, howe- ver they may be shared with pedestrians or other non- motorised vehicles. Layouts encompass designs along the roadside with a physical separation to alignments completely separated from roads. What all designs have Figure 42: Bidirectional layouts of cycle tracks in Serbia in common are higher collision rates at junctions with motor traffic than on sections between junctions (‘mid- block’). 46 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.3.3. Driving conditions (Maintenance) Even though it is not always possible to determine the bicycles for easy, visual observation. In the Danish city actual cause of an accident, there is evidence that fre- Aarhus, the assessment of the condition of the cycle quent sweeping of roads and paths as well as faster track is carried out by visual inspection by bicycle. Even patching of paths and roadsides can help preventing though inspection by bicycle is a demanding task, it me- accidents. However, the usual high standards for high- ans in the long run that the technicians involved gain a ways and urban streets/roads are rarely applied to cycle better insight into how important even the most minor paths. unevenness is for cyclists. Therefore, inspection by bicy- cle rather than by car is likely to increase the number of It is not only a matter of appropriate lighting, signs and repairs and improvements for cyclists. The assessment road markings, surfaces and dimensions that allow is based on a five-level grading system from excellent safe commuting even at higher speeds, but also of re- condition to unacceptable condition. The prioritisation gular cleaning, vegetation control and winter main- of repairs is based on the condition assessment.44 tenance of the hazards caused by pollution, wetness, slippery conditions, snow and ice. Depending on the It may be reasonable to include private cyclists into functional class and traffic flows of roads and paths, the process of maintenance and assessment. Cyclists they may need to be kept passable without significant in the Netherlands who observe a problem with the obstacles, 24/7, during the day or on weekdays. For de- infrastructural network, can inform the Dutch Cyclists’ icing of paths, conventional salting, gritting, spreading Union or Meldpunt (a specialised hotline for crime re-salt brine solution alone or in combination with other porting), which will pass on the problems to the local thawing agents may be used. A response team should public authorities. In Vienna, cyclists can report prob- be available to carry out systematic and extra sweeping, lems via an online platform (www.radkummerkasten. e.g., when leaves are falling, or broken glass is left on the at [11.06.2021]) which locates the situation with a photo roads and paths. When it comes to roadworks, special directly on a map. The entries are checked by the advo- consideration should be given to cyclists since dealing cacy association “Radlobby Wien”, which forwards the with roadworks can be a source of inconvenience and problems to the responsible municipal departments, danger. Regardless which authority or company initi- the heads of the affected district or the Mobility Agen- ated the road works, it is crucial to address cyclist sa- cy of the City of Vienna. Moreover, there exists an app fety, passability, and comfort. It should be prevented of the city of Vienna (www.wien.gv.at/sagswien/index. that cyclists have to struggle over high kerbs or must html [11.06.2021]) for reporting concerns, danger spots dismount and wheel their bicycle. If necessary, the road- or disruption, which can also be used for cycling issues. works should not last more than a day and should take Regarding maintenance during winter, there is a map place outside peak hours.41/42/43 available online which gives an overview of which cycle tracks are cleared from snow and which are not. Infor- Registering and monitoring cycle track quality is a crumation on cleared bike paths can also be obtained from cial part of maintenance and assessment. It can be reali- the “snow telephone” . It is also possible to report snowy sed by special measuring vehicles or specially equipped or icy cycle tracks. 41 https://cyclingsolutions.info/winter-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-roads-and-cycle-tracks/ [27.05.2021] 42 https://cyclingsolutions.info/reparationer-af-cykelstier-og-veje-uden-cykelstier/ [27.05.2021] 43 https://cyclingsolutions.info/prioritizing-construction-and-maintenance-resources-for-cycling-areas/ [27.05.2021] 44 https://cyclingsolutions.info/registering-and-assessing-cycle-track-quality/ [27.05.2021] Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 47 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples and equipment on roads, and created visual identity maps, the process for including providers, and promo- tion. What triggered the improvement process? The Drava cycling route had “existed” in Slovenia for more than 15 years, but was never really managed as one route. For a long time, the involved municipalities did not start developing and essentially connecting the route accor- ding to cycling standards for long distance routes. The Figure 43: Winter maintenance cycle path in Denmark partnership was established on the initiative of the RDA Koroška, that provided the human resources to coordi- nate the project. Drava bike Trail (Slovenia) Main actors & barriers: The main barrier for establishing Problem / issue to be solved: The Drava cycling route the Drava cycle route was a lack of coordination and co- is a continuation of the successful long distance-cyc- operation of all stakeholders on the route. Key success ling route in Austria – the Drauradweg in Carinthia. The factor besides all institutional and financial resources is implementation of the Slovenian part of the route con- to have human resources, which are fully devoted to de- nection was carried out for several years, without major veloping a route and a tourist product. shifts. The spatial location of the route included 18 diffe- rent municipalities, which initially caused challenges in Impacts, costs, benefits, lessons learned: Drava Bike coordinating the construction. trail is a good practice example that shows how to ap- proach long distance cycling routes development. It is What is it about? The Drava bike trail is a good practice essential to connect all stakeholders along a route, pro-about establishing partnerships for the spatial coopera- vide financial resources for one project leader that co- tion and coordination procedures with regard to the de- ordinates activities on the whole route and cooperates velopment and management of the Drava cycling route with individual municipalities for spatial cooperation between Dravograd and Središče ob Dravi. The project and management on one side and national institutions leader is the regional development agency (RDA) Ko- on the other. It is important to develop the route accor- roška and the partnership within the project includes all ding to cycling standards for long distance routes. It is 18 municipalities, the Maribor development agency and also important for the route to be developed as a tou- the Maribor – Pohorje tourist board. The coordination rism product with providers, information and promo- of activities was conducted together with the Sloveni- tion involved. an Infrastructure Agency. The purpose of the partner- ship is primarily a better integration of 18 municipalities References & contacts: [11.06.2021] along the river Drava in the project execution, a better » https://dravabike.si/en/ (in Slovene) cooperation with other stakeholders and a stronger in- » https://smart-villages.eu/language/en/good_ teraction with national authorities associated with the practice/drava-bike-trail/ (in English) project. In three years, they managed to mark 145 km of cycling route with signposts, put up information boards 48 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.3.4. Organisational measures While exact definitions of organisational measures can vary depending on a source, it can be summarised that organisational measures are those measures for which no significant infrastructure project investment is re- quired in order to implement them. The Institute for So- cial-Ecological Research (2021) defines/defined the fol- lowing examples for legal and organisational measures: » Time windows for trucks and delivery vans in city centre areas » Possibility to take bicycles on trains, trams or buses » Lowered speed limits throughout the city Figure 44: Contraflow cycle facilities in Czech Republic (e.g., Graz), traffic calming » Parking regulations for different areas (residential, commercial, city centre, etc.) » Enforcement of parking regulations » Mobility management plans Organisational measures such as these can improve cy- cling conditions and consequently also safety. Furthermore, making one-way streets accessible for two-way cycling, is another cost-effective and import- ant organisational measure, especially considering that Figure 45: Contraflow cycle facilities in Austria directness is one of the key paradigms when designing cycling networks. Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 49 3. Recommendations and Best Practice Examples 3.3.5. Signing Signs communicate critical information with the po- tential to improve road safety. The purpose of cyclist-related signage is to provide bicyclists (and other road users) with adequate information that allows them to anticipate certain situations, which can significantly enhance reaction times. There are several signage solutions which can improve cycling safety45: » Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon The RRFB is a type of beacon that makes use of high-intensity light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that blink in a rapid and irregular pattern, similar to what Figure 46: Yield to crossing bikes from both directions. Different signs is seen on many modern emergency vehicles. but the same meaning. Left Netherlands, right Australia » Adding supporting cyclist signs This comprises all signs indicating the presence of cyclists on the route, signs for cyclists in mixed traf- fic, yield/stop for cyclists or signs indicating dangers for cyclists, such as dooring. » Pavement Markings A range of pavement markings can be used at sections and intersections in order to indicate the presence of bicyclists and/or bike facilities and to provide information about upcoming manoeuvres which will need to be undertaken, as well as a gui- dance for bicyclists on the correct path through an intersection. All signs should be periodically checked to make sure that they are in good working condition, free from graffiti, reflective at night, and continue to serve their purpose. Good signing should also be a part of planning detours due to construction sites. 45 http://www.pedbikesafe.org/ [29.11.2021] 50 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 4. Appendix 4. Appendix 4.1. Project overview Project SABRINA – Safer Bicycle Routes » Partnership for Urban Mobility (Czech Republic) in the Danube Area » Green Revolution Association (Romania) » Municipality Ilirska Bistrica (Slovenia) » 11 Project Partners » Agile Transport Analysis S.R.L. (Romania) » 4 Associated Strategic Partners » Automobile Club of Moldova (Moldova) » 9 Danue Area Countries » Club “Sustainable Development of Civil Society” » Few thousand km of EuroVelo routes (Bulgaria) inspected for cycling infrastructure safety » Ekopolis Foundation (Slovakia) One common goal: Associated Strategic Partners: To help decision makers to plan, design, and implement » Ministry of the Sea, Transport, safe and sustainable solutions for improved cycling in- and Infrastructure (Croatia) frastructure in the Danube region. » Ministry of Regional Development (Czech Republic) » Ministry of Transport (Czech Republic) » Ministry of Infrastructure (Slovenia) Sabrina Partnership: Project duration: Project Partners: 1 July 2020 – 31 December 2022 » European Institute for Road Assessment – EuroRAP (Lead Partner; Slovenia) Budget: » The University of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Overall: 2,086,019.00 EUR Traffic Sciences (Croatia) ERDF: 1,701,992.40 EUR » Austrian Road Safety Board (Austria) ENI Contribution: 71,123.75 EUR » Westpannon Regional and Economic Development Public Nonprofit Ltd. (Hungary) 11 Project Partners 4 Associated Strategic Partners 9 Danube Area Countries Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 51 Danube Transnational Programme area Project co-funded by European Union funds (ERDF, ENI) 4. Appendix 4.2. Bibliography Buekers, J., Dons, E., Elen, B., & Panis, L. (2015). Health impact model for modal shift from car use to cycling or walking in Flanders: application to two bicycle highways. Journal of Transport & Health, 2(4), 549–562. Bushell M.A., Poole B.W., Zegeer C. V., Rodriguez D.A. (2013) Costs for Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure Improvements de Hartog, J., Boogaard, H., Nijland, H., & Hoek, G. (2010). Do the Health Benefits of Cycling Outweigh the Risks? Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(8). de Nazelle, A., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2010). Integrated health impact assessment of cycling. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 67, 76–77. Elvik, R., & Bjørnskau, T. (2017). Safety-in-numbers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence. Safety science, 92, 274–282. ETSC – European Transport Safety Council (2020). How safe is walking and cycling in Europe? PIN Flash Report 38. In: https://etsc.eu/wp-content/uploads/PIN-Flash-38_FINAL.pdf [13.06.2021] Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (2021). Pan-European Master Plan for Cycling Promotion. Vienna Garrard, J. (2015). Evaluating cycling promotion interventions. Cycling futures, 429–452. Institute for Social-Ecological Research (2021): Handbook On Cycling Inclusive Planning And Promotion KFV – Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit (2020). Dooring-Unfälle. Risiken des Radfahrens im Längsverkehrneben haltenden und parkenden Kfz. Eine Untersuchung verkehrstechnischer Lösungen. Vienna. In: https://www.kfv.at/download/20-dooring-unfaelle [23.02.2021] Ledgaard Holm, A., Glumer, C., & Diderichsen, F. (2012). Health Impact Assessment of increased cycling to place of work or education in Copenhagen. BMJ Open, 2. Meschik, M. (2008). Planungshandbuch Radverkehr. Springer: Vienna. Mueller, N., Rojas-Rueda, D., Cole-Hunter, T., de Nazelle, A., Dons, E., Gerike, R., Götschi, T., Int Panis, L., Kahlmeier, S. & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2015). Health impact assessment of active transportation: A systematic review. Preventive Medicine, 76, 103–114. Mueller, N., Rojas-Rueda, D., Salmon, M., Martinez, M., Ambros, A., Brand, C., de Nazelle, A., Dons, E., Gaupp-Berghausen, M., Gerike, R., Götschi, T., Iacorossi, F., Int Panis, L., Kahlmeier, S., Raser, E. & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2018). Health impact assessment of cycling network expansions in European cities. Preventive Medicine, 109, 62–70. 52 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 4. Appendix Oja, P., Titze, S., Bauman, A., de Geous, B., P., K., Reger-Nash, B., & Kohlberger, T. (2011). Health benefits of cycling: a systematic review. Scandinavian Journal od Medicine & Science in Sport, 21(4), 496–509. PRESTO (2010a). Factsheet on Targeted Adult Cycling Training Programmes. In: http://www.rupprecht-consult.eu/uploads/tx_rupprecht/08_PRESTO_Promotion_Fact_Sheet_on_ Tageted_Adult_Training_Programmes.pdf [12.06.2021] PRESTO (2010b). Factsheet on Safe Cycling Campaigns. In: http://www.rupprecht-consult.eu/uploads/ tx_rupprecht/02_PRESTO_Promotion_Fact_Sheet_on_Safe_Cycling_Campaigns.pdf [10.06.2021] PRESTO (2010c). Cycling Policy Guide. General Framework. In: http://www.rupprecht-consult.eu/ uploads/tx_rupprecht/PRESTO_Cycling_Policy_Guide_General_Framework.pdf [13.06.2021] Rojas-Rueda, D., de Nazelle, A., Tainio, M., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2011). The health risks and benefits of cycling in urban environments compared with car use: health impact assessment study. BMJ, 343, 452. Rojas-Rueda, D., de Nazelle, A., Teixido, O., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2012). Replacing car trips by increasing bike and public transport in the greater Barcelona metropolitan area: A health impact assessment study. Environment International, 49(15), 100–109. Rojas-Rueda, D., de Nazelle, A., Teixido, O., & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. (2013). Health impact assessment of increasing public transport and cycling use in Barcelona: A morbidity and burden of disease approach. Preventive Medicine, 57(5), 573–579. Sanders, R. L. (2015). Perceived traffic risk for cyclists: The impact of near miss and collision experiences. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 75, 26–34. Taddei, C., Gnesotto, R., Forni, S., Bonaccorsi, G., Vannucci, A., & Garofalo, G. (2015). Cycling Promotion and Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: Health Impact Assessment and Economic Evaluation of Cycling to Work or School in Florence. Plos One. Turning blind. Online: https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/tips-resources/know-how/turning-blind/ [07.12.2021] Woodcock, J., Tainio, M., Cheshire, J., O‘Brien, O., & Goodman, A. (2014). Health effects of the London bicycle sharing system: health impact modelling study. BMJ, 348, 425. Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 53 4. Appendix 4.3. List of Figures Figure 1: Sudden end of cycle path at EuroVelo 8 in Croatia (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 Figure 2: Poorly accessible underpass due to stairs at EuroVelo 9 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . 07 Figure 3 : Too narrow bicycle infrastructure at an underpass on the EuroVelo 9 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 Figure 4: Curb-side parked cars too near to bicycle infrastructure on the EuroVelo 6 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 Figure 5: Conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians at a mixed space on the EuroVelo 14 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 Figure 6: Mixed space of cyclists and pedestrians on the EuroVelo 8 in Croatia, typically with conflicts between walking and cycling tourists during summer (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . 08 Figure 7: Mixed space of cyclists and motorised traffic on a road outside urban area and posted speed limit of 100 km/h on the EuroVelo 6 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . 08 Figure 8: Cyclists and motor vehicles sharing a road section on the EuroVelo 6 in Croatia, with a posted speed limit of 90 km/h (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 Figure 9: Problem of blind spot occurring at junction on EuroVelo 9 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey). . . . 09 Figure 10: Sharing the road with heavy vehicles is especially risky for cyclists (Source: https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/tips-resources/know-how/turning-blind/) . . . . . . . . . 09 Figure 11: This roundabout in Tulcea, Romania, is lacking any markings (central, cycle path, lanes) and makes it very difficult to navigate by cyclists and drivers together. (Source: SABRINA survey) . . 10 Figure 12: This roundabout in Pula, Croatia, has recently been built, and even though cyclists can be frequently seen along this road section, no infrastructure has been dedicated to them (EuroVelo 8). (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Figure 13: Potholes and damage due to tree roots at EuroVelo 8 in Croatia (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . 10 Figure 14 : Presence of unpaved / gravel road at EuroVelo 8 in Croatia (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . 10 Figure 15: Incomprehensible traffic sign at road section at the EuroVelo 6 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Figure 16 : Problematic traffic signs at construction site, with not safe detour route at EuroVelo 14 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Figure 17: Bollard in the middle of the cycle path at EuroVelo 6 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . .11 Figure 18: Railing as obstacle at EuroVelo 14 in Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Figure 19: iRAP Star Rating for the example of residential streets (Source: NACTO & iRAP 2020) . . . . . . . . . . 21 Figure 20: Covered bicycle parking in Sopron (Source: ikvahir.eu 2014). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Figure 21 : Covered bicycle parking in Wulkaprodersdorf (Source: vasutallomasok.hu 2011) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Figure 22: Practical cycling safety education (Source: BringaAkadémia 2018) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Figure 23: Theoretical cycling safety education (Source: BringaAkadémia 2019) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Figure 24: Cycle Friendly Employer Certification (Source: bike2work.ro 2021). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 54 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 4. Appendix Figure 25: Decision matrix regarding cycle facilities for outside urban areas (Source: Safer Cycling Advocate Program 2020) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Figure 26: Decision matrix regarding cycle facilities for inside urban areas (right) (Source: Safer Cycling Advocate Program 2020) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Figure 27: Requirements and quality criteria for cycling routes (Source: Masterplan Radfahren Burgenland 2018). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Figure 28: Cycling trail in Nin (Source: FPZ 2018) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Figure 29: Cycling trail near Nin (Source: FPZ 2018) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Figure 30: Advanced stop line (bike box) for cyclists (Source: KFV). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Figure 31: Example of a protected intersections design (Source: https://nacto.org/publication/dont-give-up-at-the-intersection/ protected-intersections/ [29.11.2021]) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Figure 32: Segregation of two-way cycling facility and motor vehicle traffic on a roundabout in the Netherlands (Source: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=FR5l48_h5Eo [23.02.2021]). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Figure 33: Underpass in Tulln/Austria (Source: SABRINA survey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Figure 34: Cycling bridge in Slovakia (Source: http://www.interreg-danube.eu/ approved-projects/danubeparksconnected/section/cycling-the-danube-in-slovakia) . . . . . . . . . . 43 Figure 35: Use of sharrows in Tulln/Austria (Source: KFV 2016) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Figure 36: Cycling street in Austria (Source: KFV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Figure 37: Cycle lane in Slovakia (Source: Danube Cycle Plans. Picture by Peter Klučka) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Figure 38: Cycle lane in Austria on a road with tram tracks (right) (Source: KFV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Figure 39: Advisory Cycle Lane in Hungary (Source: Danube Cycle Plans. Picture by jozsanet.hu). . . . . . . . . . 45 Figure 40: Pedestrian and bicycle lane along the roadway in Ruse, Bulgaria: The lanes are wide enough and do not cross with pedestrians (Source: SABRINA survey). . . . . . . . 46 Figure 41: Bidirectional layouts of cycle tracks in Bulgaria (Source: Danube Cycle Plans; Picture by debrecen.hu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Figure 42: Bidirectional layouts of cycle tracks in Serbia (Source: Danube Cycle Plans; Picture by Jovan Eraković) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Figure 43: Winter maintenance cycle path in Denmark (Source: https://cyclingsolutions.info/ winter-maintenance-and-cleaning-of-roads-and-cycle-tracks/#prettyPhoto) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Figure 44: Contraflow cycle facilities in Czech Republic (Source: Danube Cycle Plans and KFV) . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Figure 45: Contraflow cycle facilities in Austria (Source: Danube Cycle Plans and KFV). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Figure 46: Yield to crossing bikes from both directions. Different signs but the same meaning. Left Netherlands, right Australia (Source: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/ road-signs-for-cycling-in-the-netherlands/) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 55 4. Appendix 4.4. Abbreviation List Abbreviation Full name AADT Annual average daily traffic ACM Automobile Club of Moldova (PP Moldova) ADFC German Cyclist’s Association AF Application form AFM Administrația fondului pentru mediu (Romanian Environment Fund Administration) AMS Austrian Public Employment Service ATA AGILE TRANSPORT ANALYSIS S.R.L (PP Romania) B+R Bike+Ride B2B Business-to-Business B2C Business-to-Consumer B2G Business-to-Government BTW BikeToWork BYPAD Bicycle Policy Audit CFE Cycle Friendly Employer CSDCS Club “Sustainable Development of Civil Society” (PP Bulgaria) CycleRAP Cycle Road Assessment Programme DTP Danube Transnational Programme EC European Commission ECF European Cyclists’ Federation EIRA The European Institute of Road Assessment (LP Slovenia) Ekopolis Ekopolis Foundation (PP Slovakia) FPZ University of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences (PP Croatia) GHG Greenhouse Gas GDP Gross Domestic Product GRA Green Revolution Association (PP Romania) GYSEV Györ-Sopron-Ebenfurth Railway 56 Interreg | Danube Transnational Programme | SABRINA project 4. Appendix Abbreviation Full name HEAT Health Economic Assessment Tool iRAP International Road Assessment Programme KOI Key Opinion Leader KFV Austrian Road Safety Board (PP Austria) LP Lead Partner NACTO National Association of City Transportation Officials NECP National Energy and Climate Plans NSI Network Safety Index ÖBB Austrian Federal Railways OCIBB Občianska cykloiniciatíva Banská Bystrica (Citizens’ Cycle Initiative Banská Bystrica association) OIB Municipality Ilirska Bistrica (PP Slovenia) OP Operational Programme PP Project Partner PUM Partnership for Urban Mobility (PP Czech Republic) SCRT Safer Cycling Routes Toolkit SDG Sustainable Development Goal SEB Socio-economic business SRTMP Sustainable Regional Tourism Mobility Plan SUMP Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan TDM Tourism Destination Management TSDOP Territorial and Settlement Development Operational UNDP United Nations Development Programme VRU Vulnerable road user WP Work Package WPL Work Package Leader WPRED West Pannon Regional and Economic Development Public Nonprofit Ltd. (PP Hungary) Best Practices in Cycling Infrastructure 57 SABRINA: No fears about safety on two wheels. www.interreg-danube.eu/SABRINA @SABRINAproject @SABRINA_project