Comprehensive cycling strategy

Summary

As one of the most innovative achievements of CIVITAS ELAN, a comprehensive cycling strategy was produced. It had defined quality conditions for the city’s cycling network, and addressed safety issues and accessibility, granting priority to cyclists. Defined after an intense citizens’ engagement process and innovative promotion campaigns, the cycling strategy was included afterwards in the Traffic policy of COL to 2020, which has been adopted by the City Council in September 2012.

Implementing sustainable mobility

This document is expected to link cycling paths, improve bike parking facilities and intensify the promotion of cycling.

The main objectives for the cycling strategy were to:
• Set the city’s vision on cycling;
• Develop a local cycling partnership/platform;
• Improve safety, accessibility and priority measures for cycling;
• Implement an effective outreach campaign for safe cycling;
• Develop an interactive city cycling map;
• Employ a cycling coordinator who will remain the City’s cycling coordinator also after the end of the ELAN project, taking care of future cycling infrastructure improvements, promotion and up-scaling and transferability of measure achievements.
• Increase number of journeys by bicycle by more than 20%;
• Enable citizens and stakeholders to provide their input to developing community mobility services by comprehensive training on public.
A local cycling partnership platform facilitated the engagement of citizens from the beginning of the planning process. Many trainings and events that targeted decision makers, district representatives, mobility stakeholders and citizens involved in urban mobility issues were organized. These elements have advanced the bicycle as an urban transport choice through a participatory process.

Progress

Ljubljana has started the planning process with the involvement of citizens. Thanks to their input, the city has learnt that safety is the most important factor that influences individuals’ decision to get on their bike to get around the city. This matches previous experiences from other European cities. Ljubljana has carried out an outreach campaign and implemented the citizen engagement plan to foster citizen engagement through a variety of events, promotional materials and other tools.

Under the city bike project, in May 2011, Ljubljana established a public bike-sharing system called Bicike(LJ) with 300 bicycles available at 31 terminals. The system itself is a great success that surpassed all optimistic expectations and already found followers in other Slovenian cities, e.g. Koper and Velenje where similar bike sharing schemes have been introduced.

The city developed an interactive cycling map and upgrades it regularly with information on bicycle infrastructure, Bicike(LJ) terminals, bicycle racks, services and potentially dangerous spots..

Outcomes

Ljubljana already succeded that the measure leaded to:
• Strong – 20 %  increase of cycling rate, based on the number of journeys;
• The decrease of accidents involving cyclists on the yearly basis has decreased by almost 20 % in absolute figures, even though the number of cyclists has increased;
• Interactive cycling map on Geopedia;
This has been established with a purpose to suit user needs by providing relevant information on cycling in the city based on citizens’ input and thus to create a better “virtual” environment for cyclist in Ljubljana. The map has shown to be a popular and useful online tool, its improvement and continuous updating. Cyclists are using it, but they have to be additionally stimulated/ motivated to participate in the forums or submit their suggestions.