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| Copenhagen - where bicycles rule! |
The data speaks for itself: half of all Copenhagener's commute to work or school by bike, and even more impressive, 63% of the Danish members of the parliament pedal their bikes to work! There are 400 kilometers of bike lanes throughout the city with 40,000 cyclists passing through the world's busiest biking lane - that's one single bike lane! With those numbers, it is clear that the Danish know a thing or two about bike infrastructure, and I was curious to learn what makes this place so special for cyclists.
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| Malmo and nearby Lund also are fantastic places for cyclists! |
I should mention that while Copenhagen stands out as the poster city for bike infrastructure, the entire region seems to be passionate about the bicycles. Malmo and nearby Lund, just across the bridge, have a great bike culture that extends many years into the past. Most of my impressions here come from my time visiting both countries. Lund, being a university town, is dominated by bikes, and while visiting, we witnessed many professors and doctorate graduates riding bicycles in full formal gear to a gala event within the campus.
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| Bicycle parking and separate dedicated bike path near a market. |
Back in Copenhagen, the typical bike paths run directly adjacent to the road, but are raised to be higher than the pavement but lower than the pedestrian sidewalk. The effect makes it very clear where bikes will be ridden, so there is less danger for cars or pedestrians to stray into the path of cyclists. Sometimes buffers are used to incorporate structures to park bicycles as well. Major intersections have dedicated traffic signs for cyclists - the ones I noticed gave a bit of extra time for the bike lanes to start moving prior to the adjacent road traffic light opening.
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| Major road in Copenhagen - the bike lane is raised and separated by a curb. At the intersection, there is a "right turn only" lane within the bike path! |
One of the drawbacks of having a separate path for cyclists is that you cannot make direct left turns into cross streets, instead you cross over on the right side of the street and wait at the right corner of the cross street, before proceeding left on that new street. I heard that it is illegal to make a direct left turn (from the left side of the traffic lane) anywhere in Denmark while riding a bike. There are also bike traffic jams during rush-hour, even though most bike paths are very wide and usually paved with very well maintained asphalt. Some intersections, such as the one above, have a dedicated "right-turn-only" lane for cyclists that are going to go make a corner, while the cyclists going straight queue up on the left side of the bike path.
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| A clever use of bicycle parking to show that you can park 13 bikes in the space typically dedicated for a single car. |
There are many bike paths that are designed as short cuts through parks or old abandoned rails - that was especially seen in Lund. Also, as a means to allow for efficiency, many bike lanes are designed to serve as "express paths", either avoiding many intersections, or having the traffic lights timed for the speed of a bicycle, not cars. It is also worth noting that cyclists are very confident while riding - there is the expectation that cars and pedestrians will keep the path clear and they do ride very efficiently as a group. Everyone seems to respect the hierarchy that cars yield to bicycles, which in turn yield to pedestrians.
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| Bike Parking at a Metro Station in Copenhagen Good luck finding your bike! |
With so many bicycles, finding places to park your bike can be challenging. Probably the most impressive piece of infrastructure were the areas provided for cyclists to lock their bikes adjacent to the train or subway stations. There were literally thousands of bikes locked into the park areas dedicated for cyclists. And as their popularity continues to increase, additional street parking is being provided in many locations - in Malmo, new structures to lock your bike are shaped like a car so everyone can see how many bikes can be parked in the space where only a single car would normally fit.
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| That is not decoration - heavy upright steel bikes are the most commonly used bikes in those cities. |
By far, the typical bicycle used are the upright steel urban bikes, typically with a basket or some form of storage unit. Even the hipster retro fixed gear bikes were rarely seen and during my five days in the area, I only spotted one performance road bike amongst the thousands of bicycles being ridden around town. Helmets were also very rarely spotted - that's both a testimony of how safe it is to ride in those cities, and an example of the casual aspect of cycling there - people ride in suits, skirts, high-heels, etc. No special clothing or accessories, just get on the bike and pedal!
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| This Koga was the ONLY performance road bike I saw over 5 days. |
The reality is that cycling is viewed as a means of transportation and not as a sport or activity. Therefore, practicality is key - no fancy outfits, extra accessories or expensive bikes. People use their bikes many times a day as their main way to get around town and many don't even own a car. In central Copenhagen for example, there are 560,000 bikes - more than the 520,000 inhabitants for the same area.
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| Who needs a car? A typical sight adjacent to apartment buildings. |
Another great example of how bicycles are used, is that 25% of families with 2 children use a cargo bike as a mean of transportation. They are commonly seen around town, carrying either children or groceries. It is also noticeable how little vehicular traffic took place - this was very evident in Malmo, which is smaller than Copenhagen but is still a sizable city on its own. Compared to other cities I've ever visited, the roads always felt empty and the air was clean. Driving a car is designed to be somewhat inconvenient, so that more residents are then encouraged to use public transportation or just ride their bikes.
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| Cargo Bikes used for families are the perfect symbol for Copenhagen |
It is difficult to understand if the bike culture was such that these cities were compelled to develop this great bike infrastructure, or if that infrastructure instead served to cultivate and grow the popularity of cycling within the city. One thing that was clear after visiting Copenhagen, is that there was nothing specific to that city that makes it a haven for cyclists. In other words, everything that has been incorporated there can be incorporated into any city in the world. All that is needed is the willingness to change and educate those who are still enamored with the car culture. Think about it, no traffic, fresh air, healthy people, a walkable city...ahhh, Copenhagen!
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