By Jakob Schiøtt Stenbæk Madsen,

Cycling Embassy of Denmark

We need your help to nominate the

truly dedicated cycling promoters.

Who is to follow, Mayor Bloomb-

erg, New York City, Roelof Wittink,

Dutch Cycling Embassy, and Lake

Sagaris, Ciudad Viva?

Award ceremony this summer

On 26-29 June, the wheels will

be turning in Vancouver when

Velo-City Global – the largest global

conference on cycle planning and

infrastructure development rolls into

the Canadian city. Keeping with the

tradition, the Cycling Embassy of

Denmark will be announcing the

winner of the Leadership award for

cycle promotion 2012 during the

conference.

And you can have a say in who

should receive the award this year.

All we need from you is a short e-

mail describing the individual or or-

ganization you believe deserves the

award and why. Please send your

nomination for this year’s award to

info@cycling-embassy.org.

Former award winners

The first-ever to receive the leader-

ship award was New York Mayor,

Mike Bloomberg, who accepted

the award in Copenhagen during

the COP15 in 2009.

“Mayor Bloomberg has inspired

cities around the world with his

leadership in promoting bicycling

as part of a broader sustainability

strategy. The impressive results

in New York City will be a driving

force for increased cycling glob-

ally,” board member of the Cycling

Embassy Niels Tørsløv from the

City of Copenhagen argued.

At the Velo-City Global conference

in Copenhagen in 2010, the award

travelled across the Atlantic Ocean

to the Netherlands where Roelof

Wittink from the Dutch Cycling Em-

bassy has inspired people around

the world.

“For many years, Roelof Wittink

has inspired leaders, organiza-

tions and ordinary people not

only in developing countries,

but all around the world with his

leadership in promoting bicycling.

He is admired for his persistent

commitment, his believe in capac-

ity building, democracy, and the

strength in grassroots movements.

His extensive knowledge and

dedication have been of great

encouragement and support to

those working for sustainable

transport and poverty reduction

in the world,” stated Chairman

Troels ANdersen from the City of

Fredericia.

In Seville 2011, the award travelled

back across the Atlantic to Chile to

commend Lake Sagiris’s work at

Ciudad Viva.

“Lake Sagaris is an outstanding

example of how a committed

activist can raise public awareness

and mobilize citizens in a joint

effort to demand a livable city. The

results of her great dedication and

professionalism are an inspira-

tion not only to Chile but also to

the rest of the world,” said deputy

chairman Marianne Weinreich from

VEKSØ.

But who is next? The word is yours;

info@cycling-embassy.org.

Leadership award for cycling promotion 2012This summer, the Cycling Embassy of Denmark is awarding an individual or an organiza-tion with the Leadership Award for Cycling Promotion 2012 for the fourth time.

By Frits Bredal, Danish Cyclists’

Federation

As Mayor of the Technical and En-

vironmental Administration, Baykal

is responsible for Copenhagen’s

bicycle strategy, one of the highest-

profile areas of the Danish capital.

Both Danish and international me-

dia report directly from the Danish

cycle tracks. Every day, 150,000

people bike to their place of work

or education in Copenhagen. By

any standards, this is an extraor-

dinarily high number of cyclists,

especially when compared to cities

much larger than Copenhagen that

experience much smaller numbers

of daily cyclists.

Morten Rixen, Baykal’s Head

of Press, joins us. Initially, I had

talked to him about scheduling the

interview at a time when the debate

about Copenhagen’s planned

congestion charge had come to a

conclusion. But at the time of this

interview, on Tuesday, 7 February,

the ruling parties and the Red-

Green Alliance have still not come

to terms as to how to unfold the

congestion charge. The question

is whether part of the money from

the congestion charge is to go to

the Cycle Super Highways, which

will be launched with the opening of

the Albertslund route on 14 April.

Baykal pulls her chair close to the

table:

“Ask away.”

Five sharp questions for the

bicycle mayor:

1. Ayfer Baykal, what significance

will the new Cycle Super Highways

have for Copenhagen’s Bicycle

Policy?

“Car drivers can go directly from

the suburban municipalities and

into the city centre. The Cycle

Super Highways will give cyclists

the same opportunity. Therefore,

the Cycle Super Highways are an

important part of Copenhagen’s bi-

cycle strategy. We know that many

car drivers will choose a different

mode of transport in connection

with the congestion charge, and

here, bicycles and the Cycle Super

Highways will be an alternative for

many people.”

2. The Cycle Super Highways

primarily consist of an upgrade of

the connection between existing

cycle tracks, but sometimes new

cycle tracks take extra space. Do

you have any good advice for politi-

cians and public officers in other

municipalities who want to develop

bicycle culture and infrastructure?

“It is a political prioritisation. A

question of political will. The public

officers should not initiate it. They

are to find the best solutions to re-

alise it, but the ideas, the priorities,

and the visions have to come from

the politicians.”

3. That sounds easier said than

done. What does it take?

“You cannot dream up more space.

You have a certain amount of

square metres to divide so they

benefit the citizens in the best way

possible. In Copenhagen, we have

gone against the tendency you

see in many other countries: the

tendency for cars to be automati-

cally allotted most of the space in

the city. But if you want to extend

the cycle tracks, you need to cut

somewhere else.”

4. Where do you make the cut?

“You have to take part of the

roadway, for instance. This takes

political will and courage. Here at

City Hall, we look into specific areas

where we can take part of a street

or a parking space and turn it into a

cycle track.”

5. Does taking part of the street

and giving it to the cyclists trigger

resistance from car drivers?

“Through the years, cars have

conquered a large part of the urban

space. We are trying to re-establish

a balance by giving some of it back

to cyclists and pedestrians. As we

have seen on Nørrebrogade [one

of the busiest cycling streets in Co-

penhagen], this generates protests.

At first! But now, most people see

the advantages – because it is not

just to the benefit of cyclists but of

people, urban life, and shops. But

there is resistance. And those kinds

of decisions take political courage.”

After the interview, the government

dropped the congestion charge

entirely, replacing it with a com-

mission and one billion kronor. The

Danish Cyclists’ Federation is now

advocating that part of the money

be spent on the Cycle Super

Highways.

Copenhagen’s bicycle mayor: Give back the space to the cyclistsSpace is in great demand in the Danish Capital. And it takes political courage to take it away from the cars and give it to the cyclists. But the result will be better urban life for all, says Copenhagen’s Mayor of the Technical and Environmental Administration.

By Sten Sødring, Public Arkitekter

The project is based on a proposal

by Public Arkitekter in coopera-

tion with COBE, Grontmij Carl Bro,

and Bartenbach Lichtlabor, which

won first prize at an international

architectural competition.

Every day, more than 250,000 peo-

ple pass through Nørreport Station;

improving the conditions for cyclists

and pedestrians has been a must

for the architects.

According to Søren Arildskov from

Public Arkitekter, “The project em-

phasizes creating a special atmos-

phere that is urbane and intense

while reflecting the special open

and straightforward atmosphere

characterising Copenhagen. There-

fore, the many parked bicycles will

not be hidden from view. On the

contrary, the project will show that

in Copenhagen, we are proud to be

the world’s best city for cyclists.”

All bikes will be placed in well-

defined and slightly-lowered areas

called “bicycle beds”, which will

help create a clear and calm urban

space. The bicycle beds will be

strategically placed so cyclists can

always find one from wherever they

enter. The idea is to make it as easy

as possible to park your bike on

your way to the platforms – without

unnecessary detours.

Nørreport Station previously had

space for around 900 bikes. After

the renovation, there will be room

for approximately 1,900.

Placing the parked bicycles about

40 centimetres below the standard

level of the station gives a good

overview while securing functional-

ity and accessibility. The change of

level and pavement between the

bicycle beds and the rest of the

station will clearly mark where—and

where not—to park your bike.

The bicycle beds themselves will be

laid out in concrete with a non-skid

surface, and the newly developed

bike racks in stainless steel will be

designed for tight angle parking in

order to maximize capacity. Every

rack will have built-in LED-lights

on the top. The many small lights

will clearly mark the bicycle beds,

which will be made to look like

organically shaped, shining islands

in the city’s busiest urban space.

Along Nørre Voldgade, all car and

bus traffic will be gathered into two

car and bus lanes passing Nør-

report Station on only one side, a

change from the current configura-

tion. This will create a new, continu-

ous plaza connected to the medi-

eval city centre, and make room for

urban life and bicycle parking in one

the city’s busiest urban spaces.

“The renovation of Nørreport Sta-

tion and the surrounding urban

space is an example of how inte-

grating cycling and public transport

can markedly improve conditions

for both user groups,” says Søren

Arildskov. “We need to prioritise

and rethink these conditions if we

want our bicycle culture to develop

further.”

Light, transparency, and acces-

sibility are key words for the new

urban space. The architects have

chosen to gather all the station’s

functions under a number of light,

almost floating, roofs. Thus, is will

be possible to cross the plaza in

every direction, and all facilities,

stairs, and elevators will be visible

and easily accessible.

The few actual buildings under

the light roofs will be constructed

entirely from glass as transparent

pavilions. This avoids bleak build-

ings, and the rounded shapes of

the buildings are designed to make

room for the expanding streams

of passengers, pedestrians, and

cyclists.

The New Nørreport is scheduled to

open at the end of 2014.

The New Nørreport Station: Rethinking and Doubling Bicycle ParkingThe renovation of platforms, buildings, and the urban space around Nørreport, the busiest railway station in Denmark, has begun.

By Niels Hoé, Atkins Danmark

Many foreign cities have discov-

ered the benefits of using Danish

bicycle know-how. In recent years,

many Danes have presented their

bicycle-related work at international

conferences, and several consult-

ants are involved in international

projects. Thus, to an extent, the

export of Danish bicycle know-how

is already in progress.

International clients greatly appreci-

ate the advice of Danish consult-

ants who can contribute with

experiences and know-how from

a recognised cycle country. Yet, it

is of key importance to study and

understand local context because

Danish bicycle know-how does

not always translate directly into

the conditions of other countries

in terms of culture, prevalence

of cycling, or legislation. So, the

objective is to take the best from

Denmark and adapt it to the other

country’s conditions for cycling.

Innovative bicycle solutions in

Central London

For instance, Atkins Danmark was

involved in a traffic-calming project

on Regent Street in London. The

first visible initiative was a (To-

kyo) Shibuya-inspired pedestrian

crossing at Oxford Circus. Some of

the project’s overall goals were to

create better conditions for cyclists

and pedestrians and to limit the

number of busses and cars through

traffic calming.

The Danish contribution to the

project consisted of developing

infrastructure and innovative solu-

tions for cyclists, parking, various

service initiatives such as flexible

bicycle parking on sidewalks, and

designing bike racks that fit into the

urban space while respecting the

expression and history of the street.

However, cultural differences ap-

peared when it came picking the

equipment. The type of bike rack

characteristic of Denmark, where

the front wheel of the bike is fixed

in the rack, is unthinkable in Great

Britain and other countries. There,

the Sheffield, or staple, racks are

prevalent.

Out of respect for the historical ex-

pression of Regent Street and the

client’s preferences, the Sheffield

rack was redesigned so that the

icon for the borough of West-

minster, where Regent Street is

located, became the general mark.

The result is a bike rack that fades

into the urban space as it is in line

with the design of lampposts, rub-

bish bins, and phone booths (the

‘classic red’ British phone booths in

Regent Street are black and

gold, like the rest of the city-owned

equipment).

Although the need for bicycle park-

ing is much less than in Denmark,

it can still be difficult to find the

necessary space. Regent Street

has a lot of very wide sidewalks,

but it also has a high number

of pedestrians – albeit primarily

during the shops’ opening hours.

Therefore, flexible bicycle parking

was introduced. Here, areas for

bicycle parking on the sidewalk are

discretely marked in the pavement

by lights that are on in the evening

and at night when bicycle parking

is needed.

Blue paint is a no go

Another example is the characteris-

tic Danish blue bike lanes marking

the bike paths. These are com-

pletely unthinkable in Regent Street,

which is a historical street where

special architectural features must

be considered. As an alternative

to the blue lanes, the solution was

a very light change where a small

lowering makes drivers and cyclists

aware of what is roadway and what

is cycle path.

Can you export Danish Bicycle know-how?The short answer is yes. Danish municipalities and consultants have a lot of knowledge that can benefit other countries in their efforts to improve conditions for cyclists.