Crank It Cycles

Josh Mouatt of Palmerston North on working holiday in Denmark

Nearing the end of my 3 month visit to Copenhagen, Denmark I am still taken aback by the entrenched cycling culture. The positive benefits are blindingly obvious with health, city space, independence, low cost, and pure enjoyment. Copenhagen really is a city reaping its own rewards from a culture of cycling which once experienced will leave you finding holes in the New Zealand car culture.

Cycling in winter with child seat, basket

Josh's friend on the quiet streets of Copenhagen (pop. 1.1M)

So how is this bike culture created?

Cycle lanes form the basis of the cycling culture of Copenhagen. These world famous cycle lanes are often separated from motorists by a median strip or raised curb much like how a typical foot path seen in New Zealand is separated from the road. However, Copenhagen cycle lanes are also then separated from the footpath by either another median strip or raised curb, providing a completely separate lane specifically for cyclists. The sheer number of cyclists using these cycle lanes creates somewhat of a nervous time for the unwitting tourist pedestrian attempting to cross the road, where in essence a traditional two-lane road becomes four lanes of traffic (motorists and cyclists) all travelling at different speeds.

The critical mass of cyclists means fewer cars on the roads and better awareness by motorists. About 58% of the Copenhagen population use their bike on a daily basis running errands or commuting to work. Furthermore, of those commuters 70% continue to cycle during winter where the temperature averages 0 degrees. 

A brief historical background to cycling in Copenhagen

Dating back nearly 100 years, old horse riding paths throughout Copenhagen slowly evolved into cycle lanes. Enjoying a steady growth throughout the first half of the century, it wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that Copenhagen's cycling culture came under threat with a change in policy direction promoting automotive transport. While all cycle lanes remained, newly created roads were often without cycle lanes and those at intersections were shortened to allow for more cars.
Following these twenty years of backward development, The Danish Cyclist Foundation and 40,000 citizens demonstrated during the 1980s in an attempt to return Copenhagen to its former cycling glory. To their credit the Danish Road Traffic Act was passed in 1983 providing the framework for current cycle friendly legislation.

Town planning

"You have to make it comfortable, you have to make it secure, you have to create a climate where people want to go on bike. And there's been for the past 30 years a political will to do this." - Soren Pind, Mayor of building and construction administration, Copenhagen.

Copenhagen's transport planners use a number of techniques to foster the city's cycling culture. The obvious campaigns and education are set in place, however, it is the "hard policies" that have the most impact. Advanced stop lines for bicycles to give them priority at intersections, allowing cyclists to travel both ways down one-way streets and overall prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists in the downtown planning are all key strategies in creating a more sustainable, cycle-friendly city. Copenhagen's commitment to cycling is reflected in the allocation of one-third of the total road budget to bicycle planning and infrastructure. Another successful component to Copenhagen's cycling culture is the travelling speed that is possible by cycling, the cycling lanes are smooth and well maintained. Cyclists are never held up by cars at intersections (having their own lanes and "pre" green lights) and cycle tracks are wide enough that passing other cyclists is as easy as a ring of your bike bell (required by law). When comparing cycling to driving around Copenhagen the "hard policies" become evident as the ease of flow through the city by bike is replaced by frustration and expense as you fight the enviable traffic and one-way roads only to be meet by high-cost parking (that's if you can find a park). With 90% of Copenhagen inhabitants owning a bike it is commonplace to find a person under the age of 30 who has never owned a car. Apartment buildings commonly feature secure bicycle parking (under floor basements, fenced outdoor areas), and most workplaces and shopping centres also offer bicycle parking areas, which I will add are often larger and generally full.

Bike parking - the bike's built in lock increases convenience