Spicycles in Munich

Meeting in progress

The Spicycles Team met at June 11, 2007 at the occasion of the 2007 Velo-City
conference in Munich to hold its Mid Term Seminar.

In this Newsletter Spicycles reports the results of the Mid Term Seminar as well as
the progress the team made on:
ƒ Bike-sharing
ƒ Communication and Awareness Raising
ƒ Planning for Cycling
ƒ Building Local Partnerships
ƒ The Benchmarking

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SPICYCLES Mid-term seminar, Munich 11 June 2007
The Mid Term seminar was opened by two host speakers.
Bernd Decker of the ‘Executive Agency for competitiveness and innovation’
Hans van Vliet, Shimano’s Corporate Communication Officer

Bernd Decker spoke on what is new in the IEE program, which is the Community’s
instrument to overcome the non-technological barriers to energy efficiency and
greater use of new and renewable energy sources in Europe.

Top: The new executive agency’s logo

Left: Bernd Decker

He outlined that in spring 2006 the European Council called for new European
energy policy: Integrated energy and climate change package based on the energy
efficiency Action Plan. The targets were supported by Member States at the Spring
2007 European Council

He detailed the renewed policy

‘Competitiveness and Innovation
Programme (CIP):
ƒ The IEE II programme runs from
2007-13
ƒ Annual work programmes are
issued each year to define
specific priorities and actions
This year: applications for funding are
submitted following the 2007 work
programme and call for proposals

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Hans van Vliet, Shimano’s Corporate Communication Officer addressed the seminar
from the point of view of the industry. He memorized how he got introduced in the
world of cycling advocacy only some years ago through Velo Mondial and how he
found his path to the world of cycling projects and conferences. Shimano sponsored
Velo.Info and is now active in promoting Velo-City. He showed himself as an ardent
promoter of cycling for many purposes and he works hard to get the rest of the
industry involved as well. He recognizes cities and their representatives as major
players and pursues working with them.

Top: Shimano Logo

Left: Hans van Vliet

Bike Sharing
Public Bicycles / Bike Sharing now exists in more than 10 European countries, in
more than 30 European cities, with several technological systems. More cities
recognize the advantages of a bike sharing system. It gives easy and fast access
(24/7), has an automated system for renting and returning the bike, allows for one
way cycling only, and the bikes have a distinctive design.
But it has more benefits: It is highly flexible, allows for inter-modal travelling and
does not incur expenditures for maintenance.

There are some aspects one should take care of. The technology for pick-up and
drop-off at the location should be flexible and be based on racks. The technique for
access should be organized with smart card, mobile phone or deposit and there is a
choice between with or without identification (personalised vs. anonymous). The
payment can be free of charge or “pay as you go” and the financing of the operating
service can be public or private.

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Bike Sharing
Ploiesti – project actions
• Awareness raising for the idea of
bike sharing
• Design of a bike-sharing scheme:
– 400 users, 50 bikes, 6 cycle
stations
– Studying potential cycling
trips
– Using traffic study
– Studying Experiences and
know-how of partners
– Possibilities of integration
into PT
• Promotion of that scheme to
potential users (companies, local
government institutions, students)
Goteborg – project actions
• To market the bike sharing system
to the companies within the
Lundby district
• Ensure the implementation of the
system
• Evaluation of the pilot
- easy to use, high reliability
• Opening for private Users
• Preparation for a successful Roll-
out of the system to the whole
inner city
Further needs for bike sharing are to address all possible target groups, to create a
frame for competition and entrepreneurship, to develop options for the Integration
into PT (e.g. access via same medium, combined pricing strategies etc.).
Bike Sharing
Rome – project actions
• Feasibility study (Market
potential, transport study)
• Identification of optimal area
• Investigation for technologies
fleet with traditional or electric
bicycles
• Defining of scenarios of
operations and funding
• Preparation of implementing
bike sharing in Rome
Berlin – project actions:
Optimization of the Call a Bike system
• Profiles of thefts
• enlarge the group of users (new
target groups e.g. hotels,
companies)
• Improvement of access /
integration into Location Based
services
• Integration of bike-sharing
systems into PT
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Communication and Awareness Raising
The Communication and Awareness Raising activities of Spicycles aim at
encouraging people to use bicycles for their trip by improving information about
cycling, communicating through different marketing campaigns, targeting an
audience as broad as possible. The public will be taken through stages of behavioural
change: Awareness raising ÆInfluencing attitudes Æ Change in behaviour. This will
be done through defining and & implementing communications strategies and
awareness raising methods. Following you will find some backgrounds, strategies
and implementation s in the various Spicycles cities on Communication and
Awareness.

Strategies Barcelona Background Berlin

• Campaigns with main focus on
educational centres
• Information on existing
infrastructures & facilities for
cyclists
• Support activities by Cycling
Associations and Stakeholders
• Awareness raising of the benefits
from
cycling among local departments
and
governmental authorities
Implementation
• School campaign, “Move by
bike”
• Bike parking facilities at schools
• “Bike Week” with
complementary activities
• Promotion of Cycle Registration
Progress & Results
• 12 schools and 876 students
Demonstrations – workshops –
street rides
• Huge participation at the “Bike
Week”
• Conflicts between bicycles &
drivers
– A risky & aggressive
behaviour
– Call for accidents.
• Several different activities and
actors with no coordination.
Strategies
• Use different media
(cinema, radio trails, events, etc.)
• The financial plan should be
based on sponsoring
• An Advisory Council with
members from many different
organisations is planned
Implementation
• Tender and selection of a
subcontractor
• Development of the campaign and
a plan for sponsoring
• Implementation of the campaign

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Communication and Awareness Raising
Background Bucharest
• Cycling has not been considered
as a potential solution for the
traffic problem
• Earlier bicycle activities has had a
low impact:
– Isolated activities
– Designed by different
associations
– No defined objectives
Strategies
A bike usage study:
• The citizens opinion regarding
the current status of the
infrastructure.
• Outline a profile about the
current bike users.
• Identify the barriers & incentives
of bike usage.
Communication campaigns:
• Awareness campaign
• On-street communication
campaign
Implementation
• Accomplish a study about bicycle
users needs
• The study will be the base for
developing the communication
campaign.
• A few projects with focus on
infrastructure development will
be set up by the municipality
Background Goteborg
• Goteborg has a well developed
cycling infrastructure but it is not
being used to a satisfactory extent
Æ The share of cyclists has not
increased
• A sustainable communication
strategy is needed
Strategies
Focus on:
• Awareness raising & Advantages
of cycling
• Change attitudes
Methods:
• Information on existing
infrastructures
• Try different communication tools
• Direct communication with the
Bicycles Observers
(A group with 1000 cyclists)
• Target groups:
• Private persons & Working sites
Implementation
• Different communication
campaigns and public events
• Bicycle courses for immigrant
women
• Production of new bicycle map
and facts folder
• Annual bicycle week
• Bicycle lighting project with 1000
test bikers testing a new lighting
and who are also "Bicycle
observers" and a reference group
for direct communication.
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Communication and Awareness Raising
Background Ploiesti
• Today - No national guidelines
& programmes at:
- Transport level
- The interface between land-
use and transports
• Guidelines & programmes needs
to be implemented by the local
communities.
Strategies
Communication strategy:
• A mix of dedicated channels
- Press releases
- Local meetings with targeted
members of the public
- Project leaflet
- Ploiesti website
- Direct mailing to
organisations
- On-street communication
campaigns.
Target groups:
• Decision makers & citizens
Implementation:
• The Romanian version of the
newsletter
- printed and distributed to
local actors & students
• Workshop with the Mayor &
high school students
• The first local leaflet of the
project is drafted
• The project was disseminated at
the launch of the “Local
development strategy for 2007-
2015”
Communication and Awareness Raising
Strategies Rome
• Use internet and mass media for
communication
• Enhance the quality & quantity of
information for cyclists on the
Mobility Agency’s web site
• Foster the cycling mobility by
promoting and enforcing the
inter-modality service
• Inform about safe commuting
routes to school and work
Strategies
• Implement a procedure for
updating information on cycling
• Set up a shared database
• Implement a new calculation
module prototype
• The planning and making of the
information campaign will
involve:
– Stakeholders
– Individual bikers
– Bikers associations
Implementation
Upgrading the geographic information
system layer on cycling
• Collection of territorial
information belonging to the
former mobility agency
• Integration of information on the
data model of ATAC
• Entry of the data concerning paths
length and duration, according
to the information of Municipality
Printed matters
Events
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Planning for Cycling
Cities starting level differences with differences in topography, cycling culture, urban
structure, mobility, modal share, financial possibilities. Common in the approach
was that in all cities the objectives are to plan for linear infrastructures, for parking
infrastructures and for policies with public transport.
Studies are done on ‘Cycling lane network in correlation with PT corridors’,
Transport on board, Safety conditions, Questionnaire for bike user needs, Manuals
about planning, Workshops with local authorities and stakeholders, Measuring
methods of trips by bike.
Some temporary results have been reached on ‘Second level planning of cycling
network’, on ‘Bicycle parking infrastructures planning’, ‘Public integration transport
and bike sharing policies’ and on ‘Awareness about ensure appropriate financing’.

Overview of actions for cycling planning in the Spicycles Cities

Action for cycling Barcelona Action for cycling Berlin

• Creation of the Office of the
Bicycle
• Creation of bike sharing in the
city
• Development cycling network
• Development of a technical
review/catalogue of traffic
calming measures considering
bicycles
• Stationing and Parking of Bicycles
Plan
• Program against theft-
“Protection of bicycles against
robberies”
Action for cycling Bucharest
• Planning cycling network by
origin-destination matrix (work
trips)
• Studying access with bicycles to
the leisure points
• Analysing the parking needs
(inter-modal nodes, shopping
centres, home)
• Intercepting associations
initiatives
• Analysing the possibility for bike
rent and share developing
• Improve inter-modality between
public transport and bicycle
transport
• Decrease bicycle-related accidents
• Ensure appropriate financing
approach
• Improve bicycle network
• Extend and innovate the bike
sharing system
Action for cycling Ploiesti
• Planning of a real network
without interruptions
• To implement cycling facilities in
the central area
• To create areas with priority for
cyclists
• Promoting campaigns by all
media channels

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Planning for cycling
Action for cycling Goteborg
• Identify and develop so called
Bicycle Highways in order to
increase the attractiveness of the
cycling network. Encourage
people to cycle more by
providing good services and
facilities (for example air-filling
stations, better maintenance,
information etc)
• Prepare the establishment of a
modern cycle centre at the central
station offering: bike rental,
parking, repairs, air stations,
cycle information etc.
Planning for cycling
Action for cycling Rome
• Creation of the Office of the
Bicycle to plan, implement and
maintain infrastructures and
services for cycling
• Development of main and local
cycling networks
• Development of inter-modality
bicycles – public transport by:
parking in the interchanges
nodes, routes to nodes, transport
on board, bike sharing
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Building Local Partnerships
The Objective of this activity is to involve local actors in the cycling plans of local
authorities.

CITY Cycle Master Plan date

Barcelona achieved 2006 The goal is to promote cycling by
establishing and strengthening the
Berlin achieved 2005
collaboration with different groups
Bucharest no CMP such as political, commercial and
Goteborg achieved 1999 social players. The work leads to
developing specific actions, where
Ploiesti no CMP
partnership building is needed to
Rome on going create a Cycle Master Plan (CMP).

Overview Partnership in Barcelona

Barcelona Bicycle Civic

Commission

Infrastructures Group Promotion Group

Plans and develops projects which Promotes bicycle use among the citizens,
include cyclist infrastructures (parking visitors, enterprises and institutions.
stands, bike lanes, signalling).

Management Group
Develops projects in order to provide
more bicycle services to citizens (ex:bike
rental).

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Building local partnerships
Overview partnership in Berlin
To solve this need of partnership and
consultation, the Senate Department of
Urban Development (SenStadt) convened a
FahrRat (Cycling Council), which is
composed of officials from various city
government units concerned with biking
(Department of Urban Development,
Department of Education, Youth and
Sport, the police, traffic authorities,
borough street and road construction
departments), environmental and
transportation interest groups such as
Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club
(General German Bicycle Club, ADFC),
Verkehrsclub Deutschland (Traffic Club of
Germany, VCD) and Bund für Umwelt
und Naturschutz Deutschland (Friends of
the Earth Germany, BUND), metropolitan
transit companies (BVG, S-Bahn Berlin
GmbH), external experts (including
academics), a representative of the bicycle
trade and the Senate cycling coordinator.
Overview partnership in Goteborg
The main goal for Goteborg is to create
conditions and working methods for
cycling planning already in the early
stages of building- and planning phases;
they are prerequisites for cycling and
needed to promote cycling by fostering
collaboration.
There are the Internal working groups (2
meetings during 2007), the External
working groups (for example with schools)
and the
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Building local partnerships
Overview partnership in Bucharest
The collaboration with local actors
involved in cycling continues and the
media sector has initiated a strong
campaign in favour of cycling. A
session of debates was initiated and
organized with representatives of the
Municipality, discussing some
important political actions regarding
the implementation of the bicycle as a
transport mode. Political and
administrative support from the
Municipality is gained and increased
interest of local authorities for cycling
projects was induced. Bucharest
Municipality started the auction
process for bicycles routes.
Municipality of the 3rd Bucharest
district initiated the first bicycle lanes
near one of the most important green
areas.
Overview partnership in Ploesti
The emphasis of building local
partnerships in Ploesti is through the
involvement of the high school and
university students. Important was a
public debate with a large audience for
the “Local development strategy for
2007-2015” at the Petroleum and Gas
University where positive reactions
came from the targeted audience of
business community, NGO’s, policy
makers and young people.
Building local partnerships Building local partnerships

Regional working group (2 meetings

during 2007). Also there are working
groups around specific actions, examples
from 2007 are:
Cycle centre (workshop with 8 experts
from different companies ) & Bicycle
highways.
There was a kick-off with bicycle observers
of the bicycle lights project with 100
participants.

Overview partnership in Rome ISTITUTIONAL

AUTHORITIES
In 2004 the environment authority of city
council established the technical round
table on the inter-modality between bicycle
and public transport. Issues of discussion CYCLISTS
are Signage, Free transport on board, ASSOCIATION
INFRASTRUCTURE
More Shelters & Racks; alternative OWNERS
transport issues were discussed. Local
media were involved.

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Benchmarking
The objective of the benchmarking activity is to evaluate whether bicycle planning
will be anchored in the partner cities’ organisations, as a result of Spicycles. Do
results stick in the log run? And, how can progress be compared with other European
cities and show what can be achieved.

Project measurement will happen at the begin and the end of the project. The Political,
organisational involvement with bicycle planning is done with the Velo.Info tool and
gets its overall value expressed in bronze, silver, gold or platinum. The benchmarks
are gathered on Preparation of the policy, Planning, Implementation and on
Monitoring & Evaluation. The progress between start and end of Spicycles indicates
the difference. This measure will also be done for other, non-partner cities.

An on-line questionnaire with ‘city characteristics’ regarding bicycle performance

will allow cross comparison for partner and non-partner cities. Data like Size,
Existing modal split, Bicycle infrastructure (if any), bicycle/public transport, Safety
and security, Policy, promotion, projects.
The online tool and the questionnaire allow for cross-comparison between different
cities: Spicycles partners, non-partners, categories of size, location, categories of
bicycle use, existing infrastructure. It shows the city’s position and gives instant
feedback of completing the questionnaire: Data for data

Initial results show that front runner cities are: Barcelona, Goteborg, Berlin; an
Intermediate position is for Rome and most room for improvement is for Bucharest
and Ploiesti. In general a high performance on Preparation and Planning is easier than
on Implementation and Monitoring.

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Some examples of reports from the Online Questionnaire: Data for Data
Progress score (bronze, silver, gold) 5%

5
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4
3 3%
2
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My city All silver cities Silver cities > 100.000

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% bicycle infrastructure of total Modal share bicycle

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16
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4 the website.
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My city All silver cities Silver cities > 100.000

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Results of the Mid Term Seminar
The attendants of then mid term seminar were asked tot discuss the five presented
issues in smaller groups. We would like to extend our special thanks to special Tom
Godefrooij, Mario Gualdi, Cristina Pou and Hermann Bluemel, who took care of the
reporting.
The results of the Mid Term Seminar will be studies and integrated in future
document.

The following remarks were made

Bike Sharing
ƒ Position ‘bike sharing’ as ‘public transport’ (as opposed to private bicycles).
Public transport can be provided by various transport techniques, like busses,
trains, trams, and also: bicycles. Public bicycles provide ‘individual public
transport’.
ƒ And as a consequence: look for strong connections with other parts of the
public transport system thus enabling individuals to make smooth door-to-
door trips.
ƒ Analyse the contribution of public bicycles to (individual) quality of life as a
tool to decide on a proper formulation of performance requirements of the
public bicycles system.
ƒ When dealing with bike-sharing, it is essential to ensure inter-operability at
least in systems working in the same country.
ƒ Make sure access technology is as simple as possible and linked to other
public transport systems

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 ƒ Make it accessible to residents, business and tourists therefore, clear, simple
and easy access.
ƒ Is the involvement of commercial businesses linked with advertising with
highly aggressive marketing tied to long term contract 10-20 years, a good
thing or a bad thing?
ƒ Advantages: cheap for user
ƒ Bad and cheap design will prove to be problematic; if vehicles are not up to
scratch they will be a bad experience for riders or prove not to be serviceable
ƒ Be aware of monopolisation by commuters who will use up all vehicles that
will all go to end stations which then will lack space.
ƒ Need to think about links between fixed stations and flexible hire processes.
ƒ Keep looking abroad for interesting cycling concepts, as cities are increasingly
developing new and original ways to organizing cycling services and creating
new jobs. Take bike-sharing, which is particularly apt at tackling the home-
work commute bottleneck by placing public bikes at PT transport nodes and
stewards directing commuters to the bike stations. This Japanese experience
is a successful example of how to close the “last mile” commute.

Communication and awareness raising

ƒ Cycling awareness is one of the key hurdles to be addressed. In many
countries it is still not perceived as a legitimate transport alternative. The
problem is the lack of infrastructure and safety conditions. The question is:
how to raise awareness when the basics are not even there? What to do first?
Whether going for infrastructure or awareness, or both together, it is
important to keep sight of the “regional” dimension, for lots of commuters
travel into the city from outside. Thus, planning and communication must be
coordinate with the metropolitan and regional authorities.
ƒ Need to educate people early could cycling be a pre-requisite of a driving
test?
ƒ Change behaviour not attitudes (and hope for a behaviour change) [cognitive
dissonance]
ƒ (Observation :) A high percentage of female cyclists is usually going together
with (and thus an indication for) a high level of bicycle use.
ƒ No campaigns without understanding the problems of the target group.
ƒ Analyse who are the stakeholders.
ƒ Know their aims and interests.
ƒ Analyse their position in the playing field (friend or enemies, decision
influencing power, etc)
ƒ Give information at the right time to the right person/party.

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Planning for cycling
• If one cycling challenge had to be singled out has the most prominent, it
has to be the actual convincing people to leave their cars and mopeds
behind and take a bike. Let’s be frank: people are bad weather-conscious,
are generally lazy, cannot stand helmets, hate to get to work in a sweat
and feel insecure when riding a bike. Planning and regulation can take
care only of some of these idiosyncrasies (e.g. helmets, safety), but for the
rest a cultural shift is required, and cities must be credible in sending
across the message that cycling is fun. Thus, start early on and teach
children.
• When planning for cycling, one should not necessarily strive to reach an
ideal cycling environment, for this is possible only in certain contexts.
There are ancient and convoluted urban frames that are not suitable for
state-of-art cycling lanes, still cycling can be made possible if cyclists are
granted the conditions to ride in co-share with motorized modes. The
need for motorists’ education is great. They have to learn how to
“respect” cyclists.
• Need for re-education of planning and infrastructure implementers
• Access to own bicycle at home is biggest bottleneck = home accessibility.
Particularly with apartments
• Campaign target for building companies: cycle garaging standards,
public buildings as well
• Don’t be afraid to give advantages to cyclists to give cycling a stronger
competitive position towards other modes.

Benchmarking
• Contextualise cycling within a bigger picture
• Quality of cyclists experience important - not size of facility
• Benchmarking more than data gathering. Complexity of metrics is a
subject for further analysis – not just an increase in cycling but who, what,
where: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic-status
• Plus analysis what for – trip purpose (with multiple purposes allowable)
• Finally, if one thing is expected out of SPICYCLES 1,5 year from now, it is
that cycling share has increased in the six cities and safety improved.
• Don’t allow overall ‘no room for improvement’ score. (There is always
room for improvement!)
• Organise in depth peer to peer benchmarking to enlarge the learning
experience of partner cities.

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 Participating Supporting
Cities Agencies

Rome,
DB Rent GmbH,
Dipartimento X, Politiche
Germany
Ambientali ed Agricole
Italy
Berlin,
Senate Department for Goudappel Coffeng
Urban Development BV,
(SenStadt), The Netherlands
Germany

Ploiesti, CPI Progetti S.P.A.,

City Hall (PMP), Italy
Romania

Bucharest, Velo Mondial,

Regia Autonoma de The Netherlands/
Transport Bucuresti England
(RATB),
Romania
Barcelona, University of Rome
Barcelona Municipality "La Sapienza" DITS,
(BCN), Italy
Spain
ATAC
Göteborg,
(Agenzia per i Trasporti
Traffic and Public
Autoferrotranviari del
Transport Authority
Comune di Roma),
Sweden
Italy
ISIS
(Istituto di Studi per
Coordinator: l'Integrazione dei
Sistemi),
Italy

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