Copenhagen Going For 50% Bicycle Mode Share By 2015
This news is a bit old, but Copenhagen wants a 50% bicycle mode share by 2015 — that’s just a little over 6 years from now. That 50% number was announced in the Copenhagen ‘City Of Cyclists 2006′ report (PDF) - their every-two-years bicycle count report:
Although we already have an excellent track record when it comes to cycling, we now want to do even better. In the spring of 2007 we set ourselves new goals for developing Copenhagen into “the best city in the world for cyclingâ€.
In the year 2015 at least 50% will cycle to work or education in Copenhagen. This target figure will save us 80,000 tons of C02 a year.
This 50% number is so huge - so stupendous - it’s just totally awesome.
What happens at 50% - the way I see it - is that we really will have more freedom than ever to ask, “Just what is the value proposition of motorized transport? Do the benefits of motorized transport outweigh its costs? Maybe not in the city?”
At 50% bicycle mode share, World Carfree Days and Bicycle Cities start seeming more mainstream than ‘new idea.’ Granted, Bike To Work Days and ciclovias become a bit less exciting (if not completely unnecessary), but that’s a trade-off I’m willing to make.
Best of luck to ‘Mayor of Technical and Environment’, Klaus Bondam - which might be something like our San Francisco ‘Director of Transportation’ (Executive Director) at SFMTA, Nathanial Ford (Nathaniel needs to be fired). Klaus is a member of the same party as the ‘Mayor of Copenhagen’ — the ‘Lord Mayor of Copenhagen’ — Ms. Ritt Bjerregaard.
On a secondary note - and I don’t want to go off on too much of a tangent, here — but is anyone else noticing a trend among the most dynamic cycling cities? Sadik-Khan becomes head of DOT in New York City and the place starts changing overnight. The first female Lord Mayor of Copenhagen comes to power in 2006 and next thing you know Copenhagen is talking about 50% bicycle mode share. Maybe those are just two data points in a sea of statistics and people and personalities and dynamics and world conditions, but what if the world is becoming more…civilized? And this is allowing more women to take power? And this is leading to more…sensible policies? Even if that were the case, wouldn’t it be notable? Just sayin.
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November 22nd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I take it you realise that Groningen, just up the road from us, already has 60% of all journeys within the city by bike.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Nope - didn’t realize that! Very cool, though! I think that’s where Professor John Pucher may have done with graduate work.