ARTICLE FROM THE BOOK:
Cyclists & Cycling Around the World – Creating Liveable
andBikeable
CitiesCyclists& Cycling
Aroundthe World
Edited by Juan Carlos Dextre, Mike Hughes & Lotte Bech
Published by Fondo Editorial, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2013
ISBN: 978-612-4146-55-8

The Benefits of Cycling - Global and individual
well being
By Gil (Guillermo) Peñalosa, Executive Director, 8-80 Cities, NGO basedin Toronto, CanadaS

ince 1817, human beings have had a means of freedom through individual
mobility, consisting of what initially began as a wooden frame with two in-line
wheels. However, amidst the drive for capital and economic prosperity, this symbolof independence and joy has been transformed into one of last resort, unfortunately
frequently associated with poverty. Within the last 50 years or so however, some leading
global cities have come to realise the value of cycling, not only for the sake of mobility,
but as a way of life. Some would argue that with the current economic crisis, there is noroom for bike-oriented societies. On the contrary however, it could be argued that with thestorm we are now facing, the plummeting economy, ever-growing health crises, together
with global warming present not only a unique challenge, but a fascinating opportunity totransform our cities into great places for people to live in a sustainable way.
Yes, we are at a critical juncture demanding urgent action. Hundreds of cities worldwide
are thinking and talking about ways in which we can create world-class, people-oriented
cities by focusing on the development of adequate infrastructure to foster environmentsthat encourage the use of bicycles. There may be a lot of talking and thinking but there is
not enough doing. Almost all of the major cities in the world are being faced with rapid
growth and higher urban density as larger proportions of the population leave rural
areas. The US population will increase by 100 million in the next 25 years for example
and the world population by 2.5 billion by 2040. During these radical changes, cities
should keep one thing in mind: their citizens’ wellbeing. We must grasp the opportunity
to transform our cities into places where priority is given to the individual person overthe car; where everybody can mobilise in an easy, efficient, and human way: by walking,by using public transport and also by using their bikes.

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“Bike-pooling” kids to school inUtrecht, Holland

Ciclovia in Bogota, Colombia.
Over 1 million people bike, walk,skate, “watch people” every
Sunday of the year

We must overcome barriers, real and imaginary
Many of the “thinkers and talkers” claim that there are far too many insuperable barriers.
“Our city is no Copenhagen or Paris, we don’t have a bike culture”, they say. Climates may
be different, cultures may not be equal, but people are the same; we are all social animals.
As for comparisons, we are not creating sim-cities on our computers - we cannot “copyand paste” but we can and should “adapt and improve”. Every city is different, with uniquechallenges and prospects, but all have the potential to be wonderful places to live in.
Before the transformation of Copenhagen, there was a lot of resistance in the city tocreating cycle tracks and pedestrian streets for social mobility. In fact, the Danes usedto say, socializing through means of mobility was for the Italians, as they seemed to likepublic spaces and spending time on streets, sidewalks and piazzas. In fact however, oncethe streets were transformed into pedestrian promenades, the Danes became “moreItalian than the Italians” and enjoyed them seven days a week, all year long.

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Cyclists & Cycling Around the World

Riding bicycles in Copenhagen,Denmark. “There is no such thing as badweather, it’s bad clothing”.

Consistency in Copenhagen,Denmark: always on the rightside, always unidirectional
and always physicallyseparated from cars whencar’s maximum speed isabove 30 kph (20mph).

Cycling and walking is great for local stores as people purchase goods for two or threedays whereas people going to shop by car buy for two or three weeks and end up
shopping at big out-of-town supermarkets.
So, despite the many challenges and doubts, Copenhagen is now one of the world’s
leading cities for cycles, where more than 36 out of every 100 trips are done by bike. Inorder to create cities that foster an environment where people feel safe enough to use
their bicycle for daily trips, we need public engagement to demonstrate to the decisionmakers how citizens want to live, what makes their people happy.
It is not surprising that the major predictors of a city’s success nowadays include
happiness and quality of life. Every city’s main goal must be how to retain its best people
as well as how to attract great people from other places. This is done through creating
great quality of life.

73Bike racks on buses are“visible” but do not get “nonstreet riders” to begin riding.
Vancouver, CanadaSo, in order to overcome these barriers, we need to prioritise the general interest overthe particular. Change is hard and if we want it to be accepted unanimously we need todilute it so much that it would no longer be change. We must keep asking ourselves “howdo we want to live” and then make the necessary decisions to move in that direction.
It is clear that the barriers are neither technical nor financial, they are political.

Key actions
There are many cities who claim that they want to be “cycle friendly”. Unfortunately, mostof these focus on doing things right but not on doing the right things.
There are a number of actions that actually improve conditions for existing cyclists
without getting many additional cyclists on the streets even if they are “done right”; forexample, signage, sharrows, education, bike parking and lockers, racks on the buses,
painting lines on the pavement, etc.

74Cyclists & Cycling Around the World

Protected bike-ways in New York, USA. A
painted line on the pavement is not safeenough; it needs a physical separation likethe one shown in the photo.

There are however, two key actions which will increase the number of cyclists: lowering thespeed below 30 kph (20 mph) on all residential streets and secondly, building a networkof protected bikeways on all arterial roads which have more than 5,000 cars per day orspeeds higher than 30 kph. With regard to the first action, it has been demonstrated thatlowering the speed to below 30 kph (20 mph) saves lives and is not only good for cyclists
but also creates great communities, walkable, safe for all. If a person is hit by a car goingat 30 kph there is 5% probability of getting killed, while if the car is going at 50 kph theprobability of getting killed increases to 85%. With regard to the bikeways, they musthave a physical separation between the cyclists and pedestrians and especially between
cyclists and motor vehicles. The message is clear; politicians need to create networks
of protected bike lanes. This is not done by painting a line on the pavement; actually ifthey approve the difficult part by providing the space on the street for cyclists, then theyshould go one step further and build “enhanced bike lanes” adding the physical separator
which is a must in order to attract new riders and to make it safe for all. The line by itself
might make it more comfortable for existing cyclists but will not attract those who do
not bike for fear of getting run over by cars. The goal is to make riding a bicycle safe forall: including children and older adults and novice riders. When bike lanes (lines) do notwork, it provides politicians unfriendly to bicycling “an excuse to show that cycling is notpart of their culture” and bike lanes are removed.

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Vancouver, Canada has begun building great
bikeways, physically separated from cars andpedestrians, safe for all.

The benefits of cycling
Far too often, people speak about cycling as a means, focusing strictly on the precise
action, as opposed to the benefits, the ends. Once we discover the benefits that cycling
provides, we can begin looking at overall lifestyle in a far more desirable manner. Afterall, there are many reasons why, despite their high economic development, the Danes
choose the bicycle as their preferred means of mobility, but let’s summarise under theacronym E.A.R.T.H.
Environment.
Although inherently associated, the relationship between cycling and the environment
deserves further attention and support. The use of a bicycle as opposed to a car, greatly
reduces pollution, gas emissions, noise and traffic congestion.
Economic Activity
Having citizens ride bicycles benefits the economy in many ways. For example, thecyclists can carry groceries for only two or three days while the car drivers carry for three76

Cyclists & Cycling Around the Worldor four weeks; the cyclist buys local while the car driver buys at big supermarket. A second
benefit is the disposable income. According to the American Automobile Association
the annual cost of an economy car is $7,500; if a household can downsize from two to
one cars, all of the sudden there will be substantial savings to spend on other goods orservices, thus improving local economy.
Recreation
Cycling provides recreational opportunities for everybody, regardless of economic, social
or ethnic background. This recreation is in addition to utilitarian cycling, it’s just fun.
Obviously the division of cycling for recreation and for transportation is not always clear;
we might use the same bikeways in the morning to ride to work while in the evening togo to the movies or to visit friends.
Transportation
Cycling plays a double role in transportation: as a way to move from points of origin toour destinations as well as a means to connect with other modes, such as public transit.
Unfortunately no large or medium size city has solved the issue of mobility through theSeville, Spain built a grid of over 150 kilometersinterconnected and cycling increased from less than
1% to almost 7% share in four years. Great for cyclists
and for business along the grid.

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private car. The only solution is to have public transportation. Most cities are investinglarge sums in public transit but busses or trains will not pick us up in front of our homes
or drop us off at our destination. Here is where cycling can play a key role - as a connector
to and from public transit - as long as we build the proper infrastructure of safe bikeways
connected into a coherent grid as well as networks of bike parking.
HealthThere is growing, global concern about public health and there is a very clear correlation
between physical and mental health benefits and cycling. The obesity rates haveincreased geometrically over the past two decades to a point where in countries like
Mexico or the USA one in three citizens is obese. The lack of physical activity along withthe obesity is producing many health problems and illnesses. The key to meeting the 30
minutes a day of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization is tomake walking and cycling a normal part of everyday life. The situation is clear: countries
where cycling is part of everyday life have very low levels of obesity. With heart disease
being the number one cause of preventable deaths, the cycle lifestyle represents thepivotal lever between life and death. Furthermore, clear links have been cited between
daily exercise and decreased levels of depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder etc.

Thousands of bicycles parked at the main transit station in
Amsterdam, Holland. Riding bicycles improve mobility by itself
as well as a connector to other modes.

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Cyclists & Cycling Around the WorldIn New York, USA, they created a very successful Ciclovia / Open Street
program called Summer Streets. It showed citizens and city staff that streets
can have different uses according to the time of the day, the day of the weekor season in the year.

How to move from talking to doing
Once we realise the many benefits of cycling, we must create broad alliances to represent
all those interests. This process is like a three legged stool where one leg is the elected
officials from the municipal, state / provincial and national levels. The second leg is thepublic sector staff, including the obvious like transportation and planning as well as others
directly related to benefits like public health, environment, economic development, parks
and recreation.
This change process must take into consideration:
Political will: politicians must understand that the general interest must prevail over theparticular in such actions as eliminating car parking to allow a bikeway to be safe.
Doers in the public sector: people working for the government must keep in mind thatevery week the citizens are paying them to get things done and not to have 20 reasonswhy they cannot be done. They must always look for solutions to the problems and notproblems to the solutions.

79Montreal Canada has changed
many painted lines for physicallyseparated bike ways and the rides
have moved from mostly youngmen, to mix of gender, age, level ofability, as well as social, economicor ethnic background.

Leadership: hundreds of leaders are needed, in places of work, universities, schools.
Some will have city-wide impact while others will just work locally.
Citizen engagement: citizens can no longer spectate, they must participate. If citizens
are not attending public meetings, calling radio stations or writing letters to city officials,
someone else will be doing so and thus setting the agenda.
Sense of urgency: given the storm we are facing mentioned at the beginning, including
global warming, obesity crisis, traffic congestion, economic crisis, population growth, it
is evident that we must act now.
There are major challenges but also fantastic opportunities. We must constantly ask
ourselves “how do we want to live” and act accordingly. We - politicians, city staff andcitizens - must be consistent, between what we think, say and do.
We need to improve the cities that we have today, but we also need to build great cities
for 2 billion people in the next 30 years. The use of the bicycle can and should play a rolein this process. In order to promote its use we should focus on the benefits instead ofjust talking about it. We should act to gather the necessary support to build complete
networks of safe infrastructure for all cyclists regardless of age, gender, or economic,
social or ethnic backgrounds.

80Cyclists & Cycling Around the World

Bogota, Colombia where Mayor Enrique Penalosa built great bike-ways and side-walks “in part toimprove safety but equally important to dignify the pedestrians and cyclists”; they should not betreated as second class citizens when they provide so many benefits to the community: health,environment, economic, mobility and more.

Gil Peñalosagpenalosa@8-80cities.org
Research:
Laura Penalosa, Psychology at McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Photo credit:
Gil Peñalosa81