Last June, Vélo Québec attended Velo-city Vienna, the annual gathering of cycling professionals and activists from around the world. The first Velo-city conference was held in Montreal in 1992, at the initiative of Vélo Québec. This year, 1,400 participants from 50 countries gathered in Vienna for a few days of brainstorming.
Here are just a few of the trends to emerge...
Self-service bicycles
Bikeshare services have seen incredible growth around the world. The BIXI team was in Vienna, of course, but the competition is growing. Systems that try not to look like the others are multiplying, but not in a happy way. What we'll soon be seeing, in some cities at least, are fleets comprising traditional bikes and pedelec.
Electrically-assisted bicycles (pedelec)
This is a real trend in Europe, particularly in Switzerland and Germany. The Netherlands, with a population of 16 million, already has over 1 million electric-assist bicycles, in addition to 18 million traditional bicycles. The arrival of this type of bike, very popular with the 55+ age group, has increased the percentage of kilometers cycled in the country by 5%. Interestingly, 39% of these new users had previously travelled by car. Several European studies are currently tracking and analyzing this trend.
Bicycle contraflow safety
A new study presented by Bruxelles Mobilité confirms that contra-flow bike lanes are safe. The study will be published later this summer.
Transportation cocktail
A partnership is developing between German urban transport operators and the TERN folding bike company. Since last autumn in Munich, a package has been available enabling passengers to purchase a folding bike at a discount with their annual transit pass. In Nantes, 250 folding bikes are available to rent with an annual transit pass.
SRAM's cycling mission
The SRAM components company is actively involved in advancing the cause of cycling in American cities through the SRAM Cycling Fund. In recent years, it has taken elected officials from Chicago, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Austin and Minneapolis to visit inspiring cycling cities. A new mission will visit Copenhagen in September.
Clearly, the situation is evolving rapidly in many parts of the world. Let's keep our eyes open: the best is yet to come.
