December 12, 2019
Cycle superhighways - a path for sustainable mobility
Ramboll concept for cycle superhighways to connect cities in Scania, southern Sweden.
The region and several municipalities in Scania now hope to emulate the results from Copenhagen by establishing a cycle superhighway network and significantly improve the possibilities to commute by bike to larger urban areas. With Malmö as well recognized cycling city as a stronghold in the Region.
Ramboll cycling experts from Sweden and Denmark have worked together on the project. The concept has been put to test on a couple of existing cycle paths, 10-20 km of length, in the Scania region to ensure implementation and uptake.
“It’s largely about improving, rebuilding and connecting lanes that already exist. There’s a great commitment from the municipalities and other stakeholders to make the region even more bicycle friendly,” Olle Evenäs, bicycle expert and Project Manager at Ramboll says.
Make bicycling a natural choice for everyday travel
What defines a cycle superhighway is that it binds several urban agglomerations together and that there is a common standard and using the same design language. Ramboll’s cycling experts are also supporting the city of Berlin in their efforts to establish cycle superhighways. The paths should provide high accessibility, road safety and a sense of security. Ideally, they shall complement already established public transport routes, enabling commuters to combine cycling and public transport if there is weather changes or a flat tire. Done right, the Copenhagen experience demonstrates that cycle superhighways help to make cycling the natural choice for everyday travel, even when it comes to longer distances.
“Next step is that the municipalities and the region hopefully will make a joint decision to investigate exact directions for the Super bike paths and form lane groups for further planning. The concept is universal and can be applied in other regions,” continues Olle Evenäs.