This paper, Cycling on the Rise: public bicycles and other European experiences, gathers experience related to specific areas of cycling policy.

It explores how key elements such as communication and awareness raising, and the building of local partnerships, might increase the modal share of cycling.

The European Union‘s Spicycles Project saw an explosion in the popularity of public bicycle systems. Spicycles aimed to create support for cities in increasing of the modal share of cycling in their cities. and made tools and know-how available to the cities in an attractive format.

In the course of the project, cycling became increasingly relevant to city policy makers and transport planners, as well as to citizens. This interest was heightened by the looming economic crisis: petrol prices rose dramatically, and economic recession became a reality.

As the project comes to an end the paper concludes that huge strides have been made. All the partner cities have improved their cycling policy. All of them now have a public bicycle system, even though Barcelona and Bucharest had not even planned for these at the start of the project. Berlin has enthused with its leadership in cycling planning. Bucharest and Ploiesti have been inspirational — their approach to local partnerships and to communication and awareness-raising programs has provided a model for cities of a similar size and background,

Rome showed us that determination leads to results, even in the most complicated circumstances, and Göteborg has been a trailblazer in many areas, with its excellent communication projects, bicycle highways and advanced bike-counting systems.

Read Cycling on the Rise: public bicycles and other European experiences.