Would You Ride a Bike Superhighway?

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By Elisha Hartwig2013-07-31 15:07:31 UTC

As people become more concerned with conserving the environment and improving our health, bicycle superhighways seem to be the ideal panacea. Encouraging commuters to bike to work instead of drive in a car promotes personal well-being, a greener world and it can even encourage fresh thinking in the workplace.

Below, we outline three cities whose transit innovations are headed in the right direction, promoting healthier transportation options for both the planet and ourselves. Would you commute on a bicycle superhighway if you had one in your city? Let us know in the comments.

1. Copenhagen, Denmark

Image: MyLoupe/Universal Images Group via Gettty Images

Copenhagen's Cykelsuperstier is the perfect example of a successfully implemented bike superhighway. Aiming to connect residential areas outside of Copenhagen with educational facilities and job-laden areas, the local governments teamed up to build an expansive system of 26 new bike routes.

The first route opened in April 2012 and connects Copenhagen and Albertslund, a suburb about 10 miles outside of the city. Although more than 80% of Danes have bicycles, cycling habits in Denmark has actually decreased over the last 20 years. However, the cycling within Copenhagen's boundaries has increased — 36% of all trips to places of work or study are taken by bicycle. The goal is to have 20% more riders on the Albertslund route by 2015. If this is achieved, then motorized vehicles in the country would be driving one million kilometers less each year.

In order to entice riders, the developers of the bike superhighway designed a number of strategies to make commuting as easy as possible. Using what they term "green wave technology," a cyclist traveling at an average speed of 20km/h should be able to glide through a wave of green lights throughout the city during rush hour, without ever having to stop. That's right, the traffic lights are timed to suit bicyclists, not cars. Furthermore, the city provides footrests to lean on at traffic lights in case you do happen to get stopped, there are tilted garbage cans along the path for easy access to riders, and "conversation lanes" are being developed where two people can ride side by side and talk as they commute to work together.

The Cykelsuperstier is being financed by the Capital Region of Denmark, as well as the 21 local governments that will be connected by the superhighway. The 26 routes are budgeted to cost 413 million Danish kroner (approximately $73.35 million USD) for the basic plan, or 875 million kroner ($155.4 million USD) for the ideal plan. It will cost an average of about $1 million per mile.

The next route to be built will connect Copenhagen with Fureso, a town northwest of the capital, and the developers are experimenting with solar-powered lighting.

2. London, United Kingdom

Image: Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty Images

The Barclays Cycle Superhighway, a passion project for mayor Boris Johnson and Transport for London (TfL), is a way to provide safer, faster and more direct routes into the city from the surrounding suburbs. The first routes were launched in summer of 2010, with two others launching in summer of 2011. The first highway completed connected Merton with the London city center, and the second connected Barking to Tower Gateway, two of the largest employment areas in London.

Ultimately, there will be 12 routes connecting the London city center with other cities outside of London — and the entire project is estimated to be complete by 2015.

Image: for London

Along with the superhighways, government officials have installed safety mirrors at 39 locations in the city, which help drivers see cyclists in their blind spots. The highways are also marked in a distinctive blue color to facilitate safe riding. Other safety features include advanced stop lines at traffic lights, which help cyclists get ahead of motor vehicle traffic and reduces the conflict between bicycles and vehicles turning left.

The Barclays Cycle Superhighway is projected to cost 913 million GBP if the government grants and fares stay at a flat rate. The completed superhighway aims to increase cycling 400% by 2015, improving cycling conditions for those who already commute to school or work on bike, and encouraging new cyclists.

3. Malmö and Lund, Sweden

Image: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images

There's always room for improvement — and Swedish cycling cities Malmö and Lund are no exception. In Lund, Sweden, 60% of the population bikes or takes public transportation, and cycling rates have increased in Malmö 30% year after year for the last four years in a row. But the local government and Trafikverket (The Swedish Traffic Authority) wants to develop a superhighway connecting these two cities — the supercykelväg.

The proposed bicycle superhighway would have four lanes, two running in each direction. There would be exits off the superhighway, but no intersections, to avoid collisions. Further safety measures include two different types of wind protection, including low bushes and solid fencing along the highway. In addition, the Trafikverket plans for the route to run parallel to the railway tracks, which would make it easier and cheaper to build because right-of-ways are already established.

Image: Trafikverket

The supercykelväg is expected to cost 30 million Swedish crowns, or $7.1 million USD. The government of Malmö has committed $4.1 million dollars towards the construction of the superhighway. Now they're just waiting for the central government to foot the rest of the bill.

Homepage Image: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images

Topics: bike superhighways, Dev & Design, Global Innovation Series, Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure, Work & Play, World