Copenhagen is quickly becoming known as the cycling capital of the world. While many cities are starting to embrace the two-wheel wonder Copenhagen appears to be doing more and doing it better than many other cities around the world. Read on to find out just how well Copenhagen is doing in the cycling world.
Today there are nearly 700,000 bicycles in Copenhagen while just over 100,000 cars. This incredible statistic shows that the people of Copenhagen have largely embraced the bike. In 2016 a landmark result was reached when more bikes went through the city in the year compared to cars.
It has not been easy, however. Since 2005 the city has spent nearly $155m on cycling infrastructure for the city. The results have been phenomenal. When you ask people why they don’t cycle to work or school one of the most common reasons is safety. Cycling between car lanes and around pedestrians can be very dangerous as people often pull out of a car space, change lanes, or open their car door without looking out for cyclists. In Copenhagen, people now feel safe to cycle. 76% of people now say they feel safe to cycle in the city compared to just over 50% in 2006. Copenhagen has shown a clear reduction in the number of cycling fatalities based on how many cycle paths they built, despite the number of cyclists growing strongly.
It makes financial sense too. The city council says that every time someone cycles 1km it saves 75 cents (US$). This figure is based on the savings made from health and transportation. While 75 cents may sound small with the residents cycling 1.4 million km every day it can mean savings of over $1 million dollars every day.
With these savings and additional benefits, it is no surprise to see Copenhagen expanding its plans to keep it as a cycling haven. Other countries and cities are following suit. This could mean a safer, healthier and happier population across the world.
