Bicycle movement in Poland

Marcin Hyła, Marcin Hyła, www.miastadlarowerow.plwww.miastadlarowerow.pl VeloForum, 16VeloForum, 16thth October, 2010 October, 2010

The history and strategies of The history and strategies of the cycling movement in Polandthe cycling movement in Poland

http://www.miastadlarowerow.pl/

History and strategies for cyclingHistory and strategies for cycling

Let me introduce myself...Let me introduce myself...


...my four bicycles & a trailer...my four bicycles & a trailer

A few words on myselfHave been involved in cycling advocacy in Poland since 1992Work with Cities for Bicycle networkDid a TV job, including cycling promotion seriesFreelance consultant with local governments, Ministry of Infrastructure and otherWork part time at National Road Directorate (www.GDDKiA.gov.pl) - not representing it here!


http://www.GDDKiA.gov.pl/

Why the bicycle, after all?Zero emission vehicle – runs on what you eatDoes not make noise and occupies little spaceDoor-to-door transportationMost energy efficient device ever built by man: 100W is enough for man to walk 4 kph, the same 100W is enough to cycle 16 kph – 4 times faster!



In the same time, a cyclist has In the same time, a cyclist has access to destinations scattered access to destinations scattered

across area across area 16 times larger16 times larger than a pedestrian can reach.than a pedestrian can reach.

How revolutions happen„Prophets” (develop and spread the idea)Innovators (live up to the „prophecy”: personal choice, action and lifestyle) – the fewEarly adopters (trendsetters, they are crucial and bring the real change) – the more numerousEarly majority – you know you have won :-)… and then (almost) everyone else follows


DemographicsLook at the age – innovators are usually young, so are early adoptersThe change is real when women are represented proportionallyIn cycling societies (NL, DK, D) women are slight majority of cyclistsIn non-cycling societies, cyclists are predominantly male


Idea behind our revolutionCycling is for all and everyone – not just for the fit, the fitness freaks and sportsmen/womenWhat we do is for the potential majority, not the eliteReality check: cyclists in rich countries are the middle and upper class, not lower class :-)At the innovators stage if you personally don't cycle, you can't prove it is real


ApproachesGrass root approach: independent of government (bottom up)Top – down aprroach: government decides, people must followApproach „from within”: middle level – local governments, consultancies, businesses lead the change



Welcome to Poland!Welcome to Poland!

Cycling movement in PolandFirst cycle tracks – pre-WWII Poznan and stalinist Krakow (Nowa Huta district, 1950's) – the latter never used by cyclistsTheoretical, academic discussion on cycling in citiesPolish Ecological Club (Friends of the Earth Poland): first cycling advocacy in 1990First „new” cycle infrastructure in 1990's



1993 – cycling revolution begins1993 – cycling revolution begins


1994 – car bashing in Krakow1994 – car bashing in Krakow


1993 – first cycle track opening1993 – first cycle track opening


1993 – first cycle track opening1993 – first cycle track opening


1993 – cycling in snow1993 – cycling in snow

Cycling grass roots in PolandMostly emerging from environmental movement in early 1990's Often connected to alternative groups (anarchists, punks etc.)In early 1990's, the cycling movement went against the tide: everyone was buying cars, and wanted to drive them!In early 1990's, Mountain Bicycle created new market and renewed the image of cycling in non-cycling countries, including Poland


Cycling movement in Poland in the 1990'sEnvironmental movement was funded by EU grants and supported by Dutch organizations (study visits, networking projects)Know-how transfer, organizational buildupIn 1995, Cities for Bicycles (Miasta dla rowerów) network was started – a coalition of local grass root groups and organizationsLobbying locally for cycling infrastructure and public education and networking nationwide


1990's – lost decade?Co-operation with local authorities was very difficult despite official declarationsExtremely poor design of the (few) cycling facilitiesExtreme growth in motorized traffic, extreme decrease in road safety, extreme deterioration of road network and... evident growth of cyclingNetworking, research (VeloCity conferences of ECF) and growing frustration of cycling NGO


Gdańsk: A New HopeWhile no Poland's city could boast any real cycling infrastructure, Gdańsk was differentVibrant NGO community organized massive bicycle rides or demonstrationsNGO's were heard, and they demanded quality management first: design standards for cycling infrastructure, then investmentGdańsk was the first city to try to apply for large EU grants for cycling infrastructure



Cycling demo in GdańskCycling demo in Gdańsk


Cycling demo in GdańskCycling demo in Gdańsk

Gdańsk cycling infrastructure projectCo-financed by Global Environment Facility (GEF), 1 million US dollars (additional 2 million from the municipality)Introduced quality management practicesGave strong voice to the NGO partners The project was a breaktrough: model infrastructural solutions were implemented, it showed something positive is possible in Poland. WOW!


Other citiesGrowing Critical Mass movement – monthly rides (last Friday of each month) across PolandWarsaw Critical Mass broken by police in 2003, almost 100 people arrested. Result: at the next CM more than 1000 people showed up! Now Warsaw CM has 1-2 thousand riders regularly, and more in late spring Gdańsk experience replicated to some extend in other cities



Critical Mass in WarsawCritical Mass in Warsaw


Critical Mass in WarsawCritical Mass in Warsaw

Gdańsk lessons:Public participation: bicycle user groups must be heard and there must be institutional co-operation platform (a Task Force or similar)Quality Management: bylaws such as Design Standards, binding to all municipal agenciesGdańsk project was tangible: you could take pictures, interview cyclists and show it to others Meticulous planning: where to invest money first


Where to invest moneyBottleneck analysis: where cyclists have trouble now (multilane fast roads with no alternative for cyclists)Journey sources and destinations matrix: follow the current behaviour of users of other means of transport (public transport, cars)Avoid steep hills, follow rivers and railways (denivelation; see CROW five requirements)



Journey matrix in GdańskJourney matrix in Gdańsk


GEF project cycle tracks GEF project cycle tracks

Minimalist approach (alternative)New investment must not hamper cycling, eg. cut parts of a city from each other (provide tunnels or bridges for pedestrians and cyclists)Possibly, new roads (or at least bridges, viaducts etc.) must have cycling facilities – avoid investing in a serious long-time obstacle to cycling!Introduce traffic – free zones or limited access zones, open to cycling (very low direct costs)


Pre-conditions for success:Vibrant NGO and/or grass root communityUniversities, artists, boheme, open mindedness (innovators, early adopters!)Flat city (at least downtown), compact cityCity that has significant impact on national scale: in Poland Gdańsk is famous for the Solidarity movement, Krakow was once capital, Wrocław has strong brand etc.Bicycle messenger potential: Big Business



Krakow: artists' hangoutKrakow: artists' hangout


Shopping centre in KrakowShopping centre in Krakow

Cities for Bicycles in a nutshellWe are Bicycle Users' Group. We represent cyclists (ourselves): fight for our rightsWe do not have a broader agenda – we are single issue organization, focused just on cycling (commuting, touring and not sport)We can have coalitions with public transport, environment, pedestrian or other groups but sometimes our goals may be differentWe are non-partisan (no political party affiliation)


What do we do now?We discovered that many problems reported by local groups are the same across Poland, and the reason is the law and lack of knowledge on part of traffic engineers.We found that Highway Code does not conform to Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which is a serious constitutional problemWe developed proposals for changing the laws and, well, nobody wanted to talk to us


ROWEROWA POLSKA 2008

Cyclist should have priority hereCyclist should have priority here


ROWEROWA POLSKA 2008

Vienna Convention vs. Highway CodeVienna Convention vs. Highway Code


Political gamesIn 2007, there appeared some political interest in the cycling agenda (early adopters stage!)All Party Cycling Group was formed in the Parliament with more than 40 MP's and Ministry of Infrastructure started talking with us (2008)Now, the new Highway Code is proceeded by the Parliament and will give cyclists more rights and legal protectionThe agenda is to put cycling in the political mainstream, much like in the UK (Boris Johnson)


Pro-cycling Highway codeTechnicalities (pedelecs, rikshaws, cycle track, cycle lane, advanced stop line etc.)Cyclists riding straight ahead always have priority over vehicles turning off (Vienna Convention) unles road signs show otherwiseCyclists can ride two or more abreast and overtake on the rightCyclists can ride in the middle of lane in junctions Studded tyres and children trailers allowed


Pro-cycling Highway code - discussionTurning left is the most dangerous and difficult manouvre for cyclist in traffic: cyclist must weave through much faster motorized traffic acros lanesMany countries and Vienna Convention allow cyclist in such case to ride the junction straight ahead, stop in the junction on the right as if they arrived from the right, yield to traffic and only then go their wayMinistry does not like it (yet).


Changing the law is not panaceumLaw is a tool and needs to be enforcedWe need new training schemes for new driversWe need permanent education (media campaigns) for those with driving permitWe need to change other laws, tooWe need to educate planners, road engineers, police, decisionmakersWe can't educate against the law



And remember: this is our vision!And remember: this is our vision!

www.miastadlarowerow.plwww.miastadlarowerow.plcinek@[email protected]

http://www.miastadlarowerow.pl/

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Bicycle movement in Poland