CYCLING IN GHENT

Objective and subjective evaluation

of CIVITAS policy measures

Dr. Veronique Van Acker,

Ghent University, Department of Geography

Outline

1. CIVITAS and Ghent

2. Policy measures stimulating cycling in Ghent

3. “Objective” evaluation

bicycle counts

4. “Subjective” evaluation

survey on cycling in Ghent

5. Lessons learned

1. CIVITAS and Ghent

CIVITAS ?!

• CITY – VITALITY – SUSTAINABILITY

• European programme supporting cities to introduce

ambitious transport measures and policies towards

sustainable urban mobility

• Cities as “living laboratories”

• Launched in 2002

• CIVITAS I (2002 – 2006)

• CIVITAS II (2005 – 2009)

• CIVITAS Plus (2008 – 2012)

• CIVITAS Plus II (2012 – 2016)

1. CIVITAS and Ghent

5 CONSORTIA

25 CITIES

80 million EU-grants

Mimosa (Bologna, Funchal, Utrecht, Gdansk, Tallinn)

Archimedes (Aalborg, Brighton, San Sebastian, Iasi, Monza, Usti nad Labem)

Elan (Gent, Zagreb,Porto, Ljubljana, Brno)

Renaissance (Perugia, Bath, Gorna-Oryahovitsa, Szczecinek, Skopje)

Modern (Craiova, Brescia, Coimbra, Vitoria-Gasteiz)

1. CIVITAS and Ghent

LEADING CITIES

• Gent

• Ljubljana (Slovenia)

• Zagreb (Croatia)

LEARNING CITIES

• Porto (Portugal)

• Brno (Czech Republic)

1. CIVITAS and Ghent

CITY

Surface (km²) 158

Population 239.905

Car ownership

(per 1.000 inhabitants) 370

% daily trips by mode of

transport

- car

- walk

- cycle

- bus/tram/train

46

6,9

19,9

23,2

already a lot of cycling in the city centre,

mainly students and train commuters

Key characteristics of Ghent (2008)

2. Policy measures stimulating cycling

However, some problems occur:

• no main contact/information point for cyclists

• no access to small-scaled services (e.g., bicycle repair)

“The House of the Bike” and bicycle activities

future “House of the Bike” ?

commuters:

bicycle box

residents:

bicycle ‘bin’

2. Policy measures stimulating cycling

However, some problems occur:

• cycling routes across the city show gaps or have unsafe

crossings/junctions

design of a safe cycling corridor

Cycling lanes before and after redesign of the Kortrijksesteenweg

2. Policy measures stimulating cycling

However, some problems occur:

• cycling routes across the city show gaps or have unsafe

crossings/junctions

Visserij, the first “cycle street” in Belgium

2. Policy measures stimulating cycling

However, some problems occur:

• bike theft is a huge problem

introducing IT-based bicycle theft prevention

2. Policy measures stimulating cycling

However, some problems occur:

• no route guidance system available specifically for

cyclists indicating the safest cycling route

development of a route planner for bicycles

2. Policy measures stimulating cycling

INDICATOR PERIODICITY METHOD TARGET

LEVEL

Number of cyclists Before/after Recording by

induction loop

Increase in

cycling by 5%

Quality cycling conditions and

bike services (subjective) Before/after Questionnaire

Positive

attitude toward

cycling by min.

75% of

students,

citizens and

cyclists

3. “Objective” evaluation

3.1 Bicycle counts – Kortrijksesteenweg

railway station

Gent Sint-Pieters

city centre

induction loop

3. “Objective” evaluation

3.1 Bicycle counts – Kortrijksesteenweg

Before (09/09/2009 – 20/09/2009):

- to railway station: 1.881 cyclists

- to city centre: 2.537 cyclists

- total: 4.418 cyclists

After (26/05/2012 – 11/06/2012):

- to railway station: 1.341 cyclists

- to city centre: 1.271 cyclists

- total: 2.612 cyclists

3. “Objective” evaluation

3.2 Bicycle counts – Visserij

Visserij, first cycle street

in Belgium

3. “Objective” evaluation

3.2 Bicycle counts – Visserij

…cycle street … low-traffic …2nd bridge … 2002

2002 23/05/2002 75 100

2003 10/06/2003 112 49% 149

2004 estimate 155 38% 207

2005 14/06/2005 165 6% 220

2006 estimate 175 6% 233

2007 estimate 185 6% 100 247

2008 estimate 230 24% 124 307

2009 18/09/2009 255 11% 100 138 340

2010 7/09/2010 372 46% 100 146 201 496

2011 14/09/2011 392 5% 105 154 212 523

2012 27/03/2012 505 29% 136 198 273 673

Number of

cyclists

Evolution sinceAnnual

growth

Evolution of the number of cyclists in the Visserij based on

visual counts during morning rush hour (7.30 – 8.30)

3. “Objective” evaluation

3.2 Bicycle counts – Visserij

4. “Subjective” evaluation

• Survey on how people perceive cycling in Ghent

• Three target groups

• Students in higher education (online survey)

• Citizens (postal survey)

• Commuters (on-site survey)

4. “Subjective” evaluation

Before

After

4. “Subjective” evaluation

Before

After

5. Lessons learned

• Improving quality and safety of cycling infrastructure

is a must (see, e.g., the implementation of the cycle

street)

• Longer incubation time to see impact

• Continuous promotion needed to different target

groups (incl. students in higher education !)

• Strong interrelationships with other measures

• Staying on track with the newest technologies, also

for data collection !

Questions ?

Suggestions ?