Bicycle-friendly Copenhagen tries to ease crowded lanes.

AuthorBlock, Ben
PositionEYE ON EARTH - Brief article

As Denmark's capital city strives to reach cycling rates of 50 percent, transportation officials face a problem that few urban areas have had to confront: bicycle congestion. In the Copenhagen metropolitan area, where more than a third of residents pedal to work, more cyclists are complaining that cramped lanes push them closer to cars or buses.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Danish Transport Research Institute estimates that 47 percent of cyclists feel unsafe riding on Copenhagen streets, up from 40 percent a decade ago. The rising insecurity comes even as serious cycling injuries in the city have plummeted, from 252 in 1996 to only 92 in 2006. Bike-related fatalities have dropped from six in 2006 to five in 2008 and none as of September 2009.

Copenhagen has set a goal that 80 percent of residents should feel safe biking in traffic. To achieve this target, planners are redesigning intersections and particularly congested bike lanes, as well...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT