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British Cycling: three lessons from Copenhagen

11th November 2015

British Cycling's Chris Boardman has produced a video, following his recent visit to Copenhagen with Cycling Minister Robert Goodwill, setting out three lessons the UK can learn from Copenhagen, to make cycling safer and more attractive. British Cycling's #ChooseCycling network of businesses has also written to the Chancellor George Osborne, urging him to put meaningful investment into cycling.  

This is British Cycling's three lessons from Copenhagen video:

The three lessons - measures which make a fundamental diference to uptake and safety - in the video are:

1) Legislation to make it clear who has priority. In Copenhagen, motorists give way to cyclists and pedestrians, and cyclists give way to pedestrians. According to an article on the British Cycling website, this is known as the Universal Duty to Give Way. It helps foster a culture of mutual respect on the roads.

2) Cycle superhighways to get large numbers of people around at peak times, and to cut congestion by reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. The cycle superhighways are fast, consistent, smooth routes which make cycling attractive. Widening tracks increases capacity and the ability to overtake. These routes make cycling competitive with other forms of transport in terms of journey time, comfort, and convenience.

3) Standardised design of cycle routes, and coherent networks. This provides consistency, and makes sure all road users know where to go. In Copenhagen, there is dedicated space for cycling on busy roads, and shared space on quiet streets and green routes. In the UK, national standards of cycle infrastructure design, construction, and maintenance would help people feel safer and encourage them to cycle.

In the letter to the Chancellor, British Cycling's #ChooseCycling network asks him to help make Britain the most active nation in the world, and 'steer us clear of a costly health crisis and help to create a healthier, happier, more focused, more skilled future generation.' 

A second video has some statistics relating to cycling in Copenhagen, from the report the Copenhagen Bicycle Account. One of the more striking stats is that 63% of journeys to work or education are by bicycle in Copenhagen (compared to 5% in the UK). This is the video:

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