The Cyclist’s Law, at the level of Bucharest Municipality, is a project initiated by the Green Revolution Association with the financial support of the Civic Innovation Fund.
It is a program financed by the Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe, administered by the Foundation for Civil Society Development.
Throughout six months, from July to December 2013, the project followed the involvement of citizens, authorities, transportation experts and cyclists community in achieving and adopting the legal framework regarding bicycle circulation in Bucharest.
Why we do this
Many countries in Europe, concerned with the effects of pollution and traffic jams, chose to promote the use of bicycles as green transportation alternative. Romanians are amongst the smallest bicycle consumers in the European Union. The bicycle lanes executed in Bucharest have no continuity, are not properly linked and, especially, are not properly executed. Given these conditions, it is necessary to optimize and adopt the specific policy, at Bucharest level, that regulates the cyclists’ rights and obligations, the standards and types of bicycle lanes, the relationship between cyclists and other participants in traffic.
How we do this
In the first phase we considered the current situation and the viability of existing bicycle lanes, as well as the efficacy of their current design STAS. For this purpose, we analyzed how current lanes are designed, based on the information provided by public authority and photo and video field documentaries, and we surveyed the opinion of the cyclists’ community and of the wide audience. Also, during the six months of the project, press conferences and public debates were organized in order to ensure the citizen’s participation in drafting design solutions for the lanes in Bucharest.
Subsequently, the Framework Documentation for executing bicycle lanes in Bucharest Municipality was drafted, presented and sent for analysis in the Work Group for the execution of the Integrated Mobility Plan in Bucharest Municipality and its regional area of transportation influence. The Framework Document is a synthesis of solutions and measures adopted in England, France, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Belgium, as well as international and Romanian studies and addresses in different chapters: the categories of cyclists, bicycles, types of travel and conflict areas; the types of routes and the best solutions to integrate such depending on street type, traffic, speed; the relationship between cyclists and the rest of participants in traffic; the principles based on which bicycle networks are executed. We identified optimal solutions for the infrastructure in Bucharest, targeting the correct design of bicycle lanes, so that such can be used in safe conditions in traffic.
Raluca Fiser, President of Green Revolution
How you can get involved
- Say what you think and suggest solutions for better regulation of bicycle transportation in Bucharest.
- Read and comment the “Proposal for framework documentation for executing bicycle lanes in Bucharest municipality”. It can be accessed here: Proposal for framework documentation
- Use the bicycle as alternative transportation.
- Share the story.