EU Parliament aims to double cycling by 2030
The European Parliament (EP - EU Parliament in title) has passed a resolution that calls for developing an EU-wide cycling strategy, aiming to double the number of kilometres cycled in Europe by 2030.
This resolution recognises that cycling is a full-fledged mode of transport and an important industry asset to help meet long-term climate targets.
The 17-point action plan calls for developing a broader and better-integrated cycling infrastructure, laying fertile ground for bike, component and battery production, and cultivating a "cycling ecosystem" involving manufacturing, tourism, retailing, health, and sports. It also aims to double the number of related jobs in Europe to two million.
Benoit Yameundjeu, CEO of French electric bike-sharing firm Fifteen told Zag Daily that this resolution would pave the way for sustainable and bike-focused transport networks across Europe.
What the resolution says
The resolution highlights how cycling has increased as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising price of fossil fuels since the war in Ukraine, and it encourages regional and local authorities to consider maintaining the cycling infrastructure put in place as a response to the pandemic via their regular urban planning processes, thus taking tangible actions to properly integrate biking into their urban mobility frameworks, while acknowledging its potential to contribute to better connectivity between suburban areas and city centres, in particular through cycle highways.
The resolution stresses the importance of cycling in fostering multimodality - creating synergies between cycling and other modes of transport, but also in upgrading the TEN-T infrastructure, integrating existing mobility plan's networks, and providing an affordable and sustainable last-mile solution in urban nodes.
As highlighted by Forbes, other recommendations to improve cycling and promote it as a sustainable and healthy way to get around — for transport and for leisure, include:
- Improve road safety education and training;
- Support the production of “Made in Europe” bicycles and components;
- Increase the accessibility and affordability of bicycles;
- Accelerate the development of EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, and its 17 routes;
- Promote cycle-friendly workplaces; and
- Enable safe and secure bike parking spaces and charging capacity for e-bikes.
A win for cycling advocacy is a win for all
As shared by the European Cyclists' Federation, cycling advocacy associations the likes of the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), Cycling Industries Europe (CIE), the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) and the European Bicycle Manufacturers Association (EBMA) enthusiastically welcome the Parliament’s Resolution and warmly congratulate its Transport and Tourism Committee for carrying through the Resolution under MEP Karima Delli’s initiative and stewardship, who declared:
“Cycling brings so many benefits: better health, less congestion, more liveable cities and so on. However, up until now, we were lacking from the EU institutions a strong signal that recognises the central role of cycling in our societies.”
