Active transport in the spotlight on World Bicycle Day

03/06/2019

Today, 3 June, we are celebrating World Bicycle Day and once again putting the spotlight on cycling as a simple, reliable and sustainable mode of transport. Launched in 2018 by the World Cycling Alliance, the day encourages UN Member States to raise awareness on the benefits of cycling as well as to improve road safety and infrastructure.

“Cycling is a fundamentally safe, healthy and convenient way to move about within cities, as long as we keep working to continuously improve road safety and ensure that cycling is perceived as a safe activity. This will come about through strategies focused on infrastructures, new technologies, urban planning and the behaviour of all road users. One key concern is guaranteeing space for active mobility in new infrastructure projects and urban planning; as cities continue to grow, cycling, walking and public transport should be seen as a priority in transport planning, allowing for the development of urban environments which are healthier, more active and socially inclusive,” says Isabella Burczak from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

The “Cycling for All” department of UCI, one of ISCA’s partners in the EU-supported Bike for Europe project, is organising a range of fun and engaging cycling activities in the Swiss town Aigle, where the company’s headquarters is located.

“We are delighted to celebrate this historical moment at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle today with a full programme of activities for local schoolchildren and members of the public. In addition to allowing participants to discover various types of bicycles and cycling disciplines, as well as test their skills with fun and interactive activities, the event will also bring together several organisations such as UN Environment, World Bicycle Relief, Vélafrica and Pro Vélo Suisse to promote the benefits of the bicycle, and raise awareness for local and global initiatives which these organisations are currently leading.
If you want to get active on June 3rd and help promote urban mobility in Africa, do not hesitate to take part in our World Bicycle Day Strava Challenge!” Isabella adds.

The promotion of the many benefits of using the bicycle and other sustainable modes of transport will carry on through various campaigns whose goal is to encourage people to think beyond their cars when it comes to commuting. One such campaign is ISCA’s Open Streets Day, which will take place in cities across Europe on 22 September 2019. Serving as a bridge between EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK and the European Week of Sport, Open Streets Day will promote environmentally-friendly modes of transport, as well as encourage citizens to celebrate the joy of being active through the temporary closure of public roads to traffic and opening of them as safe venues to play, cycle and be physically active.

If you would like to know more or organise an event for the Open Streets Day, get in touch with ISCA’s Project Coordinator Laura-Maria Tiidla - lmt@isca-web.org.