Report of the ThinkBike workshop in Nicosia and Larnaca, Cyprus,

16 - 19 December 2013

Sponsored by: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Nicosia

Cyprus Ministry of Communication & Works City of Nicosia City of Larnaca

In co-operation with

Dutch Cycling Embassy

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Think Bike workshop

1 Introduction

The Dutch Cycling Embassy was commissioned by the Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nicosia to conduct a combined ThinkBike workshop in the cities of Nicosia and Larnaca on Cyprus from 16 to 19 December 2013. The idea of a ThinkBike workshop is that Dutch experts will discuss a local cycling-related problem with two teams of local experts and other stakeholders of cycling. The confrontation of local and Dutch approaches of the local problems at hand will generate new perceptions and potential solutions that haven't been seriously considered before. The programme typically includes a presentation about the cycling culture and related cycling-inclusive policy development in the Netherlands, an explanation of the local (in this case Cypriot) cycling policies and two parallel work sessions to discuss one local problem in each team. ThinkBike workshops are then concluded with a presentation of the generated proposals for the solution of the local problems to a wider audience. . The workshop in Nicosia and Larnaca was special in so far as there was an overlap between the participants of the workshop in both cities. This is due to the fact that in Cyprus the planning and implementation of a Cycling Network, as well as legislation and ruling matters concerning cycling are set by government sectors and responsible Ministries, following the views of Local Authorities. The local problems discussed in Larnaca were very concrete, whereas the discussions about the cycling policies in Nicosia were more general. On behalf of the Dutch Cycling Embassy the workshop was conducted by Tom Godefrooij, senior advisor at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, and Arnold Bongers, cycling officer of the Municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch. Objectives of workshop

Exchange ideas on the role of cycling and related policies

Reflect on objectives of Nicosia and Larnaca cycling policies

Explore applicability of Dutch concepts and designs in Nicosia and Larnaca in an existing situation

Find an appropriate mix of interventions and policies (based on both Cyprus and Dutch experiences) to strengthen the position of cycling in Nicosia and Larnaca.

Short overview of the workshop sessions

On Monday 16th of December the ThinkBike workshop started off with an opening session at the Cultural Centre of Nicosia. The workshop participants were welcomed by mr. Michael Lambrinos of the Ministry of Communications and Works, mrs. Annita Demetriadou Papageorgi of the Cyprus Tourist Organisation and mrs. Ingrid Christodoulou-Bouwmeester of the Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nicosia. Then Tom Godefrooij gave an overview of the development of cycling policies in the Netherlands of the past decades, followed by a presentation by Arnold Bongers on how 's-Hertogenbosch succeeded to win the title 'Cycling City 2011'. Thereupon Athanasios Kolyvas explained the design of a 'first priority cycling network' in Nicosia, connecting 3 universities with the old city centre of Nicosia. The designs were made by the British consultancy Colin Buchanan with reference to British, Danish and Dutch design standards. Thereafter the workshop participants made a site visit to the first (recently implemented) part of this network in the vicinity of the University of Nicosia.

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As the site visit had revealed that the main problem in Nicosia weren't primarily of a technical nature the afternoon was used to make a SWOT analysis (see 4.2).

The work sessions on Tuesday 17th of December were in Larnaca. The day started off with in introduction of Larnaca's activities over the past years in the framework of the European Mobility Week. These activities resulted in a growing public support for cycling. Subsequently some concrete design proposals for cycling facilities in Larnaca were explained. After this introductory session the participants made a site visit in two stages. First the entire group of participants made a tour by bus to get an impression of the current quality of road network of Larnaca on the corridors that are envisaged to constitute the Larnaca cycling network. After that the group was split into two teams to explore two study areas by bicycle. One group observed the situation at Griva Digeni Avenue, the other group observed the situation at Phaneromeni Avenue. In the afternoon the two teams brainstormed and discussed specific problems and possible solutions on both corridors. This session was continued on Wednesday morning to result in a concrete and presentable proposal for both avenues. (See chapter 4.4) Wednesday afternoon was used to discuss the general barriers for making progress in creating bicycle friendly cities on Cyprus. Thursday the workshop participant did a second site visit in the surrounding of Frederick University. The group took a look at the streets are planned to be a part of the first priority cycling network, to be implemented soon. (See also chapter XXX) After that a session was scheduled to come to more general conclusions about the promotion of cycling on Cyprus. This session was attended by mrs. ...., head of the Department of .... The afternoon was used to prepare the final presentation for the closing session hosted by the Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands. This closing session was attended by amongst others the Minister of Communications and Works of Cyprus. Content of this report In chapter 2 we will give a short introduction on the cycling culture in the Netherlands and related policies. Chapter 3 will present a summary of the current state of affairs with regard to cycling in Nicosia and Larnaca. Chapter 4 will present the findings and recommendations of the working sessions of this workshop.

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2 Cycling in The Netherlands

Short introduction From the perspective of other countries all Dutch cities are cycling cities (although according to Dutch standards some cities like The Hague and Rotterdam are looked upon as mediocre). They all have qualities that make bicycling so prevalent, and consequently they all enjoy the related co-benefits with regard to health, liveability, environment and the local economy. 27% of all trips are made by bicycle and 40% of all trips shorter than 5 km are by bicycle. 2 cities (Zwolle en Groningen) have reached the 50% mark in trip share for the bicycle. The Netherlands is the only country in the World with more bicycles (18 million) than inhabitants (16.5 million). Of course the moderate (mostly mild) weather and the flat surface contribute to the bike-ability of the Netherlands. Cycling in the Netherlands is a quite common mainstream mode of transport, used by all

ages and both by men and women (women actually bicycle more often than men). Boys and girls between 12 and 16 bicycle 6.5 km per day on average. The bicycle is used for all purposes (25% of all commuter trips are by bicycle and around 70% of the trips to school). Cycling has an excellent image in the Netherlands and is so common that nobody considers himself a cyclist any more than anyone considers himself a tooth brusher: everyone does it.

The Netherlands has the lowest use of bicycle helmets in the World: less than 0.5% of the cyclists wear helmets and we are often asked: why? First of all we prefer to promote active safety (prevention of accidents) rather than passive safety (softening the outcome of accidents). Thereupon we know that obligatory bicycle helmets or even the promotion of helmet use has a discouraging effect on bicycle use. After all the Netherlands is despite (or thanks to) the low helmet use the safest cycling country in the world with less than 10 fatalities per billion bicycled kilometres (Denmark being second with around 20 fatalities per billion bicycled kilometres). Resuming: the alleged advantages of helmet use are largely outweighed by the disadvantages of the cycling discouraging effect of helmet promotion. Philosophy Dutch cycling policies Dutch bicycle policy has two cornerstones: 1. Dutch traffic and transport planners take cycling seriously as a fully fledged mode of

transport; 2. Dutch urban transport policies are aiming at the optimal mix of transport modes to meet

the need for travel of individuals on the one hand and the best overall result for society on the other hand. Dutch municipalities try to utilize the strengths of each mode of transport, including cycling; that is promoting the most appropriate mode of transport for the type of trip being made.

When it comes to the promotion of bicycle use then it is important to bear in mind the following notions:

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1. People bicycle because it is practical and convenient for them, and fun to do so. They don’t bicycle because of all kinds of societal goals like the environment, however important these may be for decision makers! Therefore it cannot be stressed enough what are the benefits of cycling for the actual bicycle user: it is fun, practical, enjoyable, cheap, healthy and in the open air.

2. Perceived safety is for successful promotion of bicycle use at least as important as the factual safety. If people feel endangered, they won’t bicycle (and thus they won’t enjoy the fun of cycling either). People appear to have an outspoken preference for the option of undisturbed cycling without the need of being alert all the time for (the dangers of) motor traffic. Hence the Dutch emphasis on segregated cycling facilities along busy arterials and the disentanglement of car traffic and bicycle traffic.

Dutch design principles

Functional road design based on road classification according to the principles of sustainable road safety. In principle we distinguish 3 road categories: through roads with a flow function, distributor roads with the function to open up areas, and access roads with a residential or habitat function.

Complementary principles for integration and segregation of modes: segregation when high volumes and high speeds of motorized traffic; in cases where segregation is impossible or undesirable: traffic calming, i.e. decreasing speed and volumes.

Application of the five main requirements for cycling infrastructure: coherence, directness, safety, comfort and attractiveness.

Solutions that may follow from the application of these design principles could be:

Cycle paths are recognizable and surfaced with reddish asphalt;

At intersections cycling facilities are continuous, and whenever feasible cyclists get right of way;

Bicycle boxes can be applied at some types of intersections so as to make sure that cyclists won’t be cut off by right turning car drivers;

In case of car parking along the road: positioning of the cycling facility on the right hand side of the parking lane instead of on the left hand side to minimize the number of potential conflicts.

In general we can observe that over the past 4 decades the Netherlands has seen a re-allocation of urban road space in favor of cyclists and pedestrians. Whenever appropriate space for motorized traffic is confined and traffic calming measures are being applied.

Road safety education

At primary schools in the Netherlands ‘traffic education’ is part of the curriculum for children at the age of 10. The curriculum pays attention to traffic rules, road behaviour and road safety. As a part of this traffic education children have to pass a ‘traffic examination’. For this examination the children have to cycle a specific route, and observers along the route check whether their road behaviour is in accordance with the rules. Thus every Dutch person is confident with the basic principles of cycling and appropriate road behaviour as a cyclist. In addition to this road authorities pay attention to a good design of school routes and traffic calmed school zones so as to enable children to use the road safely. Integration of cycling and public transport Being the second most important mode of transport in the Netherlands for its own right, cycling has also an important role for the functioning of the Dutch public transport system. Public transport in the Netherlands is predominantly being used for interurban trips and the backbone of the public transport system is the railway system. About 40% of the train passengers use bicycles to get to the railway station, and about 12% is (also) using a bicycle

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to get from the station to their final destination address. A number of facilities and services is enhancing a smooth transfer between the bicycle and the public transport vehicle. Bicycle parking No cycling without bicycle parking. The substantial share of cycling in the urban transport mix is also a challenge to road authorities and other stakeholders to provide sufficient bicycle parking facilities at major attraction points. Over the past 20 year there is a growing attention for high quality bicycle parking facilities. These facilities offer (some) protection against theft, stimulate orderly bicycle parking (thus enhancing the quality of public space) and make bicycle use more attractive as well. A quality mark has been created so as to assist involved parties to select good quality bicycle parking facilities. More information A broad overview of Cycling in the Netherlands can be found in the generic presentation of Cycling in the Netherlands; the brochure “Cycling in the Netherlands” and “Fietsberaad publication 7. Bicycle policies of the European principals: continuous and integral” (see Reference list for links). Or watch the short film on the site of the Dutch Cycling Embassy: www.dutchcycling.nl.

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3 Cycling in Nicosia and Larnaca

In Cyprus, and many other countries, bike was mainly used as a daily means of transport till the late 1970s. Due to the economic progress this changed over the years and cars are used since then, even for short distances. Only a small amount of people use bikes for transportation (about 3% of total trips over the country), while the private car is the dominant means (85 % of total trips). It is also important that carownership is very high (about 420 vehicles per 1000 inhabitants). One of the main drawbacks of the continuously advancing use of cars, and the total lack of organization of the transport system, was that a lot of new infrastructure works were made without the necessary provision for safe bike paths.

3.1 Nicosia

Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus and the largest city on the island. Nicosia was involved in the European Life Program running from 1997 to 2000 in the project "Bicycle networks in Cyprus Cities". At that time first discussuions took place on the implementation of pilot schemes as a first step to create a cycling network for Nicosia. Nicosia has commissioned the British consultancy firm Colin Buchanan to prepare preliminary designs for the first phase of the cycle route network proposed in the Nicosia Integrated Mobility Master plan (IMMP). This First Priority Cycle Network will connect the 3 universities in Nicosia with the historical city centre, and was planned to be implemented by 2012, but only the firsdt 2 sections have been implemented so far. The two later phases of the network are to be implemented by 2016 and 2020. For more information on the First Priority network we refer to report 'Nicosia PT Enhancement, First Priority Cycling Network (Sections 1 to 7)' by Colin Buchanan, 2010. Wikipedia mentions the following with regards to cycling: " In 2011, the Nicosia Municipality introduced the Bike in Action scheme, a bicycle sharing system which covers the Greater Nicosia area. The scheme is run by the Inter-Municipal Bicycle Company of Nicosia (DEPL). While the bike-lane network is being upgraded, the scheme aims to serve a large portion of the population, university students and tourist groups

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in their movement to and from downtown. The scheme has 27 docking stations spread across seven municipalities and involves 315 bikes which people can borrow from any designated station and return to any other station of their choosing. Specifically the Nicosia Municipality has installed 100 bikes in 5 stations, the Aglandjia Municipality 50 bikes at 4 stations, the Municipality of Strovolos 80 bikes at 8 stations, the Municipality of Dali 20 cycles at 3 stations, the Municipality of Ayios Dhometios 20 cycles at 2 stations, the Municipality of Latsia 15 bikes at 2 station and the Municipality of Engomi 30 cycles at 3 stations. People do not have to register to use the bikes as long as they have a credit or debit card in order to pay a €150 security deposit. The deposit is paid back within 24 hours of returning the bike."

3.2 Larnaca, the "bicycle city"

3.2.1 General

Larnaca is the third largest city of Cyprus. Larnaca borough and the greater town area which also includes Aradippou, Meneou, Dromolaxia, Leivadia and the coastal area of Voroklini and Pyla (area of the Local Town Plan) has a total area of 12.155 ha and a population of 92,000 inhabitants. (Larnaca borough has an area of 3.206 ha and a population of 51,468) The total length of Larnaca’s coast is 22 km while about an area of 1.540 ha is a protected zone (Natura 2000). Due to its small size, the topography and its numerous environmental and cultural spots Larnaca is an ideal city for bikes. In 2003 a proposal for bicycle network was made, for the first time, in the Local Town Plan of Larnaca (plan for development control). The suggested bicycle network was decided after a study which was made by the ‘Town planning and housing department’ of the Government from 1997 to 2000, during the European Program Life – Bicycles network for Cyprus. The proposed network is only implemented when urban projects take place. (Urban projects are mainly funded by the Government). This results into a partial - non continuous - cycling network. It is important to note that the study for Larnaca traffic, which was completed in 1993 by Buchanans firm in cooperation with the Public works department, has indicated important projects that would help to promote sustainable mobility. Unfortunately the City of Larnaca wasn’t able to realize these projects in the desired extent. Even although during the last two decades a lot of projects have been made, the transporting profile of the town has not changed in the desired direction. The reduced number of cyclists resulted not only from the lack of the necessary infrastructure but also from the lack of a proper legal and regulatory framework. Regulations regarding bicycles were recently added to the road traffic regulations. Despite the fact that the first draft law named ‘Regulations for use of bicycles, cycling routes, cycling lanes and cycling paths’ of 2011 was prepared by the Ministry of Communications and Works, it has not been approved yet by the parliament as a law. The proposed legislation refers to the rights and obligations of cyclists towards the pedestrians and vehicles. The rights and obligations of pedestrians and vehicle drivers towards cyclists are also mentioned in the legislation. At the same time an attempt to introduce the necessary legislation about the use of cycling routes, bicycle lanes and cycling paths is being made. The aim is to make the use of bicycles safer in cities and the whole country. Since last year it is obvious that a rapidly increasing number of people of both genders use bicycles for exercise and recreation. This development is confirmed by the bike stores’ owners which observe an apparent increase in their sales. This is also shown by the fact that a lot of cycling teams have been created.

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Despite the significant increase of bicycle use, only a small percentage of young people use the bike to travel to work. This is due to the feeling of insecurity and the lack of the necessary infrastructure. In contrast, there is a great enthusiasm among children of all ages who like to go to school by bike. During the last years children are educated for the safe use of bicycles but due to the low level of security it’s difficult to use bicycles for travelling to school. It is also important to note that the number of bike accidents is significantly low (about 3.7%). Between 2008 and 2012 15 serious accidents and 14 accidents of low importance have been noted. For the same period 11.48 % of the noted accidents involved pedestrians, 16 % motorbikes and 52.04 % involved car drivers. Larnaca is the first choice for cycling tourism among the cities of Cyprus. 44% of cycling tourists prefer Larnaca. Triathletes also prefer Larnaca (77 %) especially between March and November. Athletic tourism comes mainly from Germany and Russia.

3.2.2 Measures and actions

Larnaca municipality has set a target to promote works for the realization of a complete cycling network and the promotion of actions to encourage people to use bicycle as their favorite means of transport in the city. Monitoring Committee

The importance and the increasing interest of the last years have resulted in the creation of a Working team for sustainable mobility and recently to the creation of the Technical Committee of cycling in which some Government services take part. The aim is a systematic monitoring and promotion of works regarding bicycles. Development control

Under the development control special terms, depending on the size of the use, ensure among other:

The placement of bike stations in the area of development

Small amount of bicycles in organized parking areas

Small amount of bicycles for free use by visitors in hotels

bike storage in hotels, where possible

Bike stations

In public places and often visited spots bike stations and two public bicycle repair stations have been placed. Road safety

Among the priorities of Larnaca municipality is to improve the conditions of road safety for all users of the road network. Communal bicycles scheme

After the completion of the works in Piale Pasa Street and Georgios Christodoulides Avenue a shared bicycles scheme is expected to function. The aim is to serve the coastal area (in combination with the construction of transit bus stations and future infrastructure for the promotion of maritime routes) European programs

Larnaca Municipality has taken part and aims for further participation in the future in European Programs for the promotion of sustainable mobility (PIMS transfer, USUDS project etc.) International Cycling competition

Every year Larnaca municipality gives financial contribution and hosts World cycling competitions.

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Creation of cycling park

Among the Municipality’s priorities is to create a bicycle park for information, exercise and recreation purposes which will help to promote bicycle use in Larnaca. European Mobility Week

Larnaca Municipality takes part in the European Mobility week for the last 13 consecutive years. A lot of actions are taken in order to promote the use of bicycles. In the last two years Larnaca has been awarded for its actions in European Mobility Week. In 2011 Larnaca was second among 3000 cities and in 2012 Larnaca was among the best 10. Actions taken through the European Mobility Week 2013:

Prizes given to those using bicycle as their daily means of transport

Prizes given to persons, cycling teams and companies who promote sustainable mobility.

Bicycles and green cars exhibition

Informative lectures to schools

Telephone line providing help to cyclists

Placement of public bicycle repair stations

Prizes to ensure safe movement of cyclists (bells, vests, reflectors, helmets etc.)

Bicycles given as a lottery prize

Campaign for the encouragement of the use of bicycles (It’s your move!)

Bicycles rides of cultural interest

Creation of a short length animation ‘Larnaca it’s your move!’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nrtBEXW_w0 which shows the comparative

advantages of Larnaca and encourages people to use sustainable means of transport.

See also http://www.facebook.com/larnakaEMW

Graffiti festival – bikes as a subject

Pilot project with water taxis

3.2.3 Larnaca cycling network

The urban area of Larnaca has a mean diameter less than 10 km. The aim is to create an easily recognisable, easily accessible and safe cycling network which will connect residential areas with key town areas (public buildings, schools, cultural and green spots). In addition, more specific targets are:

Connection between the suburban area and the town

Connection between the airport, the town centre and spots of high interest

Creation of a cycle route parallel to the coastal road

Creation of a cycle route around the salt lake

Secured transportation in the commercial area

By taking into account the current conditions and the targets mentioned previously the proposed cycling network which was the result of the aforementioned European program Life is being reassessed. The cycling network (divided in primary and secondary) and its level of realization are shown in the attached drawing 1.

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DRAWING 1: Larnaka Cycling Status

Clarifications:

Despite the small percentage of construction, a large part of cycling network has been

studied or is currently under study.

The existing or currently under construction (completion till June 2014) cycling network is

indicated with red colour. This network is, in most cases, consisted of a 2-3 m wide cycle

path which will be used for 2 way direction.

Existing network:

Alexandros Panagoulis avenue (phase a) and connecting road -2.5 km

Larnaca – Dekelia coastal road (phase a and b) - 2.4 km

Spyros Kyprianou Avenue (Aradippou area) a bike path 1 m wide and 800 m long Under construction:

Piale Pasa Street -2.5 km

Georgios Christodoulides Avenue – 1.6 km

Yellow colour is used to show the main road axes that are planned to be constructed in

the future by the Town Planning and Housing Department. The main proposal regarding

these projects is to construct a 2-3 m wide cycle path which will be used for 2 ways

direction. The proposal for Griva Digeni- Grigori Afxentiou road axis is to construct a

cycling road to accommodate only cyclists following the traffic direction.

Town Planning and Housing Department works:

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Alexandros Panagoulis Avenue (phase b) and connecting road – 2 km

Larnaca – Dekelia coastal road (phase c and d) – 7 km

Griva Digeni – Grigori Afxentiou road axis – 3.4 km

Kyriakos Matsis Avenue – 1.4 km

Touz Hane Street – 1.8 km

Blue colour indicates primary roads which have been improved without the provision for a

cycle path. The aim is to evaluate the current traffic conditions so that accommodation of

a cycling route or a cycling lane in the current road surface will be possible.

Artemidos Avenue – Airport – Dromolaxia road axis – 6.1 km

Faneromeni Avenue – 2.6 km

Nikos and Despina Pattichi Avenue – 1.9 km Kamares – 0.5 km

Giannos Kranidiotis Avenue – 1.1 km

Spyros Kyprianou Avenue – 2.0 Km

Archbishop Makarios III Avenue – 1.4 km

Eleftherias Avenue – 1.6 km

Australia Avenue – 0.7 km

Magenta colour is used to indicate parts of the road network in the Town centre where

cyclists and cars use the same road area (shared space). For these cases special

materials are used for the road surface.

Athinon Avenue – 0.7 km

Valsamaki Street – 0.25 km

Green colour shows the green route around the salt lake. For about 4 km there is a 2 m

wide lane which is used by both cyclists and pedestrians. The completion of the route

around the salt lake (.. km) needs to be thoroughly studied in order to ensure the

convenient use of it by the cyclists while keeping the effects to the ecosystem in the

lowest possible level. (the route on the map is indicative)

The proposed secondary cycling network which has not been studied in detail yet is

indicated in light red colour. The organization of the secondary network depends, in a

great level, on the realization of the primary network and on a household survey which

will be undertaken by the Municipality in order to rank the priorities.

3.2.4 “The spine of the city’s cycling network”

The completion of the main cycling network depends on: a. the realization of town planning works which will include a cycling path

b. the redefinition of the uses in existing road axes which have been improved as part of

government works. The lack of interest and knowledge for the subject resulted to the

realization of works without the provision for the necessary cycling infrastructure

The realization of the above is promoted through the government budget. Cyprus is going through a financial crisis and this will unavoidably lead to further delays and to the unregulated realization of the works related to the current financial conditions. After the completion of the works on the road axes of Piale Pasa and Christodoulides Avenue a total of 4.1 km long cycling paths will be added to the network but none of the existing cycling paths will be connected to them. This will make the use of these cycling paths very difficult and the use of them will be limited. By assessing the above facts, the need for programming and realization of works, which will be the “spine” of the network, arises. This will simultaneously help to reach the desired safety conditions.

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Drawing 2: the “spine” of the network

Drawing 2 shows the axes which could be the “spine” of the network which are: 1. Artemidos Avenue and expansion to connect to the airport and Dromolaxia area.

2. Faneromenis Avenue

3. Nikos and Despina Pattichi Avenue and connection to Kamares area

4. Giannos Kranidiotis Avenue – Spyros Kyprianou Avenue

5. Archbishop Makarios III Avenue

6. Athinon Avenue – Valsamaki Street - expansion of Faneromenis Avenue

7. Eleftherias Avenue

8. Griva Digeni- Grigori Afxentiou Avenue

By realizing the proposed network:

A centre ring will be created that connects all the existing/ under construction cycling

paths. This makes areas like the coastal area and the Livadia area easily accessible.

Both sides of residential areas will be accessible (mean diameter of residential area is

less than 10 km)

New radial routes (Eleftherias Avenue and road leading to the airport) connect big

suburban areas (Aradippou and Dromolaxia) and the airport to the town center as well

85 % of the proposal refers to works of redefinition of the uses of existing roads

(utilization of existing pavements, material replacement, and placement of signs) so that

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the cost remains lower than in the case of recreation of the road section. A preliminary

study has been prepared during the program: ‘Let’s think bike!’

A complete cycling network will be created and this will be the main drive to change

peoples’ attitude regarding transportation.

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4 Work sessions report

4.1 Site visits Nicosia

The first site visit (on Monday 16th of December) went to the first implemented part of the first priority cycling network in the vicinity of the University of Nicosia. On site some details were discussed including the compromises that had to be made at some points. One observation was that apparently the facilities (including the bike share system) are scarcely used by either cyclists (or pedestrians). The expectation that students would be a promising target group for cycling promotion hasn't been met yet.

The pavement of the bicycle track is semi-paved (gravel). This type of pavemnent is very susceptible for damage and unevenness, and requires a lot of maintenance to keep the surface smooth.

The hight difference between track and verge can be risky in case of a steering error.

At intersections the alignment of the cycle route is not very obvious for cyclists. The free left turn for cars is dangerous for straight on going cyclists, and forces them to make complicated crossing manoeuvres.

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The second site visit (on Thursday 19th of December was devoted to the surrounding of Frederick University were the soon implementation of another part of the first priority cycling network is envisaged; no cycling facilities to be seen yet

Striking was the large number of annoyingly parked car in the residential streets around the university. Obviously many Cypriot students have a car at their disposal to come to the university, and they use any space available to park their car thus creating inconvenience for neighbourhood residents. The planned designs of the cycling network will imply the removal of most parking places in the neighbourhood, thus forcing students to choose other modes of transport.

On the basis of the observations on site the Dutch experts gave some suggestions for improvements of some details in the designed cycling facilities.

4.2 SWOT analysis

The City of Nicosia has already put much effort in the elaboration of pretty sophisticated designs for its first priority cycling network. These designs have been made by the British consultancy Colin Buchanan with reference to British, Danish and Dutch standards. Although certain detail could be discussed, it seems that design issues are not the most urgent problems for Nicosia in its attempts to increase bicycle use. In order to get a sharper view on the challenges that Nicosia is facing, a SWOT analysis was made. Because of the mixed composition of the workshop participants it should be said that the results of the SWOT analysis are valid for Larnaca as well. In the session all participants were asked to mention at least 3 strengths, 3 weaknesses, 3 opportunities and 3 threats of Nicosia (and Larnaca) when it comes to the promotion of bicycle use in these cities. Below these strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are listed. Afterwards participants were asked to vote in each category for the two most important ones in order to get an impression of the relative importance of each mentioned item. Between brackets is the number of votes for each item.

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Strengths

Short distances (7)

Topography (6)

New Thinking (5)

Local plans

Cycling network Master Plan

Variety of users (4)

Road space to do something (over dimensioned) (3)

Weather conditions (2)

Capable staff (1)

Some cycle infrastructure (a start has been made)

Attractive destinations Weaknesses

Lack of funding (9)

Low priority

Cost of land

Car oriented culture (7)

Car oriented road design

Low costs for car ownership & use

Lack of political commitment/true political will (6)

No marketing (4)

No police enforcement (2)

Conflicting policies

Land use planning (context)

E.g. public transport & parking policies (other elements of transport system)

No co-operation of relevant stakeholders / agencies

Weather conditions (too hot)

No additional services like bicycle parking & showers

No proper manual Opportunities

Topical issues (7)

Environment

Health

Financial crisis

EU programmes like Horizon 2020 (7)

Liveability & urban quality awareness (6)

Cycling as emerging trend (3)

Shown feasibility of cycle projects (2)

Potential user groups like tourists & students (2)

Support of tourism industry

Increasing costs of car use

“Congestion perception” worse than it actually is (also threat!)

Traffic education (also threat!) Threats

Bad road safety perception (9)

Lack of progress (because of isolated – non integral – approach) (7)

Financial crisis > low priority (5)

Lack of maintenance (4)

Adverse lobbies (3)

Car lobby

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Industry lobby

Negative media

Change of government

“Congestion perception” worse than it actually is (also opportunity)

Traffic education (also opportunity) A SWOT analysis can help to generate a successful strategy. The challenge is to build on one's strengths, to strengthen the weaknesses, to utilise emerging opportunities, and to effectively counter the threats. With regard to the identified weaknesses it could be said that a number of them are connected. The predominant car culture is likely to result into a low priority for other modes and a lack of political commitment. And better marketing of cycling might improve all three before mentioned weaknesses. The opportunities and threats are dynamic by nature: they change over time and require a certain alertness to deal with them appropriately. So don't miss them.

4.3 Actors analysis

For a successful strategy to bring about change in existing car oriented policies in favour of better conditions for cycling, it is important to know who could be your allies and who are likely to be against a change of the current status quo. Therefore an actors analysis was made on the basis of the following diagram:

Actors are ranked according to their power to influence the issue at hand, in this case the promotion of cycling in Cypriot cities, and according to their attitude on the subject. It is clear

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that powerful actors who are positive about cycling should be partners. Similarly one can distinguish opponents (powerful but negative), fans (weak but positive) and outsiders (weak and negative). The green arrows in the diagram suggest desirable changes in attitudes and influence, whereas changes indicated by the red arrows should be avoided as they will not help to serve the cause of cycling. Strategies to achieve this are:

Cooperation with partners to make them even stronger and more effective;

Turning your opponents into partners by involving and convincing them they have nothing to fear. If this shouldn't be possible, one could try to decrease their influence;

Utilise fans, and make them stronger by supporting and organising them;

Inform outsiders to prevent they turn into opponents. On this basis the workshop participants identified the following actors and their position on the 'playing field':

Of course most attention went to the most influential actors in the upper part of the diagram. It is striking that most actors mentioned are in the 'partners' quarter. Upon that the SWOT analysis revealed that, in principle, both Nicosia and Larnaca (and probably other Cypriot cities) are very suitable for cycling. Nevertheless participants in the workshop stated repeatedly that it is very difficult to make substantial progress in the implementation of cycling projects. This suggests that there is room for improvement of the co-operation between these (potential) partners. What is needed is more co-ordination and integration of policies. Therefore an important recommendation from this workshop is:

Create special task force to address institutional barriers for cycling-inclusive urban development

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4.4 Larnaca workshop sessions

The municipality of Larnaca had chosen to devote the working sessions to the design of two concrete corridors in the proposed cycling network for Larnaca. These two corridors are part of the proposed 'spine of the city's cycling network' that is meant to connect existing isolated facilities and to enhance the coherence of the network. Both areas were visited by bicycle and subsequently the teams discussed problems, challenges and possible solutions.

4.4.1 Study Area 1: Faneromenis Avenue and its expansion

Faneromenis Avenue is situated at the south side of the city centre between the city and the salt Lake. With regard to adjacent land uses three sections can be distinguished. The west section (again sub-divided in part 1 an 2) has only (mainly residential) buildings on the north side of the road, the middle section (part 3) is a commercial area with buildings on both sides, and the third section (part 4) has currently only buildings at the south side of the street, but the north side is a development area.

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Typical crossection of Faneromenis Avenue

After the site visit the team discussed and analysed the problems and challenges along Faneromenis Avenue. These were the conclusions:

High speeds above speed limit of 50 km/h;

Although 4 lanes wide, Faneromenis is being used as if it has only two lanes;

There is quite a lot illegal parking mainly in the commercial area;

The sidewalks have a poor quality: there are obstacles and at some points they are quite narrow. <foto>;

Because of the large width and the high speeds the road is dangerous to cross and there are no crossing facilities;

No light at night;

Right turns are problematic from a road safety point of view;

Faneromenis has a bad record in the accident statistics of Larnaca. The ambitions for Faneromenis Avenue that should be accomplished by the redesign are:

Faneromenis is identified as main cycle route

Commercial activities along the road should be accomodated The implication is that the design should provide some legal parking (but not more than necessary).

Road safety should be improved. That can be done by:

Bringing down the average speed on Faneromenis Avenue as well as the peak speeds;

Minimise the possibilities to make right turns

The creation of safe crossings for cyclists and pedestrians

Also should the design help to promote the use of sustainable modes Currently the width of Faneromenis is 15 m between the kerbs. As we have observed that the road is being used as if it has only two lanes, it is possible to narrow down the main carriageway to two lanes. According to Dutch standards for an urban environment with a speed limit of 50 km/h 3 m per lane should be sufficient to absorb the current traffic volumes. That would leave 9 meters to 'play' with for making provisions for cycling, walking, parking and for landscaping. The next step was to consider the basic options for the position of bicycle facilities and to weigh their pros and cons. The team looked at following options:

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One-directional lanes on 2 sides

One-directional tracks on 2 sides

Two-directional tracks on 2 sides

Two-directional track on 1 side

Two-directional track in the median The city of Larnaca has considered to implement a two-directional cycle track in the median. This might be a good solution for long distance cycling, but is less suitable when many cyclists have their origin and/or destination in the area. Also the design of the intersections can become complicated. Two-directional tracks at both sides of the road is recommendable when traffic volumes are very high. This solution will then allow cyclists to have access to all addresses along the road while there is a minimal need to cross the road. In the current situation of Faneromenis Avenue this solution seems a bit 'overdone' and also the available space is too narrow to squeeze this solution in. At the same time traffic volumes and speeds do justify physically segregated tracks. Therefore the team decided to choose for one-directional tracks on both sides of the road at part 2, 3 and 4 (see map above), and a two-directional cycle track on part 1 (west side) where there are only single-sided buildings. Typical cross sections are shown below:

P

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Parking

Currently all parking along Faneromenis Avenue is illegal. However, the team acknowledged that in the commercial area (part 3) some parking is unavoidable for the well functioning of the businesses. Therefore the proposal is to provide parking places for a minimal number of parking places only in this part of the corridor. The actual number needs to be decided on the basis of a parking survey. For the other parts of the corridor no parking places are included in the design. At the east side of the area parking spaces can be incorporated in the new developments at the private properties to avoid the need for parking on public roads. The team proposes to locate the parking places alternating on both sides of the road, thus creating a slightly meandering road alignment. This will help to keep driving speeds below the 50 km/h speed limit.

Right turns

Accident data suggest that right turns have been the cause of a number of accidents at Faneromenis Avenue. Therefore it is suggested to redesign the smaller intersections to make right turns impossible. Car drivers that need to make a right turn should then continue towards roundabouts where they can make a U-turn and subsequently a (much safer) left turn into the street where they have their destination. However, it is not very likely that cyclists would do the same. It would force them to make relatively long detours (as their average trip length will usually be much shorter than a car trip). A direct right turn would also improve their competitive position towards motor traffic and thus contribute to increased use of this sustainable mode of transport. Therefore a design is required that will make right turns for cars impossible and at the same time provides safe crossings to allow cyclists (and pedestrians) a direct access to the concerning side street. This is achieved by creating a traffic island where side streets are entering Faneromenis Avenue that can serve as a refuge island for crossing cyclists and pedestrians but prohibiting car drivers to make a right turn. These traffic islands also contribute to the enforcement of the 50 km/h speed limit.

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Roundabouts

The roundabouts on Faneromenis Avenue are to be designed according to the Dutch style roundabouts: with small radiuses of entrances and exits and a design speed: 30 km /h for safe interaction between road users. This implies also a reconstruction of the existing roundabout.

Dutch style roundabout (Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic, CROW 2007)

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4.4.2 Study Area 2: Griva Digeni – Grigori Afxentiou Road axis

The approach of study area 2 (Griva Digeni Avenue) was quite similar to the approach of Faneromenis Avenue. After the site visit on bicycle the workshop participants started off on the basis of the so-called PCGS methodology with making an inventory of problems and challenges.

In this approach the issues are analysed in four steps, identifying Problems, Causes, Goals and Solutions. By following these 4 steps it is prevented that one jumps to quickly to solutions without a proper understanding of the problems and what should be achieved by the solution. Due to the strict separation of these four elements the essence of the design task is becoming clear.

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The key issues mentioned in those four steps were:

Problems

Parking:

lack of parking spaces for adjacent shops

short-term parking constantly alternating

no middle lane obstacles to stop parking on opposite side of the road

people are lazy to walk the 2-3 minutes distance from side road to the main road

low policing enforcement of road regulations (parking is forbidden!)

on-pavement parking and illegal extension of shops towards the streat

Conflicts with left/right turns

The radius of the curves is large combined with the width of the side roads

Very small distance between side roads on opposite sides

Entrance/exit in different buildings with short distance from main road

Narrow

available space on the sidewalk is often limited

Gas stations

Width exits with large radius

A lot of left and right turning traffic

Intersections (Safety)

Crossing the (side)-street is not safe Causes

High speeds

Behaviour (parking on the sidewalks)

Laziness (parking were its forbidden)

Car-culture

Free left turns

Goals

More safety for cyclist and pedestrians

An aesthetically beautiful street.

More comfort for all users in terms of space and time

A groundbreaking design

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(Possible) Solutions

Parking:

Make a parking lane

Obstacle/barriers between carlanes

More enforcement

Anti parking obstacles

Conflicts

Smaller radius/width

One-way streets

Narrow sidewalks

Redesign sidewalks

Gas stations

Redesign exits to reduce speeds

Traffic lights (intersections)

Remove the free left turns

The team concluded from this analysis that parking (behaviour) is at the heart of the problem and the solution. If parking could be removed from both the carriageway and the sidewalk then space will become available for a groundbreaking design that allows cyclists and pedestrians to move safely and conveniently. Departing from this understanding the team explored the possible cross sections for Griva Digeni.

Each design was then examined ti the extent to which it would meet the formulated goals. As Griva Digeni Avenue is considered to be a distinctive entrance to the city centre, and therefore the visual quality of the public space is an important requirement of the design. The main debate in this team was whether it would be feasible to completely eliminate the parking. In the end the team has chosen the following preferred design:

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In this cross section design the cyclist will have his/her own position on the road, physically segregated from the carriageway for motor traffic. The green verge will provide safety to cyclists and will also create room for trees lining up along both sides of the street. The furnishing and the appearance of the road will improve thus profiling Griva Digeni Avenue as an important and attractive entrance into the city.

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5 Suggestions for additional sources of information

This chapter contains a detailed overview of web resources which can be used by the teams for preparation purposes.

Cycling in the Netherlands

Brochure “Cycling in the Netherlands”(2009) http://www.fietsberaad.nl/library/repository/bestanden/CyclingintheNetherlands2009.pdf

Report Fietsberaad Publication 7: Bicycle policies of the European principals: continuous and integral http://www.fietsberaad.nl/index.cfm?lang=nl&repository=Fietsberaad+publication+7+als+dochter+van+de+nederlandse+versie

Generic Presentation on Cycle Policy and design in the Netherlands http://www.fietsberaad.nl/index.cfm?lang=nl&repository=Generic+presentation+Fietsberaad+International

Amsterdam Bicycles (82 pictures) http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/

Video “Amsterdam: The Bicycling Capitol of Europe” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk6YxhKH590

Video “How the Dutch got their cycle paths” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o

Bicycle Dutch: blog with lots of interesting posts, comments and links http://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/

Bicycle Council (governmental expertise centre on bicycle planning) http://www.fietsberaad.nl/index.cfm?lang=en

Dutch Cycling Embassy (also featuring the video “Cycling for everyone”) http://www.dutchcycling.nl

General

Wikipedia about sustainable mobility http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_mobility

Wikipedia about mobility (utility) cycling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_cycling

A definition of mobility management http://www.epomm.eu/index.php?id=2590

An interesting German campaign to make cycling hip and cool http://www.radlust.info/en/

Cycling Rules! http://www.cyclingrules.org

Cycle Chic from Copenhagen http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/

Website from an Amsterdam bicyclist to inspire others http://amsterdamize.com/

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6 CVs Dutch Experts

Tom Godefrooij, Dutch Cycling Embassy

Tom Godefrooij (1950) is a sustainable transport specialist. After his graduation in architecture in 1975 he worked a few years as an architect. In 1981 he joined the Dutch Cyclists’ Union to make a publication on traffic calming. Subsequently he became policy director of the Dutch Cyclists’ Union and dealt with virtually all aspects of cycling, ranging from road safety and infrastructure design and policy development to technical standards for vehicles and equipment. From 1996 to 1999 he was president of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), and in 2000 he was programme director for the international cycling conference Velo Mondial 2000 in Amsterdam. In 2001 took up office with the Dutch Province of Noord-Brabant to become project manager for the drafting of the Provincial Traffic and Transport Plan. This plan defines the roles of the various modes of transport in the transport system and provides a framework the transport policies of the municipal governments in the province. The plan was

approved in 2006. From 2006 - 2011 he was employed by Interface of Cycling Expertise (I-CE), being responsible for capacity building activities in the field of cycling-inclusive policy development. In this capacity he worked in India, South Africa, Tanzania, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Israel, Turkey and Ghana. Now he is senior policy advisor at the newly created Dutch Cycling Embassy Arnold Bongers, Municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch

Arnold works as traffic engineer for the municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch. Part of is function is that he is responsible for the cycling policy of the city and its elaboration on the street. In recent years the city has put a major step in improving the cycling climate. The Dutch cyclists’ Union honored ‘s-Hertogenbosch with the title 'Cycling City of the year 2011’.