Cities for Bicycles

The
bicycle
is the most environment friendly means of transportation, with
enormous,
though underestimated, potential. It is the most energy efficient
device
ever created by man. In the same time and using the same amount of
primary energy, a cyclist will cover four times the distance a
pedestrian will walk. The bicycle needs very little space and does not
pollute or make noise. This is why we want our cities to became places
where anyone can ride their bicycles to work, school, shopping or just
for fun. We believe that the bicycle must become an alternative to car
in the city - or at least an efficient and significant complement to
the car. In 1995, the Cities for Bicycles network was created in Poland
by grass root environmental and alternative groups that share this
belief and vision.

We
are committed to:


 improve
conditions for cycling in cities
and the countryside
 improve road safety, especially for the
vulnerable road users
 make bicycle more and more popular and
used as environment -
friendly transport

    
 improve the quality of life by providing
a wider choice of means
of transport for everyone

    

We are the advocacy group for cyclists. By standing up for the rights of cyclists, we are in fact working for the general public interest. Growth in bicycle use can improve the environment quality and decrease total (private, public and external) costs of transport. Cycling facilities increase road safety as well as improve the quality of life. They offer more choices for everyday travel and provide better access and mobility to all.

To achieve our goals:

We organize public opinion by supporting grass root initiatives, lobbying local authorities, government and legislators, co-operation with universities and other institutions, by organizing exhibitions, street actions and other events; by collecting, processing and distributing information through Internet, leaflets, bulletins, books and the media.

We offer expertise and consulting services on best available solutions to improve safety and comfort for cyclists. We give lectures and workshops for interested parties, including local authorities.

We developed the Gdańsk Cycling Infrastructure and Promotion Project and fundraised 1 million US dollars from Global Environment Facility to implement it. Currently we are working with other local authorities on similar projects development and fundraising.

We run the rowery.org.pl clearinghouse, the source of knowledge for individuals and institutions interested in cycling issues, cycling facilities, traffic calming, laws regarding cyclists, in work for change and improvement for cyclists as well as cycling touring and bicycle touring routes.

We are the Poland's contact for EuroVelo project. We stay in touch with the European Cyclists Federation - hopefully soon as its new associate memeber, the Velo.Info project and many other international cycling initiatives.

We
are not
affiliated with any political party. We are one of the few open
pressure groups in Poland - definitely not the most influential, but we
are here to stay ;-)



The Cities for Bicycles project is implemented by the National Board of
Polish Ecological Club (Zarząd
Główny Polskiego Klubu Ekologicznego - a member of Friends
of the Earth International). The Cities for Bicycles project is not
a legal entity (we are a project, a network of individuals and local
groups, a webpage, a cycling idea - but not an association). The
project is currently financed by the Global
Environment Facility with the help of United Nations Development
Program (the Gdańsk
Cycling Project) and the National Fund for Nature Protection and
Water Management. Earlier, the project was financed by various
sponsors, notably the Royal Dutch Embassy in
Warsaw and the Dutch
DOEN
Foundation.

Until October 1999, the Cities for Bicycles project was implemented by the Foundation for the support of Ecological Initiatives.

To contact us, see this page.