Vítejte u Česku! – Welcome to Czechia!

Out of 14 countries included in the Danube Transnational Program, 9 of them are part of the SABRINA project. A member of the consortium from Czechia is Partnership for Urban Mobility. 

The Partnership for Urban Mobility (PUM) was established in 2013 and is a nationwide, non-governmental organization with cities, towns, regions, unions, professional and non-profit organizations as its members. It participates in the preparation and drafting of legislative and non-legislative measures relating to the area of urban mobility. Their activities are aimed to help establish a local community of people and institutions that want to improve urban areas together, especially in the field of transport and mobility.

                                                          


We have talked with Jitka Vrtalová, Marketing Manager in the PUM, about the cycling boom in Czechia during the coronavirus pandemic, the role of PUM in different European projects, and the investments in cycling.

Jitka, when we talked at the occasion of International Women’s Day, you told us that you love to ride your bicycle because it is a fast, convenient, and practical mode of transport. What is the general use of bicycles in Czechia? 

Yes, I love to ride my bicycle. However … Maybe it will surprise you, but I don't consider myself a cyclist. I am a person who likes to move.

In Prague, where I live, there are a lot of parks and green areas. And we have great public transport. Most daily regular trips can be done on foot in combination with a tram, metro, or bus. The bicycle is a great means of transport for distances of 5 to 7 km, and we have experienced a huge boom in this regard during the coronavirus pandemic. However, most people in Czechia still use bicycles mainly for recreational purposes during weekends. The potential for cycling is huge when you consider that half of the trips in Czechia are shorter than 3.3 km. This is the distance one can cycle in 15 minutes.

Has Covid-19 changed the understanding of the use of bicycles? Do people use the bicycle more also as a mode of transportation to their jobs, school, to do daily errands?

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the understanding of bicycles a lot. The share of bicycle traffic has skyrocketed, as shown by the traffic census. Compared to 2019, the number of cycle path users increased by 40-60% in the period from March to May 2020. At the same time, car traffic, as well as public transportation use, have decreased. The bicycle shops have empty warehouses and their owners are especially pleased with the increased interest in bicycles. Because of the pandemic, we are now used to shopping online to a much greater extent. All this has a big impact on logistics systems. Cargo bike delivery services, including food delivery, began to operate in large cities. Besides, the use of shared bicycles and scooters has increased significantly.

Most of these changes are related to a change of lifestyle. Lockdowns and closed sports grounds in many cases led to a decrease in physical activity, we began to gain weight, to feel the consequences of sedentary jobs and lack of exercise. Those are also the reasons, the number of people who consider a bike as a reasonable transportation alternative for distances of 3 to 5 km has increased.

PUM is a partner in two Danube Transnational Programme projects: SABRINA and Danube Cycle Plans. PUM was also the main initiator of our connections and hopefully, we will be able to soon present the results of some common actions. What are your expectations from both projects?

Both projects are doing a great job in cycling promotion, however, each of them from a different perspective. The SABRINA project focuses on the safety aspects of cycling infrastructure. On the other hand, the Danube Cycle Plans project aims to change the position of cycling using National Cycle Plans, defining a basic network of routes, and working with Danube Cycling Ambassadors - people motivated to engage in the process of improving the position of cycling.

We believe that the results of both projects will improve the cycling conditions in Czechia and pave the way towards more and safer cycling. It is also great to see the cooperation of both projects since together we are stronger, we can help each other, and we can create some success stories.

In the SABRINA project team, we believe that road safety and vision zero can be achieved only as a combination of multiple factors. One of them is also the behavior of all road users (note: read the article about the 1.5 m rule for safe overtaking of cyclists here). Why, in your opinion, is this
so important?

Traffic safety is based on three pillars - infrastructure, user behavior, and safe vehicles. Cyclists have only part of their own safety in their hands, for example, they can protect themselves with a helmet or proper lighting at night. Just look at the statistics, the vast majority of fatal and serious injuries are not caused by cyclists themselves, but they happen when a cyclist is hit by a motorized vehicle. Therefore, a safe infrastructure, in a form of cycle paths or protected lanes is essential for them. Research has repeatedly shown that the main barrier to regular bicycle use is safety concerns on the road, followed by fear of bicycle theft. When we talk about infrastructure, we must not forget about bicycle stands, but also the correct navigation, such as signs, traffic lights, and other elements. At the same time, we still share the roads without any infrastructure protecting cyclists. Therefore, mutual respect of all road users is still something we all have to learn.

Czechia has a National Safety Strategy with the main goal to reduce the number of victims of road accidents. One of the key points is also the protection of vulnerable road users - pedestrians and cyclists. The investments in cycling infrastructure in last years are big: 126 million EUR between 2014 and 2020. 137 million EUR are planned in the next financial period (2021–2027). In your opinion, where are the investments needed the most? 

Safe and protected paths for pedestrians and cyclists are being built mainly thanks to the European funds. There are now 4,000 kilometers of them in Czechia. Safe infrastructure for non-motorized transport is very important. Not only cities but also small municipalities are investing in cycling. They are the ones that often need support from regions and the state. Regarding European funds, an amount of 23 million EUR is reserved in the National Recovery Plan for safe infrastructure, with another 114 million EUR provided in the current draft of the Integrated Regional Operational Program (IROP).

The main goal is to create a unified transportation network for cyclists that will be continuous and safe. As part of the SABRINA project, a unified map is being created to identify the basic network of cycling routes in Czechia. The main goal is to determine the routes and their transfer points between individual regions. Another task will be to divide the individual cycling routes into sections and to create tools for their implementation. These do not always have to be separated cycle paths. Sometimes just an agreement with a forest manager, for example, is enough to allow cyclists to pass. However, finding the consensus on the use of field or riverside roads is usually the most difficult.

Things in Czechia in the field of cycling and safe cycling infrastructure are improving but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Projects like SABRINA give us the inspiration to continue with our work. We contribute to the project with our experiences as well as learn from other project partners and good practices in their countries. 

Photos: Jitka Vrtalová, personal archive