Making way for BIKEWAYS in Bucharest/Romania

1. Making way for BIKEWAYS in Bucharest/Romania

2. Current status of bikewaysin Romania • Underdeveloped and poorly designed cycling infrastructure • Bucharest has about 50 km of cycling tracks, but they are just painted lines on sidewalks • drivers usually park their vehicles on them (+ negative attitude towards cyclists) • bike paths are poorly designed and go only half way to a destination • There’s no guarantee for safety in traffic • Most people think cycling is too dangerous • the person riding the bicycle is exposed to traffic • Because of the safety issue, the Road Police has recently declared illegal the current bike tracks and anyone who rides the bike on them is subject to penalties. • A solution came in the shape of a list of only 20 streets where bike riding is allowed. • There is no official number of cyclists in Romania, and the mode share is estimated to be around 1%. • Private bikesharing projects have helped increase the respective mode share, but at present they are prevented from being opened again for bureaucratic reasons. • There are some cyclo-touristic projects running in the vicinity of Bucharest, but they don’t benefit from any funding that could help extend them to a larger scale.

3. Current legislative and administrative issues/weaknesses • The flaws in the current standards for bikeways design • For example, STAS 10144/1-90 an 10144/2-91 establish a width of only 1 metre for a one-way lane, (instead of at least 1.6 metres, which would be best to ensure safety) and 2 metres for a two-way lane (instead of at least 2.5 metres, for the abovementioned reasons) • Lack of provisions for bicycles only in the Road Traffic Code • No update to mayoralties’ land survey plans

4. Green Revolution actions: communication & advocacy • Active participation in the mobility group established by the General Mayoralty of Bucharest to develop a Master Plan for Transport • GRA did research work and compiled a preliminary Code of Good Practices for Bikeways Design in Bucharest based on other countries’ already implemented regulations • Thematic consultations with the other members of the urban cycling community and with key stakeholders (the General Mayor, Road Police, Bucharest Traffic Commission, the company of public transportation) • Press release • Provision of an online public debate platform for Code of Good Practices for Bikeways Design in Bucharest

5. Green Revolution actions:workgroup setup Goal: to properly design bikeways on the North-South, East-West axes in Bucharest Action: gathering a workgroup of road design entities, universities, transportation institutes and key stakeholders, totaling 27 members The first deliverable of the workgroup: the preliminary mapping of pilot itinerary of bikeways in Bucharest, on the North-South, East-West axes Support activities: • Establishing the workgroup statute, developing work procedures and assigning tasks to each member - pending • Obtaining public recognition of the workgroup from the General Mayoralty of Bucharest – pending

6. Proposed itineraries of bikeways in Bucharest, on the N-S, E-W axes

7. Green Revolution actions:project proposal Goal: to properly design bikeways on the North-South, East-West axes in Bucharest Foreseen actions: • Analysis of project usefulness and public acceptance • Survey of the cyclists’ community regarding the envisaged itineraries • Survey of the public at large regarding potential changes triggered by bikeways in the neighborhoods: local residents and merchants • Traffic analysis • Feasability study () • Awareness raising campaign with the support of the General Mayoralty of Bucharest

8. Green Revolution actions:“Cyclist’s Law” successful application

9. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! Ileana Magureanu R&Ddirector Green Revolution Association 2011 Winner of National ENERGY GLOBE Awards (the World Awards for Sustainability) Bucharest 3 Olteni Street Mobile: +40 728 132 978 Phone: +40 21 310 63 97 int. 115 E-mail: ileana.magureanu@greenrevolution.ro www.greenrevolution.ro