Yahoo Sports 10 Cities Around the World Will Receive a Huge Boost in Bike Infrastructure
Significant advances in bike safety are coming to ten different cities, in ten different countries, representing more than 15 million residents around the world. The announcement of the first-ever Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) grant series was made on World Bicycle Day, June 3, by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Forbes reports that in partnership with Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), the grant program will provide “technical assistance on project development, cycling facility design, data collection, and resident engagement.” The goals are to “increase biking rates, promote safe, accessible, efficient and sustainable transportation options, revitalize neighborhoods, and advance the health and well-being of their residents.”
The ten cities were chosen through a competitive grant application process. BICI received 275 applications from cities with over 100,000 residents. Each winning location was chosen for its proven commitment to their communities and the strength of the ideas to re-imagine cycling infrastructure.
According to Bloomberg Philanthropies, the winning projects include:
Fortaleza, Brazil (winner of the $1 million prize): Develop 180 kilometers of cutting-edge cycling infrastructure to invite more community members to cycle.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Double the number of protected cycle lanes to achieve Africa's largest city cycle network.
Bogotá, Colombia: Co-design new infrastructure with children to revitalize a low-income neighborhood and engage young residents.
Lisbon, Portugal: Roll-out new solutions to increase the diversity of residents cycling throughout the city.
Milan, Italy: Build sustainable, green cycle lanes that connect over 40 schools.
Mombasa, Kenya: Protect and connect a cycle network along key corridors with high cycling volumes.
Pimpri-Chinchwad, India: Launch a neighborhood model for a 15-minute city, starting with cycling.
Quelimane, Mozambique: Build new cycling infrastructure that includes protected cycling lanes, pedestrian space, and unique bicycle taxi parking to support non-motorized travel.
Tirana, Albania: Create an all-ages cycling network through the implementation of safe intersection design.
Wellington, New Zealand: Increase the number of bike lanes in the city by 160 percent using resident input to inform planning and development.
Forbes reports that leaders from each of the winning cities will convene from June 26 through June 29, 2023, in London, to meet, trade ideas, begin their project planning, and learn from urban design experts.
And if you’re wondering why there were no U.S. cities selected, it might be a blaring suggestion that we haven’t yet proven the commitment to community that the grant application was looking for. We need to do a lot more work in the U.S. to prove that we’re up to the task of committing to real community-changing bike infrastructure.
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