More than Cycling Infrastructure: Supporting the Development of Policy Packages for Starter Cycling Cities

Abstract

The need to implement sustainable mobility is growing in both urgency and pace. However, in cities where the bicycle is underused and cars are overvalued, trying to change the mobility paradigm comes with many challenges. Planners committed to creating cycling mobility plans have to overcome information and resource barriers in coming up with solutions in their respective contexts. Facilitating access to conceptual and practical information for such cities could provide impetus for more effective decisions. With a view to achieving this goal, the “BooST – Boosting Starter Cycling Cities” research project has developed a planning tool, the Cycling Measures Selector (CMS). The tool facilitates access to specific information on measures promoting bicycle use and provides practical guidelines on how to implement these measures in a comprehensive and effective manner. Through its web-based platform, the CMS presents detailed informational sheets on each measure and provides a structure for testing different combinations. Each combination receives a score and suggestions as to how to increase the efficiency. This paper presents the tool and assesses its utility or usefulness for strategic development. To this end, the inputs of three groups working in the cycling promotion area were taken into consideration: local planners, academics, and activists. A series of workshops provided the space to interact with the tool and explore its potential. Those experiences revealed an apparent disconnect between theory and practice, along with a clear need for detailed and varied information on cycling measures. The findings suggest that the CMS can fulfill that need, as well as aid in the planning process.