BYPAD-PLATFORM is a follower project of the two former EC-projects BYPAD (1999-2001) and BYPAD+ (2003-2005), which were funded by the SAVE program. Within the project BYPAD - Bicycle Policy Audit - the methodology for a systematic quality management of local cycling policy has been developed. Within BYPAD+ a European-wide network of BYPAD-cities and auditors has been created. Until the end of the project BYPAD-PLATFORM (2008) more than 100 cities and regions in 21 European countries have conducted a BYPAD process, supervised by 58 auditors. The 3 BYPAD questionnaires are available in 16 languages. Within the last years BYPAD has grown to a recognised certifying system, which supports towns, cities and regions to improve their cycling policy and therefore raise transport safety. BYPAD builds on proven techniques from quality management. Within a BYPAD process an evaluation which measures have already been implemented to improve the cycling situation, how cycling policy is organised and how cycling policy is embedded and itegrated in the whole policy and administrative system (strategies, financial and human ressources,...) takes place. Politicians, representatives of the adminstrative departments and representatives of user groups (daily cylists) are the core players of an Bicycle Policy Audit, an external BYPAD-auditor team is accompanying and supervising the whole process. All together are evaluating the currenty cycling policy and elaborate in a consensual process a quality plan with detailed quality measures for improving the current situation. The concrete result of a BYPAD-audit is a comprehensive evaluation report of the current situation and a quality plan for the future cycling policy. Within the first two research projects (BYPAD and BYPAD+) the focus was laid on mid-sized and large cities (approx. 50´000-500´000 inhabitants), within BYPADPLATFORM the process was updated and adapted for towns (less than 50´000 inhabitants) and regions (more than 500´000 inhabitants). Furthermore 37 new BYPAD auditors were trained and an expert training for the already existing auditors was organised. The network of BYPAD-towns, -cities and -regions was extended especially to the New Member States. With the help of the BYPAD-website http://www.bypad.org, regional workshops and international seminars the possibility of exchanging experiences and expertises was given. (Author/publisher)
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