This is the first regional cycling report ever published in the world. The report provides key figures and knowledge about regional cycling trends and improves our ability to monitor and influence developments in the area of cycling. In the Capital Region of Denmark, our vision is to become a green, innovative metropolis with good conditions for cycling, to benefit high growth and quality of life. Our objective is to increase bicycle commuting by 38% from 2012 to 2020. In 2012, 30% of all commuter trips in the Capital Region were made by bicycle. We want to increase this to 41% by 2020. The Regional Cycling Report focuses on regional cycling patterns, possibilities and challenges. It confirms our belief that cycling is a win—win cause. The figures speak for themselves — read them for yourself. Cycling accounts for 20% of all trips within the Capital Region, and the number of bicycle trips increased by 9% in the period 2007—2012. As a result, we save one million days of sick leave a year. Our daily cycling trips improve our health, our ability to concentrate and our productivity. The many kilometres we cycle, instead of taking the car, bus or train, reduce carbon emissions to the atmosphere by 110,000 tonnes a year. Increasing the bicycle’s market share from 6.8% to 7.8% would save an additional 16,000 tonnes a year. We are not really complaining. But we do have room for improvement, and there is quite a way to a bicycle commuting percentage of 41%. Most bicycle trips are short, i.e. less than 5 km. Could we increase the number of medium to long trips? And could we become even better at combining the use of the bicycle with bus, train, metro or shared car? It would also be preferable if the cycling percentages didn’t fall so sharply outside the Capital Region. Just how big a difference can there be between someone living in Copenhagen proper, someone in North Zealand and someone in Greater West Copenhagen. Perhaps we could encourage more suburban cycling by improving and boosting cycling conditions and the cycling culture even more? The alarm bells are ringing: our roads don’t have the capacity for more cars, our hospitals are bulging with patients suffering from lifestyle ailments, and the air we breathe must not become more polluted than it already is. In two years, we will update the cycling report, and we hope to have raised the bar slightly in the interim. In addition to this brief edition of selected figures from 2007—2012, a comprehensive background report has also been prepared, containing all the statistics for our cycling report, should you have the desire to delve deeper into the details. (Author/publisher)
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