Danube Cycle Plans: Call for Action
In the challenging times of COVID-19 pandemic, cycling has been one of the very few sustainable alternatives to collective forms of mobility, providing people with a means of transport for essential trips while fully keeping social distance and meeting the minimum requirements for daily physical activity.
In order to enhance cycling as a key part of a multi-modal and integrated transport system, national and international decision-makers are called to action. Now they have the opportunity to include necessary investments in the promotion of cycling into your National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as in programmes of the multiannual financial framework for 2021–2027.
The Corona pandemic has seen at least two winners in mobility: individual car travel and active mobility, especially cycling. Cycling is resilient, healthy, sustainable, affordable and allows social distancing.
The Danube region pionieers in pathing the way for improving cycling conditions and fostering the use of bicycles, through the Danube Cycle Plans project, managed by the Umweltbundesamt (Environment Agency Austria, EAA). The project aims at facilitating the development of policies, plans and promotion for more people cycling in the Danube region.
Consider cycling in EU financing instruments
As part of the €750 billion NextGenerationEU extraordinary recovery instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility recently agreed by the European Council helps member states addressing the economic and social impacts of the pandemic through their corresponding national plans ensuring green and digital transitions to become more sustainable and resilient. Meanwhile, the next multiannual financial framework of the EU is at the starting line, providing a long-term budget of more than €1 trillion to support development, modernisation, innovation and traditional policies in the member states.
Towards a Danube Cycle Route Network
The provision of adequate cycling infrastructure is one of the most efficient ways to promote cycling. For the development of the Danube Cycle Route Network, it is necessary to identify and define the relevant network sections in every participating country together with defining infrastructure standards and investment plans considering current infrastructure condition. To this end, the project partners will elaborate guidelines for the definition of national cycle route networks, which are expected to be finalized by the end of January 2021.
