Riding a bike in the city is an activity that has more and more followers in our country, a
trend
that has also been driven by the pandemic. In the last year,
more than 700,000 people from all over Spain have joined the use of the bicycle
and about 370,000 have started with the scooter, in what is considered as a great bet for the change of habits towards sustainable means of mobility and individual. The data come from the study
The bicycle and the scooter in times of pandemic in Spanish urban areas
, carried out by the Network of Cities for Bicycle (RCxB). The report also reveals a potential of 3.5 million potential new users of these vehicles for next year.
Are the big cities prepared for this avalanche? Is there room for everyone? As a warning, another piece of information: in 2020, more than 1.5 million bicycles were sold in Spain; Of all the models, those with the greatest increase in sales compared to the previous year were electric (48.9%) and urban (+ 46.4%), according to a study by AMBE (Association of Brands and Bicycles of Spain ) and Cofidis.
Promoted by the Bicycle Cities Network (RCxB), the
Bikefriendly Awards
were recently awarded
, aimed at recognizing the efforts of the Spanish public entities attached to said institution to promote projects, initiatives and / or actions aimed at promoting and facilitating daily use. of the bicycle.
The second edition of this initiative, in which cities such as
Seville, Valencia, Jaca and Murcia
have already been awarded
, has recognized, among others, the councils of Pontevedra and Guipúzcoa or the councils of Pamplona and Torrent in different categories.
These are all the winners of this year, out of a total of 43 nominations:
La Coruña bike path.
Pontevedra
The Diputación de Pontevedra, which includes the municipalities of the 61 municipalities of the Galician province, including the cities of Vigo, Pontevedra or Villagarcía de Arosa, has obtained
the Bikefriendly 2021 Award
in the
Leadership and commitment
category
thanks to its efforts for the design and development of instruments aimed at promoting, coordinating and evaluating actions aimed at promoting the use of bicycles in their territories. It has been chosen for its involvement in the Ágora project, a network whose objective is to substantially increase the space reserved for people, pedestrian and cycle routes.
A clear example of this is
the city of Vigo
, with a population of about 300,000 inhabitants, many of them bike enthusiasts.
Despite being a city with hills, there are numerous quiet, adapted and accessible walks for cyclists, such as in the neighborhoods of Bouzas or Coia, with Avenida de Castelao.
Guipúzcoa
The Provincial Council of the Basque province wins in this edition with the award in the category of
cycling infrastructure
for having designed and promoted new infrastructures and services to guarantee a faster, safer, more comfortable, coherent and intuitive bicycle circulation.
Among the initiatives,
the Eibar-Maltzaga cycle path
stands out
, classified as a milestone in engineering at the service of sustainable mobility.
It is a 2.1-kilometer section of cycling and pedestrian use within the greenway that connects the towns of Eibar and Elgóibar (12 km), with a route that overcomes the difficult terrain while respecting the environment.
For this reason, it has become one of the most highly valued itineraries by citizens.
Bicycle in Pamplona.
Pamplona
The City Council of the capital Navarra has obtained the Bikefriendly 2021 Award in the
Education and Promotion
category
, for its commitment to cycling mobility through actions aimed at combating the barriers that hinder the daily use of this vehicle through education, encouragement and communication to the public.
Among the various actions are practical training, guided walks and communication campaigns, mainly through the
Bicycle at School
and
Bicycle School
for Adults programs
.
In addition to the bike lanes throughout the city, there is a
green ring
of about 12 km that surrounds all of Pamplona, and it is a great attraction for bike and nature lovers.
Torrent (Valencia)
The City Council of Torrent has achieved its Bikefriendly 2021 award in the
Biotechnology
category
, for having promoted economic activities related to the bicycle sector that affect local economic development, including the
Bicis para Todos
project
, which guarantees access to a bicycle to all the people who need it. The city has a bike path of about 11 kilometers that connects with neighboring Valencia.
In addition to these four,
La Coruña
has also been recognized
for taking advantage of the works or actions in the modification of traffic for the execution and increase of the cycling infrastructure;
Valladolid
, for the
Valladolid Green City
Strategy
and the rapid implementation of the Sustainable Corridors Network;
Logroño
, for his involvement in the dissemination and promotion of the
30 Days on Bike 2021
campaign
among his citizens;
and
Fuenlabrada
, for their
Commuting Clean Fuenlabrada
project
to promote commuting by bicycle.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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