Bikester Magazine EN Summer 2021

STOCKHOLM‘S GREEN WAVE
Sweden has done plenty to make life better
for cyclists: from ‘thank you’ pillars next to
bike lanes that count and encourage passing
cyclists, to free pumping stations scattered
around cities. Local governments have also
implemented toll roads and other schemes to
discourage people from driving in busy urban
areas. One such scheme is the Green Wave
in Stockholm‘s city centre. Stockholm city
planners turned one of its longest and busiest
commercial streets, Götgatan, into a bike
and commuter-friendly road. This works as a
flowing ‘bike wave’: in essence, the traffic lights
change according to the speed and flow of
cyclists instead of motorists. This way, cyclists
get a run of green lights so they can ride the
whole length of the street without stopping.
Car drivers don‘t enjoy the same luxury.
Knowing this, they choose alternative routes
with fewer cyclists and pedestrians. Win-win.
© TAISIIA SHESTOPAL
PARK LIFE
Most vehicles spend more time idling than
moving; cars spend up to 94 % of the time
parked by the road or garaged! So, tomorrow‘s
bike infrastructure does not only need more
cycle paths but also better parking facilities. As
long as a large chunk of the street is occupied
by parked cars (usually parked for free), it‘s
unavailable for other users. The Hamburg
project ex_kurs asked how this space might
be used differently. A diverse team comprised
of scientists and people who simply want
to make a difference; they developed some
innovative bike parking concepts. The most
exciting of these is a compact triangular box
that combines a covered long-term parking
space (with enough room for a cargo bike)
with a short-term space on the roof. Wouldn‘t
it be fabulous to store your bike somewhere
like this instead of desperately looking for
a free space? In Copenhagen, city planners
devised small garages for cargo bike riders
who were struggling to find satisfactory
parking. Somewhat ironically, these garages
are actually car-shaped pink plastic shells,
perfectly illustrating how four cargo bikes
occupy the same space as one car. They
even have solar panels for charging and
places to dry damp clothes. For commuters,
most major train stations have created
huge areas with smart bike parking. This
benefits those on longer journeys as well as
commuters, promoting a more eco-friendly
style of travelling. Many of these bike parking
facilities innovatively stack the bikes on top
of each other to best utilise the space.
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