Cities all over the world face immense challenges related to the effects of decades of car-oriented city planning like congestion, air pollution, noise, physical inactivity, crowded and unattractive public spaces, just to mention a few.

Around the world, more than 90 percent of people breathe in air that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers potentially harmful. While the source of air pollution varies, much of it comes from vehicle emissions. Cycling therefore presents itself as a great opportunity to improve air quality while at the same time reducing emissions.

Denmark has more than 100 years of experience planning and building cities optimised for cyclist, resulting in an advanced bike architecture as well as smart urban solutions. Here are five selected bike-friendly solutions which could be implemented in cities across the world:

Tilted rubbish bins

In Copenhagen, you can find some rather unique rubbish bins designed specifically for cyclists. The rubbish bins face towards the cyclists and are tilted at an angle that makes it easier to throw rubbish into it while steering the bike.

Cycle superhighways

A cycle superhighway is a cycle route where commuters on bikes are given priority. They provide a smooth ride with fewer stops and enhanced safety.

The main purpose of the cycle superhighways is to create better conditions for cyclists, and to connect work, study, and residential areas, making it easier for commuters to cycle to and from work, thus making the bike a more attractive mode of transport. The cycle superhighways are situated near train and metro stations, making it an attractive option to combine cycling with public transportation.

Related news: Traffic model – modelling bicycle traffic in Denmark

Green wave

It is rare finding traffic lights that are synchronised to pave the way for a “green wave” for cars, let alone cyclists. However, this is the case in many streets in Copenhagen’s city centre and along the cycle superhighways across Denmark.

In three of Copenhagen’s major streets, the City of Copenhagen has introduced the so-called ‘green wave’ for its cycling commuters during peak hours. This means that the around 70,000 people who bike daily along on these routes experience a faster and more comfortable commute through for example synchronised traffic lights and data collection points along the cycle paths.

Footrests

When you need to stop at a traffic light, waiting for the light to change has been made more comfortable by implementing footrests. Footrests are installed along the cycle path just before the stop line at the intersection. The footrests cater for up to three cyclists at a time.

Footrests were initially installed in Copenhagen, then spread to other Danish cities, and are now an integral part of the cycle superhighways. Today, several Danish companies construct footrests in various designs and event use them for advertisements.

The Bicycle Snake

Copenhagen’s iconic cycle bridge, the Bicycle Snake, connects the city’s neighbourhoods and transports cyclists across the harbour on an aesthetic journey above the harbour basin. The Bicycle Snake has dual benefits of both enhancing cyclists’ mobility and saving them time.

The socio-economic return is an impressive nine percent, which is two to three times higher than other infrastructure investments such as Copenhagen’s Metro City Ring. The return on investment (ROI) is equal to 6.6 million USD over 20 years. This is because the bridge creates a daily time saving of 380 hours and at the same time reduces Copenhagen’s CO2e emissions by 87 tonnes each year.