Since Copenhagen municipality began carrying out manual traffic counts in 1970, the city has installed 20 electric bicycle counters that monitor the city’s daily traffic. This month they have broken a new record, announcing that the city’s number of bicycles now surpass its cars.

Over the last 20 years, the bicycle traffic has risen by 68%. A total of 35,080 bicycles have joined the cycle tracks this past year, bringing the total number to 265,700, compared with 252,600 cars.

- Read The Guardian’s article here

Klaus Bondam, technical and environmental mayor from 2006 to 2009 and now head of the Danish Cycling Federation, tells the British newspaper:

-  What really helped was a very strong political leadership; that was mainly Ritt Bjerregaard [the former lord mayor], who had a dedicated and authentic interest in cycling. Plus, a new focus on urbanism and the new sustainability agenda broke the glass roof when it came to cycling.

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DKK 1 billion has been invested in cycling infrastructure since 2005. Some of these investments include the Cycle Snake (Cykelslangen), Kissing Bridge, The Cycle Bridge, and multiple expansions of bicycle parking spaces.

- Cycling went from being a normal part of daily life to a core identity for the city, says Bondam.

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 The current mayor of technical and environmental affairs, Morten Kabell expects to see the central core of the city between Nørreport, City Hall, and Kongens Nytorv becoming car-free within a decade. He says he’s striving for 50% of all commutes to be made by bicycles across Greater Copenhagen by 2025. The current figure is 41%.

However, as the metro extension opens in 2019, he expects this figure to fall:

- There’s no doubt it will take some of the bike traffic; but the important thing for me is to have a green transport system. As long as it’s fossil-free and alleviates congestion and air pollution, I’m cool with that.

 - Source: The Guardian