The Bike Friendly Cities project deals with promoting and facilitating the use of bicycles as sustainable, healthy and friendly means of transport in cities around the 2 Seas area. A substantial increase in bike use for urban mobility will contribute to tackling some of the major challenges faced by cities today, through reducing traffic-related greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, reducing congestion on the urban road infrastructure, improving citizens’ health by promoting cycling or increasing the urban quality of life and attracting visitors thanks to its great potential for recreation and sightseeing.

The project partners share the ambition to boost participation and to promote cycling, by providing infrastructure and services that accommodate cyclists. The role and importance of cycling in urban mobility varies greatly in the countries of the 2 Seas area. Best practice exchanges and a cross-border partnership will develop solutions based on these differing outlooks. Innovative and low-cost solutions will be tested and evaluated, such as the conversion of existing motoring roads into cycling infrastructure with priority or exclusive bike use, the creation of a bicycle ring route to organise traffic flows and the creation of Cycle Hubs offering a range of services for cyclists. To accompany these more practical measures, there will also be awareness campaigns for the general public.