Bicycles Rule in Copenhagen
April 10th, 2009TravellingWatch out for bicycles if you are in Denmark and especially in Copenhagen. Everyone goes by bike; there are bikes and bike lines everywhere.
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Before the year of 1962 Copenhagen was a car town, but after the first pedestrian street was built the more and more public space has allocated to bicycles. Nowadays Copenhagen of great public spaces would not be possible without bicycle network.
I want to ride my bicycle… without helmet. Hardly anybody wears a bike helmet in Copenhagen, except young children. The city’s goal is to get its cycling mode share up to 50 percent. WOW but helmet law might discourage people from that. Anyway helmets debate is all round open.
I want to ride my bicycle… fast. Bikes want to do the same thing as cars – go fast. Without having to stop and start, to stop and start again and again. Go straight for a long distance with a confidence that no car or truck is going to open a door or hang a right turn into their path. Bike lines in Copenhagen make this dream come true.
I want to ride my bicycle… legitimate. People respect the rules of the road here and really follow them. The majority of Copenhageners will get off their bicycles and walk when they come to a pedestrian street. That is because bicycles are a legitimate mode of transportation and a cultural thing.
People in Copenhagen have all kinds of different bikes and they use them for everything: hauling shopping bags, carrying kids and dogs, delivering mail and pizza. Every Copenhagener seems to have two bikes – one for the rain and a nice one as well.
A strong urban bicycle infrastructure is amazing in Copenhagen. Mostly bike lanes are positioned between the sidewalk and parked cars, but sometimes you’re biking on the street, sometimes in the same lane as traffic. No troubles with parking. No troubles with sightseeing, rent a bicycle and go!
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like – and this is 100% possible and welcome in Copenhagen.
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