Hi!
In this post I will reflect upon the bicycle infrastructure I saw during my time in Copenhagen! Our task for basically the entire week has been to look for the infrastructure Copenhagen has in place for cyclists. I also inspected one intersection for about 10 minutes to inspect the flow of traffic. Here are my findings!
To begin with, Copenhagen has great, accommodating bike lanes. Below is a picture of a two-way bike street separate from cars and pedestrians. Nearly every street in Copenhagen is bike accessible and I found if I accidentally made a different turn than usual, I could take virtually any street in the direction I knew I was going, and I would make it to my destination. Having bike lanes separated from cars and pedestrians creates an organized and safer street. Cycle lanes also have their own stoplights for easy riding. At some intersections, there are bars for you to put your feet on and be stable while you wait for the light to change.
In Copenhagen, cycling is almost always the fastest, most efficient means of transportation. This is part of the reason why so many citizens choose to bike everywhere. There are also at least four bike-share options across the city, making biking the most accessible option for all. Something that can be seen all over the city of Copenhagen is cargo bikes. The first company to ever create these was Christiania Cargo Bikes in Copenhagen! Many parents use these to transport up to four children, but I have also seen people carrying belongings, pets, friends, and more! I met one elderly woman who had a smaller cargo bike that she told us she utilized for groceries and shopping. Since she was elderly, I imagine that this 3-wheel cargo bike also doubles as a more easily accessible bike, providing balance.
Something I admire about Copenhagen city planning is that the streets are truly made for the people. For example, we learned that on intersections that seem to have higher numbers of accidents or collisions, the city will paint blue in order to make the area clearer for citizens. This photo below shows an area with blue painted bike lanes and arrows to direct riders where to go. There are even some small left turn lanes for cyclists, but most of the time, you must complete a Copenhagen left turn. This is where cyclists essentially make a left turn like a pedestrian; You first raise an arm to signal you will be turning, then you cross the street, and then you wait on that side for the next light to turn so you may complete the turn.
There are endless things that Copenhagen has that make life easier for pedestrians and bicyclists. For one, there are smoothed out ramps to help cyclists move from the bike lanes to the sidewalks smoothly. In some areas, the city has even smoothed down Copenhagen’s beautiful cobblestone streets to make these areas more accessible to cyclists. There are sectioned-off side streets which have entrances that may only be used by cyclists and pedestrians (see photo). Something super cool Copenhagen has is long-short cuts, which are cyclist and pedestrian only bridges and underpasses.
The intersection I decided to check out was the Gothersgade and Nørre Voldgade intersection right next to the Nørreport Metro station. I was there at about 4:45pm or right in the middle of the cycling rush hour. There were MANY cyclists moving through this intersection. Some cyclists had to wait two to three traffic light cycles to progress through the light. There were a variety of cyclists present, from young people in going out clothes to people in their work attire to parents with cargo bikes full of children. I also inspected the area closest to the Nørreport station and there was ENDLESS bike parking. I would estimate nearly 1000 spots for bikers; At this hour there were many working people going to unlock their bikes and take it on to the Metro to head home. This intersection, though busy, does run incredibly smoothly. I biked it many times during my stay. There are painted blue areas and curbs sectioning off the bike lanes from the road. One flaw I noticed was if you are moving up Gothersgade as a biker, you must share your lane with the cars that are turning right. This made the lane more crowded, and bikers were very close to cars. At one part of the intersection, the stopping point for bikes and cars were staggered, I would think to minimize the amount bikers are in the blind spots of cars. Overall, though it felt a bit chaotic during rush hour, this intersection was well-planned and cycling on it myself, I think it ran quite smoothly.
Thank you for reading this post about Copenhagen’s cycling infrastructure, planning, and people! I hope everyone gets a chance to cycle in Copenhagen sometime as it is truly amazing. I also hope to bring some of these ideas back to the states!
Yours,
Macy
The USA has so much to learn about making cities bike friendly!! I am curious if they have a problem with bike theft there?? It doesn’t look like the many people lock up their bikes?
Yes! So, Copenhagen is one of the safest cities and there is really not a ton of theft, however people own and buy cheaper bikes there because it of course does still happen. In Copenhagen, the bike theft happens to the fancy, expensive cargo bikes. I believe theft is worse in cities such as Odense and Amsterdam.
Ah! And in Copenhagen, there are keys on the frame and they stay in while you are riding, so when you need to park you just lock the frame and front tire and it locks the bike in place. It is SO simple and easy.
The USA has a lot to learn about making cities bike friendly! I am curious if they have a problem with bike theft there? It doesn’t look like many people lock up their bikes?
Great examples of infrastructure and interesting to hear what it was like at Norreport at rush hour! Even when it’s busy, it runs pretty smoothly because bicycles are so small and move so nimbly.