July 10
In lieu of giving a straightforward rundown of the day, I’ll instead focus this blog on Copenhagen’s extensive bicycle infrastructure. I’ve been spending the past week or so observing, photographing, and exploring Copenhagen’s bicycle network. I’ve noticed many, many positive aspects, standout features, and some things that could still be improved upon. In this blog, I won’t try to make suggestions for American transportation systems or critique them. Instead I’ll focus on what Copenhagen does well and what I’ve learned since I started biking here.
Bicycle Things!
There are a lot of bicycles in Copenhagen.
Like, a LOT of bicycles.
SO MANY BICYCLES.
More people bike in Copenhagen than use a car, and it really shows. Marc warned us before the trip started that we may end up caught in bicycle traffic. Bicycle traffic! As in the kind of traffic you normally find cars in, but for bicycles. So far I’ve mostly managed to avoid traffic, but a few days ago I found myself stuck in a pileup of about 40 cyclists. On the one hand, it was annoying having to wait for the light, just as it would be in a car in the US. On the other hand, it felt comforting being among a hoard of other people using the same transportation mode as me. Also, it was just awesome. Look at all those bikes! Something you’d practically never see in America.
Another rarity in the US that I’ve seen a lot of in Copenhagen is cargo bikes. At the zoo, cargo bikes were predictably popular for families towing small children: 
But I’ve also seen many cargo bikes hauling food and goods. Wolt is Copenhagen’s “UberEats” or “GrubHub” equivalent. However, instead of delivering food via car, the service uses cargo bikes. Much like GrubHub stickers in the US, you see Wolt bicycles everywhere you go in Copenhagen; just look for the blue cooler.
Copenhagen’s bicycle infrastructure is, as I’ve mentioned before, incredible thorough. There are bicycle merge lanes…
… which provide a clear indicator to cyclists of where to be aware of fellow travelers. There are also designated bike bridges and even bicycle “snakes,” which carry cyclists across more complicated areas of pedestrian or vehicle traffic. These snakes provide a scenic and efficient route for cyclists commuting between important destinations. Similarly, bicycle greenways can be found throughout the city in certain areas which provide a more scenic route for commuting or recreational cyclists.
I’ll be updating this post (or perhaps creating a new post) with more interesting bicycle infrastructure I find in Copenhagen. If you have any questions about Copenhagen’s bike network, let me know in the comments!
What’s the incident of bicycle accidents, especially during rush hour? Is that an uncommon occurrence?
Remarkably uncommon, and if they occur they are usually non-fatal. The bicycle infrastructure protects cyclists in its thoroughness, and as a result of bicycle culture cars are much more aware of cyclists’ presence. So all in all it’s very safe!
Fun to read your observations. And so many bikes!