Cycle4Climate?

Co-creating Sustainable Cycling Solutions for Reducing CO2 Emissions

Transport accounts for a significant share of cities’ carbon dioxide emissions. The Cycle4Climate project aims to reduce these emissions by increasing cycling as a primary mode of transport and, ultimately, targets an 8% yearly increase in bike count in the project intervention areas. Furthermore, we target a 20% likelihood of car users switching from car to cycling.

In practice, Cycle4Climate:

  • Implements three rounds of physical and social behavioural interventions to encourage a shift towards cycling in four areas, namely
    • Keilaniemi–Otaniemi–Tapiola | Espoo, Finland
    • Sörby–Urfjäll | Gävle, Sweden
    • Pärnu River transport area | Pärnu, Estonia
    • Tornakalns–Ziepniekkalns | Riga, Latvia
  • Monitors the effectiveness of tested solutions using, among other methods, pre- and post-intervention CO2 measurements.
  • Synthesises insights from the monitoring data and learnings gained from the intervention implementation into an intervention toolbox consisting of guidelines for effective solutions and interventions to promote cycling in urban settings.
  • Focuses on increasing the visibility and usage of existing and new cycling infrastructure and services, utilising social marketing and other strategies.

The Cycle4Climate intervention areas:

In Espoo, the selected transport area encompasses three metro stations: Keilaniemi, Otaniemi, and Tapiola (each of which is a transport node). The area is diverse, with Keilaniemi housing many businesses, Otaniemi a university campus, and Tapiola a commercial centre. There are about 15000 inhabitants in the area. The area is a hub for different transport modes, including public transport, walking, cycling, and private driving.

In Gävle, the transport area encompasses Sörby Urfjäll, a previously industrial area that today contains a mix of companies, retail, and places to practice sports. Gävle prepares for developments in the area with a pre-study in 2024, and Cycle4Climate provides an opportunity to experiment with strategies to promote cycling in an area of industrial character.

In Pärnu, the transport area encompasses two routes crossing the Pärnu River for travel between the northern and southern parts of the city. One of them crosses a bridge built in 1956, currently offering the only route available today for crossing the river. The other route crosses by a new bridge opening in 2025. This new bridge will significantly improve accessibility between the northern Rääma district and the downtown area. The increased accessibility enables the promotion of cycling as a viable mode of transport across the whole city.

In Riga, the transport area follows a recently opened bike route from the city centre to the southern Ziepniekkalns suburb. In total, the route is 6 km. However, in Cycle4Climate, Riga will focus on the part that passes through the Torņakalns district, a future area for multimodal transport. The Torņakalna mobility point will form a public transport node on the western side of the Daugava River, enabling residents to reach different neighbourhoods without passing the city centre. Torņakalns is also home to a University of Latvia campus and the National Library of Latvia and is a notable destination for students’ commute.

Join us on this journey!