Barcelona Bike Ride. Photo courtesy: University of San Diego
.
BARCELONA, Catalonia / The Barcelona Reporter / October 3, 2009
Two million Spanish people use a bicycle almost every day. Almost 400,000 of them are from Catalonia. The bicycle has become a means of transport, as its use for daily trips increased by 34.5% in Catalonia in a year, and the number of people who used it to go to work has increased by 57% in three years
The data provided was obtained as a result of a total of 1,620 telephone interviews with people between 12 and 79 years, after which it was concluded that 90% of citizens know how to cycle and 60% use it for personal use. Therefore, percentage wise, in Spain there are 35 million people who know how to cycle, and five million live in Catalunya.
Of these, 23 million own bike. Nadal said the increase of cycling is for different reasons. "The first impulse was received through the 'mountain bike', it became fashionable to use the bike for transportation" he said.
Although the results are "very positive", Nadal also acknowledged the main complaint is the serious problems of coexistence between bicycles and other occupants of the roads and streets, and pedestrians.
This creates insecurity among cyclists, particularly at the lack of infrastructure, i.e, specific lanes for bicycles.
Nadal set out to create routes and recalled that, under the Infrastructures Plan of Catalonia (PITC) there are plans to build a 1,200 kilometre network of bike lanes. [rc]
© 2009 Barcelona Reporter
October 3, 2009
SPAIN: Two million Spanish people use a bicycle almost every day
.
Barcelona Bike Ride. Photo courtesy: University of San Diego
.
BARCELONA, Catalonia / The Barcelona Reporter / October 3, 2009
Two million Spanish people use a bicycle almost every day. Almost 400,000 of them are from Catalonia. The bicycle has become a means of transport, as its use for daily trips increased by 34.5% in Catalonia in a year, and the number of people who used it to go to work has increased by 57% in three years
The data provided was obtained as a result of a total of 1,620 telephone interviews with people between 12 and 79 years, after which it was concluded that 90% of citizens know how to cycle and 60% use it for personal use. Therefore, percentage wise, in Spain there are 35 million people who know how to cycle, and five million live in Catalunya.
Of these, 23 million own bike. Nadal said the increase of cycling is for different reasons. "The first impulse was received through the 'mountain bike', it became fashionable to use the bike for transportation" he said.
Although the results are "very positive", Nadal also acknowledged the main complaint is the serious problems of coexistence between bicycles and other occupants of the roads and streets, and pedestrians.
This creates insecurity among cyclists, particularly at the lack of infrastructure, i.e, specific lanes for bicycles.
Nadal set out to create routes and recalled that, under the Infrastructures Plan of Catalonia (PITC) there are plans to build a 1,200 kilometre network of bike lanes. [rc]
© 2009 Barcelona Reporter
Barcelona Bike Ride. Photo courtesy: University of San Diego
.
BARCELONA, Catalonia / The Barcelona Reporter / October 3, 2009
Two million Spanish people use a bicycle almost every day. Almost 400,000 of them are from Catalonia. The bicycle has become a means of transport, as its use for daily trips increased by 34.5% in Catalonia in a year, and the number of people who used it to go to work has increased by 57% in three years
The data provided was obtained as a result of a total of 1,620 telephone interviews with people between 12 and 79 years, after which it was concluded that 90% of citizens know how to cycle and 60% use it for personal use. Therefore, percentage wise, in Spain there are 35 million people who know how to cycle, and five million live in Catalunya.
Of these, 23 million own bike. Nadal said the increase of cycling is for different reasons. "The first impulse was received through the 'mountain bike', it became fashionable to use the bike for transportation" he said.
Although the results are "very positive", Nadal also acknowledged the main complaint is the serious problems of coexistence between bicycles and other occupants of the roads and streets, and pedestrians.
This creates insecurity among cyclists, particularly at the lack of infrastructure, i.e, specific lanes for bicycles.
Nadal set out to create routes and recalled that, under the Infrastructures Plan of Catalonia (PITC) there are plans to build a 1,200 kilometre network of bike lanes. [rc]
© 2009 Barcelona Reporter
