A bicycle parking lot that clearly shows how much more space a car takes up
Cities of the future – starting today
In the cities of the future, there is no room for air pollution, traffic jams and noise – the traditional companions of the growing army of private cars. That is why, as noted by the portal Sweden.se, Swedes prefer to bet on alternative means of transportation: eco-friendly public transport, bicycles and pedestrians' feet.
Starting as early as the 1960s, Swedish cities were built based on the priority of pedestrian zones and public transport. Over the years, the concept has acquired new modern features but remains unchanged in essence. Planning new districts begins with designing transport arteries: first, infrastructure is created for pedestrians and cyclists, and then for everyone else. In modern urban areas, you can find road lanes and even separate road sections intended exclusively for buses. It often turns out that a short distance within a district is faster to cover by bicycle or bus – because by car you have to take a long detour around the "bus" zones.
Betting on public transport
According to a study by the transport analysis agency Trafikanalys, in 2019, Swedes made 13% of all trips by bicycle, 19% by public transport, 15% on foot, and 53% by car. Two-thirds of residents of large cities already prefer public transport to private cars, but Sweden plans to increase even this figure.
All political forces in the country are unanimous: an efficient public transport system is an important public service, a significant factor in economic growth, and a mandatory item on the environmental agenda.
One of the most effective measures was the introduction of congestion charges in central Stockholm in 2007 and Gothenburg in 2013. In the capital, the cost of entering the center can be about 10-40 euro cents depending on the time of day and season (in summer during peak hours – the most expensive). If you add the cost of parking in the center, then taking the bus turns out to be much more economical. At the entrance to the city, you can leave your car at a park-and-ride lot: they appeared in Sweden back in the 1960s.
Bicyclization of the nation
Bicycles are good in every way – they do not pollute the environment, do not create traffic jams, do not take up much parking space, are silent, and make their owners healthier with every ride. Currently, about 10% of adult Swedes and 12% of young people use a bicycle for commuting to school and work. Three-quarters of cyclists continue to ride even in winter – the weather in the most densely populated parts of Sweden allows it.
The key to successful bicyclization is good infrastructure. It is much more pleasant to leave home knowing that the trip will be comfortable and relatively safe (about 20 cyclists die on the country's roads per year – and that is 20 lives more than acceptable, but significantly fewer than in many other countries).
A bicycle can always be parked without problems, and a flat tire can be pumped up. In Stockholm, for example, there are 30,000 bicycle parking spots and 60 city pumps on popular bike paths. Malmö is generally the champion of bicyclization among Swedish cities. In 2015 and 2017, it closed the top five best cycling cities in the world according to the Copenhagenize Index ranking.
Cyclists are full participants in road traffic with the same rights and responsibilities regarding compliance with traffic rules. You cannot ride a bicycle on the sidewalk, and you are allowed to ride on the roadway only if there is no dedicated bicycle lane on that road. The bicycle itself must meet the requirements of the Transport Agency and, above all, be equipped with hand brakes and a bell.
For those who ride in the dark, headlights in front and rear are mandatory, as well as reflective elements on the wheels and rear bumper. Children under 15 are required to wear a helmet, and the debate about whether adults should be required to use helmets is still ongoing. So far it is not mandatory, which does not prevent 40% of cyclists from voluntarily using helmets for their own safety.
Motorists do not give up
Despite justified restrictions on the use of motor vehicles, cars have been and remain the most popular mode of transport in a sparsely populated and large, by European standards, country – 83% of families have a car. The choice in favor of a personal car is more often made by those who live outside the city and/or in rural areas: from the point of view of a Stockholmer, driving around the city center is a rather strange decision that reveals a provincial who has come to the capital.
To reduce car use, the state resorts to economic methods. For example, if you break down the cost of a liter of gasoline (about 1.5 euros), taxes account for about 60% of it. Since 2020, the tax on cars that do not meet fairly strict emission requirements has been increased again – and this includes many popular gasoline or diesel models.
There are, of course, incentives. Car buyers purchasing low-emission vehicles (70 g CO2/km) are entitled to compensation of up to 6,000 euros. In 2019, the number of electric cars doubled compared to the previous year, and the number of hybrid cars also increased. Infrastructure for electric cars is also being actively developed – currently there are 450 fast-charging stations for electric cars in the country, with a distance between them of no more than 100 km.
Read the continuation of the article:
WHAT SWEDES DRIVE (part 2)