Winter cycling campaign
About this good practice
Published on 18 January 2019
Sweden
Mellersta Norrland
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
The problem addressed was that too many people prefer to travel to and from work by car. Inspiration came from other parts of the country were municipalities had tried similar campaigns with great success.
Gävle is a cycling city, but many people stop cycling during the winter since Gävle usually gets alot of snow during winter. But with well-functioning winter maintenance cycling is still a possibility and people that try to cycle during winter find that it is more easy and fun than they thought. That's why it is important to get people to try it out.
Short description of GP (implementation process):
1. Advertisement – call-out that the campaign is seeking for people willing to try winter cycling
2. Contract signing – promising to cycle at least 3 days per week, you will get winter tires, gloves, saddle warmers, reflexes etc. to motivate winter cycling. Performed as a kick-off.
3. Cycling during 3 months, recording the cycling activities via an app. During the period the participants are able to inform us about shortcomings in the physical environment, for example bike lanes with lacking snow clearance or problematic obstacles in the roads.
4. Evaluation
5. Congratulations of a well performed cycling period. This campaign is open both to the public as well as to specific work places.
Field of Action: Information and campaigning
End users of this action are former car drivers and summer cyclists who stop cycling during winter.
Gävle is a cycling city, but many people stop cycling during the winter since Gävle usually gets alot of snow during winter. But with well-functioning winter maintenance cycling is still a possibility and people that try to cycle during winter find that it is more easy and fun than they thought. That's why it is important to get people to try it out.
Short description of GP (implementation process):
1. Advertisement – call-out that the campaign is seeking for people willing to try winter cycling
2. Contract signing – promising to cycle at least 3 days per week, you will get winter tires, gloves, saddle warmers, reflexes etc. to motivate winter cycling. Performed as a kick-off.
3. Cycling during 3 months, recording the cycling activities via an app. During the period the participants are able to inform us about shortcomings in the physical environment, for example bike lanes with lacking snow clearance or problematic obstacles in the roads.
4. Evaluation
5. Congratulations of a well performed cycling period. This campaign is open both to the public as well as to specific work places.
Field of Action: Information and campaigning
End users of this action are former car drivers and summer cyclists who stop cycling during winter.
Resources needed
At Gävle municipality 3 staff have been working part time with this, around 25%(10 h/ week) per person during preparations and less during the rest of the year.
The institution in charge, Region Gävleborg, has 2 staff working part time for aproximatly the same amount of time (10h /week).
The institution in charge, Region Gävleborg, has 2 staff working part time for aproximatly the same amount of time (10h /week).
Evidence of success
The participators state that the cycle during the campaign and also that they will continue cycling after the campaign. Long-time evaluations also show that the effect remains several years after the campaign and that people who once try winter cycling are most probable to continue cycling.
Potential for learning or transfer
The winter cycling campaign in a city in the north of Sweden shows that if people can winter cycle (and have a positive experience of winter cycling here) then people can winter cycle probably anywhere, year-round.
An important aspect for us was that the main institution in charge should be large so that purchasing materials for the campaign (tires, reflective vests and saddle covers) is cheap and easy. Smaller institutions might struggle with the task.
Others practicing the winter cyclist campaign in Sweden are:
Municipality of Uppsala
Municipality of Sundsvall
Västra Götaland county (with Gothemburg, Kungsbacka e.g.)
…and more!
An important aspect for us was that the main institution in charge should be large so that purchasing materials for the campaign (tires, reflective vests and saddle covers) is cheap and easy. Smaller institutions might struggle with the task.
Others practicing the winter cyclist campaign in Sweden are:
Municipality of Uppsala
Municipality of Sundsvall
Västra Götaland county (with Gothemburg, Kungsbacka e.g.)
…and more!
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Region Gävleborg
Sweden
Mellersta Norrland
Contact
Traffic engineer