Copenhagen recently unveiled an 11-mile bicycle superhighway, and other cities—including Santa Cruz, Calf.—are considering monorails, “pods,” and more. DetaiWhat Happened
In Copenhagen, Denmark, where nearly 50 percent of residents bike to work or school each day, a bicycle “superhighway” has been unveiled. The 11-mile road has air pumps at each mile marker, and is just one of 26 planned routes being built to promote cycling as a means of transportation.
Who Cares?
As Gov1 has recently covered, U.S. cities are finding they can improve quality of life with transportation plans that are multi-modal, accommodating pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users. These “complete streets” strategies tend to be holistic in nature, and cities are finding there are grants and funds available to support them. Copenhagen’s strategy is perhaps the most progressive—and aggressive—on the planet, and is a powerful example of municipal cooperation: 21 local governments teamed up to ensure the highway was standardized and contiguous.
Funding
Copenhagen’s bike superhighway was funded with $1.6 million from a regional development council responsible also for public hospitals. The investment is driven by statistical data: For every six miles biked instead of driven, Danes are saving three and a half pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and nine cents in health care costs. Put another way: Every mile of bike usage saves 1.5 cents in health care costs.
Efficiency & Technology
According to reports, “green wave” technology will synchronize and coordinate traffic lights to speed bikers along. Footrests and have been installed along the route, as have specially designed trash cans that are angled for bikers. Conversation lanes enable side-by-side riding, and solar-powered lights are also being installed. Additional details, features and statistics can be found at the Web site of the Cycling Embassy of Denmark.
Monorail
Interestingly, a company called Shweeb Monorail Technology recently received funding from Google for a new type of zero-emission cycling monorail, aimed at taking the urban commute off the streets and into the air. While the first installation is due in the near future, the concept of “pod” like travel seems to be catching on as a potential means of eclipsing traditional commuter rail and subway transportation.
Pods
The concept of individualized urban pod travel continues to drive high tech innovators. Within the last two years, a company called Unimodal has been developing a SkyTran system. We’ve got a copy of their proposal provided in response to the City of Santa Cruz’s RFP for a personal rapid transit system.
The SkyTran system harkens back to the personal rapid transit system built in Morgantown, WV in the mid-1970s by Boeing. Still in use today, it transports 15,000 people each day in and around West Virgina University and downtown Morgantown.
Gov1 will continue to track transportation plans and innovations as they pertain to municipal efficiency in the coming weeks. If you have ideas, experiences or insights into “complete streets” or related programs, please contact us at any time.