U-Cycle, the member of WG3 UNP, implemented the project “Cycling Infrastructure as a Response Measure for the Pandemic Transport Demand in Kyiv” with support EaP CSF COVID-19 mitigation grant during 1 December 2020 – 28 February 2021. The goal was and still is to increase urban mobility, which is especially crucial at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. As no road works could appear in winter, our activities were focused on advocacy, planning and expert support.
The Project activities were focused on advocacy and expert support for the development of safe and comfortable cycling infrastructure in Kyiv to support citizens by increasing the safety of urban mobility during COVID pandemic. Most activities were for transport experts, cycling CSOs, cycling community, representatives of City authorities: two deputy-mayors, Transport Infrastructure Department, Centre of Traffic Regulation, police, deputies of Kyiv City Council.
As a result of this project U-Cycle, in cooperation with police, local government authorities and the civil sector, took part in the development of COVID Cycling Network Action Plan – a document with cycling infrastructure development plan. A paper with plans of development cycling infrastructure in 2021 has been developed and passed to city authorities (two deputy mayors) for confirmation. It is called “Creation of Linked Cycling Network in Kyiv, plans for 2021”. It was the first time when such work was done in cooperation with all key stakeholders, creating a common basis and platform for further communication. The paper mentions more than 100 objects (streets, intersections etc.) where cycling infrastructure will be created (on part of them – could be created, some further advocacy and communication needed). 16 people took part in the workshop where the materials for the paper were worked out. One of deputy mayors took the paper as the basement of his planned program “100 km of cycling lanes in 100 days” (work name, the program is under development), which is being prepared now.
U-Cycle established closer ties and connections with newly elected members of Kyiv City Council and signed the “I Vote for Bikes” declaration. The campaign was initiated by the coalition of cycling СSOs Ukrainian Cycling Network before the local elections on October 25, 2020. It took place in 26 Ukrainian cities and amalgamated hromadas. During the campaign, cycling activists managed to sign 600 Cycling Declarations throughout Ukraine. 48 candidates for mayors and 552 candidates for deputies have declared their intentions publicly to develop cycling and sustainable urban mobility over the next five years if they won the elections.
In December, U-Cycle prepared suggestions to city budget, based on Kyiv Cycling Infrastructure Development Concept with city authorities and plans about creation of anti covid cycling lanes, presented in paper “Creation of Linked Cycling Network in Kyiv, plans for 2021”. The paper was not ready at the moment, however, some general evaluations were provided. The suggestions were sent to 12 cycling-friendly deputies of City Council, and resulted in about eighty cycling-related budget correction proposals. Most of them has been declined, but part of them resulted in raise of budget for cycling infrastructure from 6 to 23.1 million UAH. Furthermore, it resulted in the creation of a special workgroup in Kyiv City Council for further work. With that, we believe in fruitful cooperation in the future.
U-Cycle, in cooperation with Veloforum, has organized a series of educational lectures with leading transport experts “Urban mobility challenges during COVID pandemic”. The aim was to share the best European practices and knowledge regarding urban mobility to city planners and activists from the whole country. The topics covered were Traffic Accident analysis for urban planning and Planning of cycling infrastructure according to state building standards.
All videos and materials are on U-Cicle channels, so that more people can use them.
More information https://www.facebook.com/ucycle.org.ua/