EU's Secretive Bicycle Collaborative Endeavor Unveiled

The Handshake EU project, a European Union initiative focusing on cycling, aims to make walking and cycling safe, attractive, and accessible in various cities across Europe. With a budget of nearly five million euros and involving thirteen cities, the project is set to bring together cities with similar interests but different cultures and socio-economic contexts to learn from each other.

The project, which runs from 2018 to 2022, pairs ten 'future cycling capitals' with one of the three 'cycling capitals' for mentoring and inspiration. The three mentor cities are Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Munich, chosen for their cycling expertise and marketing efforts. The ten future cycling cities are Cádiz, Bruges, Riga, Helsinki, Manchester, Bordeaux, Krakow, Turin, Rome, and Dublin.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the project continues to offer a supportive knowledge-sharing network for the participating cities. Mario, a representative of the Handshake project, noted that cycling enthusiasts are working together using various virtual tools to continue making progress during the pandemic.

The strategy of Handshake focuses on developing and enhancing cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and public spaces that encourage safe and comfortable active mobility. The project assists cities in any stage of delivery, from planning and implementation to monitoring, with over sixty measures available for cities to draw from.

One of the key concepts of the project is mentoring, helping, and transition management. The project employs strategies such as 'transition arenas' and 'immersive study tours', where stakeholders meet regularly to discuss cycling policies and undertake visits to their mentoring city.

The project also coordinates research and implementation of innovations such as cargo bike use, tracking services for better planning, and solutions to reduce road congestion through walking and cycling. It employs 'bikeconomics', a methodology to determine the benefits of cycling, including economic, social, and environmental gains.

The Handshake project's goal is to promote cycling as an everyday mode of transport, helping cities become more livable, healthier, and less congested while contributing to sustainability and climate goals aligned with the European Green Deal.

Examples of cities making strides in this regard include Helsinki, which approved its Bicycle Action Plan 2022-2015, a comprehensive and maintained cycling network, with significant influence from its mentor city, Copenhagen. Rome has gained European recognition for its cycling measures in response to Covid-19, setting up 150km of cycling routes during the pandemic, with intentions to make these transitory lanes permanent.

Greater Manchester opened the UK's first ever 'CYCLOPS' junction, a protected signal system for cyclists, pedestrians, and motorized traffic, as part of the 'Bee Network' in the city. Krakow organized free bike services checks across the city between August and October 2020, repairing 530 bikes in total. A new bicycle and pedestrian bridge was built in Dublin over the Royal Canal.

Despite the pandemic causing delays and changes in plans, such as the postponement of 'immersive study tours', the Handshake project has not lost momentum nor progress. It will be exciting to see how the project's finale plays out.

The Handshake project, amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic, has developed a supportive knowledge-sharing network for its participating cities, extending the focus beyond cycling to include efficient use of cargo bikes, tracking services for better planning, and innovative solutions to reduce road congestion in the finance and transportation sectors.
In alignment with the European Green Deal, the Handshake project aims to promote outdoor-living and lifestyle changes, manifested in cities such as Helsinki and Rome, where cycling measures have significantly transformed urban spaces, leading to healthier, less congested, and more livable cityscapes.
Home-and-gardenlike elements are also integrated within this project, as evidenced in Dublin, where a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge was constructed over the Royal Canal, ensuring a safe, comfortable, and attractive connection between residential and recreational areas.