Sharing best practices and experience on data collecting and processing and involvement of users in order to improve planning of cycling and walking as modes of transport in urban and functional urban areas
During the last decade, the acknowledgement of the social and environmental costs that are connected to transport and mobility patterns based on individual motorised traffic has been consolidated and the shift towards more sustainable mobility is reflected in the policy instruments for the current programming period. Walking and cycling, and active mobility in general, are being supported to cover shorter distances, as it is normally required in urban and functional urban areas. However, people switching to active mobility have to deal with severely inadequate conditions of walking and cycling infrastructure,  often unaccessible, unsafe, discontinuous and not ensuring connections from point A to B. Their characteristics are completely different in the various countries, but differences are also between neighbouring cities, due to a general lack of standards in approaches and requirements recognised and applied in the EU.  Local and regional administrations - taking advantage of the funds available - are now rushing in building walking and cycling facilities, but do not fully consider all factors influencing the decision on the characteristics that the infrustructure shall have and it urgent to act. CYCLEWALK will provide  an opportunity for the local and regional administrations involved to compare and share approaches and ensure more informed decision making process on walking and cycling infrastructure, with the result of increasing the share of active mobility and low carbon mobility. Through  study visits, complemented with assessment walking and cycling tours, technical working tables with stakeholders, and the Urban Cycling Institute providing trainings and full technical and scientific advise to the technical offices and the regional experts and universities, the project will ensure taking up  of quality criteria for  proper walking and cycling infrastructure in the policy instruments and projects, implemented according to share standards.