40 TRAFIK & VEJE • 2019 JANUAR

How to Accelerate Cycling Through ITS and Technology

ITS is traditionally about optimizing traffic flow, reducing the numbers of stops, and increasing speeds for cars. However, in support of the increasing interest of cities around the world to accelerate cycling as transport, cities, along with the ITS and tech industry have developed ITS solutions to optimize flow, reduce the number of stops, and increase safety for people on bicycles. This article will present some of the different solutions implemented in Denmark and make the case that such solutions could be easily implemented elsewhere to achieve common goals.

By Marianne Weinreich,

Market Manager, Smart Mobility,

Ramboll and Chairman of the

Cycling Embassy of Denmark

mwein@ramboll.dk

Cycling – the fastest growing mode in citiesIn September 2018, the Cycling Embassy

of Denmark co-hosted a debate at the ITS

World Congress with the Dutch Cycling

Embassy entitled: “Connected, Coopera-

tive and Sustainable – How Cities Can Ac-

celerate Cycling Through Intelligent Mobil-

ity Solutions.” We feel there is a need for

this discussion, since most of the transport

sector’s innovation is focused on motor-

ized transportation, even though cycling

currently is the fastest growing mode of

transport in cities.

The potential for accelerating sustain-

able, healthy, and congestion-reducing

transport such as cycling through ITS and

other intelligent solutions is huge. We want

to discuss how cities and the private sector

can work together to make sure that inno-

vations and new technologies of the future

correspond with both public authorities’

and citizens’ needs for mobility, better use

of public space, congestion, better quality

of life for citizens, better public health, a

more vibrant urban life, and reduced noise,

emissions, and pollution.

Optimizing flow, speed and safetyPolitical will to invest in a network of safe

cycling infrastructure and planning the city

for cycling is the corner stone in creating a

city where people ride bikes for transporta-

tion. Once you have that, you can acceler-

ate cycling uptake by making it even more

attractive to ride, for instance by optimiz-

ing corridor flow and speed for cyclists and

reducing the number of stops. This tech-

nique of easing the experience for drivers

has been used with cars for decades but

having to stop at an intersection is arguably

even more annoying as a cyclist who must

give up momentum in braking and subse-

quently use more energy to get back up to

speed. Transfer of this technology, already

proven to be effective in car lanes, is easily

applied to bicycle lanes.

Riding the green waveMaking sure cyclists don’t have to stop

through several intersections is called a

green wave. To ride the green wave, some

Danish cities have solutions where cyclists

are informed with signs which speed they

need to ride while others have installed

LED lights that cyclists can use to adjust

their speed to be in sync with the traffic sig-

nals. In the city of Aarhus, RFDI technology

is being tested where cyclists carrying a

RFDI chip on their bikes can even activate

the green signal phase at an upcoming in-

tersection when passing a RFDI detector

placed a certain distance in advance.

Siemens has created an app-based

system called SiBike that determines the

speed and direction of the cyclists via the

GPS sensor in their smart phone and acti-

vates upcoming green traffic signals.

Supercykelstisekretariatet (The Cycle

Superhighway Secretariat) in Greater Co-

penhagen is testing a countdown system

that allows cyclists to see when the signal

will turn green and use that information to

adapt their speed to the signals.

Giraffe by daylight at the cycle ����erhigh�����erhigh�

way

FREMTIDENS INFRASTRUKTUR OG TRAFIK

TRAFIK & VEJE • 2019 JANUAR 41

In the most optimal systems, a cyclist

would not have to activate, wear a device,

or change her/his behavior, but be auto-

matically detected and the signal dynami-

cally adapt to the actual speed of the cy-

clist.

When it rains, it’s greenIn the city of Odense, cyclists get 20 sec-

onds additional green time when it rains on

the cycle superhighway at an intersection

between the city center and the university.

A combination of a rain sensors and laser

detection of cyclists approaching the inter-

section activates the extended green time

during pre-defined conditions. The solution

is explained to the cyclists on a small sign

at the intersection and a light goes on when

they are detected, so they can see that the

system is functioning.

ITS can increase safetyAt many intersections in Denmark, there are

smaller, special traffic signals for cyclists.

They can be programmed to give cyclists

a leading phase green light to cross the

street before the cars get a green signal. By

giving cyclists a head start, conflicts with

motor vehicles are reduced.

LED studs have been used in Copen-

hagen to warn right turning truck and lorry

drivers about cyclists in the bike lane,

thereby mitigating right-turn accidents

(where truck drivers have low visibility).

The road studs flash in the driver’s side

mirror when activated by cyclists cross-

ing on green, raising awareness of the lorry

drivers.

In the City of Aarhus, dynamic signs

have been installed at an intersection as a

pilot test. The signs flash and warn cyclists

when there is a large vehicle in the right-

turn lane. The system warns the cyclist in

contrast to the system described above

where the system warns the driver. In any

case, such systems must be highly reliable

and designed so that road users are not

confused in case they fail to function.

Showing cyclists that they countDeveloping ITS solutions for cycling also

means showing cyclists that they are ap-

preciated and welcome in the city. The

approach of creating high quality tech so-

A geo-fence is a virtual perimeter for

a real-world geographic area. A geo-

fence could be dynamically gener-

ated—as in a radius around a point

location, or a geo-fence can be a

predefined set of boundaries (such as

school zones or neighborhood bound-

aries). The use of a geo-fence is called

geo-fencing (Wikipedia).

Cykelnedtælleren.

Rain sens�r in Odense.

Siemens SiBike system.

42 TRAFIK & VEJE • 2019 JANUAR

lutions for cyclists as a way of encourag-

ing cycling was first tested in Denmark in

1999-2002 during the Odense Cycle City

project.

In addition to green waves and LED

lane lights, the city and a local ITS com-

pany developed the world’s first so-called

cyclist counter, which is now implemented

in cities all over the world.

In addition to showing cyclists that they

count, the device also serves the critical

purpose of providing the city with valuable

data about cyclists every day. To succeed

in the former, it is important that the count-

ing mechanism is installed at a sufficient

distance ahead of the counter display so

that the cyclist can see her- or himself be-

ing counted.

The Cycling Embassy of Denmark is

a comprehensive network of cycling

professionals from private companies,

local authorities and non-governmen-

tal organizations, working together to

promote cycling and share our know-

how and expertise in cycling.

Sign and reacti�n light in Intersecti�n with rain sens�r in Odense.

Tiger �n the cycling ����erhighway.

App technology and cyclingSince 2002, when the first cyclist counter

was installed in Odense, a technological

revolution has taken place and, with the

introduction of the smart phone and apps,

using technology to accelerate cycling has

entered a new era.

Wayfinding apps for cyclists with the

possibility to choose the fastest, safest,

greenest or even happiest route are avail-

able. Tracking and gamification apps,

where one can win prizes or collect points

to get coffee or discounts at local shops

by cycling, are being used to promote cy-

cling and collect data in cities all over the

world. App technology has made dock-

less bikeshare possible and, subsequently,

attempts to solve some problems arising

from the increase of dock-less bikeshare

systems are being made using technology

such as geofencing.

MultimodalityThe European Commission has named

2018 the Year �f Multim�dality. Technology

plays a big part in making a multi-modal

TRAFIK & VEJE • 2019 JANUAR 43

lifestyle easy. The Cycle Superhighway

Secretariat in Copenhagen has worked

with the Danish travel planner service Re�

jse�lanen to develop new features that

make it easier to combine longer bicycle

rides with public transportation. The main

purpose is to test different solutions that

may reduce the barriers experienced when

shifting between public transport and a

long bicycle ride. The project focuses on

multi-modal journeys where the journey by

bicycle is longer than five kilometers (three

miles). This typically involves journeys that

go beyond the normal bike ride to the near-

est bus stop or train station. In Denmark,

there has not been a lot of focus on these

types of trips, where the commuter wishes

to travel further by bike, even though there

are other options available.

Cycle ZooperhighwayIn Egedal, a small Danish town, technology

and African animals have been used to mo-

tivate local kids to bike to school and wear

a helmet; they have created the world’s first

cycle ����erhighway. Along the 2.3 km

(1.4 mile) school route, nine different ani-

mal sculptures have been installed. Lights

in the animals can be activated by the

children if they have an RFDI chip on their

bike helmet. The project idea has been de-

veloped with the school children and the

purpose is to create an incentive to bike to

school, create a better school route experi-

ence, and make the children feel safer.

Make it about peopleThere is no doubt that technology and

ITS will play a big role in planning for and

accelerating cycling in the future. At the

Cycling Embassy, we are engaged in the

debate about autonomous vehicles’ im-

pact on cycling, the potential for cycling as

part of MaaS solutions, space optimization

through advanced cycle planning tools,

data management for bicycle traffic, and

more. We are excited about the huge po-

tentials technological development holds.

At the same time, we urge that the devel-

opment of new solutions will focus on how

tech can help make cycling more attractive

and easier for people and help cities reach

their goals for a more safe, sustainable, liv-

able, climate friendly, green, effective and

healthy city.█ The W�rld’s first cyclist c�unter in Odense 2002.