Milan’s layout makes it an easy city to cycle around; it has all the necessary characteristics to match the standards of other big European capital cities; today there are approximately 145 kilometres of cycle paths and cycle lanes and the goal is to reach 100 more by 2015.
To achieve this goal we have decided to invest over 20 million Euros into cycling projects and to create more areas where priority is given to those choosing soft forms of transport. This was why the Area C congestion charge was implemented over a year ago, it has freed the streets of 30% of traffic so as to return part of the city streets to cyclists and pedestrians. For a truly cycle friendly Milan, we need to introduce a mixture of paths and lanes, traffic islands and crossings for cyclists and pedestrians, limited traffic areas, dedicated areas and bike sharing racks and stalls. This is the path we wish to follow in the next few years. Projects such as “The green bike, Dutch Model”, presented in Palazzo Marino in conjunction with the latest Salone del Mobile which then invaded the streets and areas of the city with events dedicated to the bicycle, are focused exactly on this. Popularising any good practise and environmentally friendly ways of living as much as possible is a necessary part of the transformation which is already taking place in our city. Milan is working towards Expo 2015, an important appointment for the whole country where we want to present ourselves as an excellent model of urban mobility. Even the development of BikeMi – the Milanese bike sharing program – is an example of how Milan is changing. In one year the number of active stations has increased by 50% (from 120 in March 2012 to 180) and the number of bicycles available in less central parts of the city has exceeded the 3100 mark. With a daily average of over 4 thousand pick-ups, the people of Milan have demonstrated just how much they appreciate this scheme which also offers the possibility to purchase daily and weekly passes, perfect for those visiting the city for tourism.
Pierfrancesco Maran
Councillor for Mobility and Environment, Comune di Milano
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