White papers for a green transition

SUSTAINABLE URBAN
TRANSPORTATION
Creating green liveable cities
2 Foreword 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
It is estimated that 9 billion people will inhabit the planet by 2050 – 70% of these will
SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORTATION live in cities. The increasing urbanisation will be a challenge to cities all over the world
Creating green liveable cities and the demand for new innovative solutions within urban mobility is growing.
Version 1.0
Printed in June 2016 By integrating different modes of transportation, urban planning can address climate
and environmental issues such as private car use and congestion, for instance through
Front page photo increased public transportation and facilitating greener alternatives, which saves
Urban transportation at Dronning Louises Bro in Copenhagen both time and cost for people and society.
Photo: State of Green
An integrated approach to mobility management
Editor in Chief The key to successful mobility management is to incorporate several levels at the
State of Green same time where collaboration between both public and private actors is necessary.
Intermobility and a flexible transportation system enables people and goods to move
Steering Committee around more easily by combining alternative modes of transport. Also, the large
Cycling Embassy of Denmark Andrew Tøttrup Maddock, info@cycling-embassy.org share of renewable energy in the Danish electricity system can play an important role
Danish EV Alliance Søren Jakobsen, sja@danskenergi.dk through smart thinking and big data monitoring in an integrated system.
Danish Transport Federation Rune Noack, run@di.dk
Green liveable cities
Contributors to White Paper Cities must be built for people in order to be sustainable, healthy and liveable.
Arriva Danmark Morten Nissum Larsen, morten.nissum.larsen@arriva.dk Targeted policy-making to ensure that the residents of the city are invited to walk
Banedanmark Christina Dahrup-Andersson, cdha@bane.dk and bike as much as possible in connection with their daily activities is a strong
City and Commuter Bike Foundation* Iben Keller, ik@bycyklen.dk reinforcement of these objectives. The key is to acknowledge the importance of city
City of Aarhus* Claus Nickelsen, naturogmiljo@aarhus.dk space and city life as an attractive, informal and democratic meeting place for the
City of Aarhus* Pablo Celis, pace@aarhus.dk residents in the 21st century.
City of Copenhagen* Marie Kåstrup, mobilitetogbyrum@tmf.kk.dk
COWI* Ole Kveiborg, olek@cowi.com The world’s best country for cyclists
Danish Cyclists’ Federation* Trine Bielefeldt Stjernø, post@cyklistforbundet.dk Denmark has for many years been a frontrunner within urban mobility planning and we
Danish Road Directorate* Zofia Jagielska, zaj@vd.dk hold a strong tradition for people from all layers of society to bike and it has become an
DSB* Karin Borberg, karb@dsb.dk integral part of the Danish story. In fact, more than 60% of the people who live and work
Gehl Architects* Andreas Røhl, andreas.rohl@gehlarchitects.dk in Copenhagen commute by bike every day. The Danish companies and municipalities
Gottlieb Paludan Architects* Sten Sødring, ssj@gottliebpaludan.com therefore have the perfect conditions for testing and developing state of the art bicycle
HOE360 Consulting* Niels Hoé, niels@HOE360Consulting.dk infrastructure solutions.
Leapcraft August Ussing, au@leapcraft.dk
Movia Karen Nielsen, kar@moviatrafik.dk This white paper provides insight into the solutions that Denmark has to offer within
Rambøll* Helle Huse, hhu@ramboll.dk urban sustainable transportation. We hope you will be inspired.
Secretariat for Cycle Superhighways* Line Kildegaard Groot, linegroot@tmf.kk.dk

*Member of The Cycling Embassy of Denmark

For more information

To order copies of this white paper or receive information about other related publications,
please contact State of Green at info@stateofgreen.com

Copyright State of Green 2016

4 FOREWORD INDEX 5

SHARING SOLUTIONS INDEX

FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN 1 Historical perspective on alternative green transportation................................. 6
Developing cities for people improve the quality of urban life

TRANSPORTATION 2 Policy making for sustainable mobility.......................................................................... 8

Heading for smart and comprehensive solutions

3 Collaboration for a transition to sustainable transportation..............................10

 Creating synergies and exploiting opportunities through
collaboration between different stakeholders

Denmark’s experience shows that integrated and sustainable 4 Creating green liveable cities........................................................................................... 12
transportation can reduce CO2 emissions and be turned into an The human dimension in sustainable city planning
opportunity to create greener and more liveable cities.
5 Integrated transportation systems...............................................................................14
 Combining modes of transportation can lead to more flexible
Chair at the KR Foundation and former European
Commissioner for Climate Action (2010 – 2014). and cost-efficient transportation systems

6 Alternative modes of transportation create socio-economic benefits...........16

Our cities are growing and the need to are introducing alternative fuels to the Danish solutions to global challenges  Measuring the socio-economic benefits of alternative modes of transportation
focus on urban transportation is increas- market, research is developing new ways The best examples on urban mobility
ing. It enables trade, which is essential to make transport more energy-efficient, projects succeed in solving more than 7 Smart Mobility with car sharing and electric vehicles............................................18
for societal growth and development. But thus saving costs, and a strong focus on one problem at the time. Such holistic
A smart approach to urban transportation with renewable energy
according to the European Commission urban mobility planning is enabling a de- solutions, however, often calls for close
the transport sector accounts for almost a crease in congestion in the larger cities. In collaboration between the governments,
quarter of CO2 emissions in the EU. Almost Danish urban areas, bicycles are now pre- regions, cities, private companies, and 8 Innovative solutions in urban transportation...........................................................20
95 % of the energy consumption in the ferred, which carries a positive effect on individuals. Denmark has a long tradition Developing new solutions to solve multiple challenges
transport sector derives from oil and oil- public health. of such collaboration and we are eager to
based products. Any country striving to share our experiences and lessons learned
The Cycling Embassy of Denmark...................................................................................22
reduce the CO2 emissions must therefore However, investments in sustainable with other countries.
prioritise sustainable transport in order to transportation has to be planned over
meet their goals. long term. Decisions taken over the next State of Green.........................................................................................................................23
few years will define the landscape for
Investing in green transport decades. Congestion costs Europe 1 % of
Denmark has been able to decouple the its GDP, so investments that make better
transport sector emissions from the in- use of the infrastructure, create less con-
crease in the overall transport demand, but gestion and ensure a better traffic flow will
transformation of the transport sector will all contribute to reducing CO2-emissions
not happen overnight. New technologies from transport.
6 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON ALTERNATIVE GREEN TRANSPORTATION 7

1. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
ON ALTERNATIVE GREEN
TRANSPORTATION
Developing cities for people improve the quality of urban life
Klaus Bondam, CEO, Danish Cyclists’ Federation

In the first half of the 1900s, Danish cities grow hand in hand in the cities of Denmark public stakeholders in the transport sector
became cities of bicycles, but like the rest – the Danish tradition for urban planning. contributes to the ongoing development of
of the developed world, the cars slowly As early as 1947, a visionary urban plan for a transport system fitted for safe, secure,
took over in the 1950s and 1960s. Areas in the region of Copenhagen was published; and active mobility all over Denmark. So
cities that are car-free today were charac- the so called ‘Finger Plan’. The principles safe, that 50% of Danish school children
terised by dense traffic and car parks in the were that the distance between housing, use the bike every day.
1960s. jobs, and green areas should be as short as
possible and reachable by public transport. Combinations of bicycle and public trans-
To an extent, the history of several Danish port play a more and more crucial role in
cities unfolded in parallel with the car-ori- “History has proven that Denmark. Collaboration between various
entation found in many other western me- strategic and visionary urban stakeholders helps secure smart and effec-
tropolises. But environmental movements tive commuter behaviour, with intermobil-
and the oil crisis greatly helped to shake
planning has made the Danish ity not reliant on an individual car-culture,
the dust off the cycling culture, which in cycling culture flourish along combining various modes of transportation
the 1970s again began to appear in a pos- with public transport and road for the greenest, fastest, and healthiest
itive light in Denmark. commute. This flexibility makes it easy to
infrastructure in the second
use the bike for the first or last mile of daily
Gradually it became clear to most people half of the 1900s. Today, trips and as a result 50% of the cycled kilo-
that the solution to the problems had to Danish cities are among the metres in Denmark are either to work or
be found through city planning that gave most liveable in the world.” education. We call it ‘everyday cycling’.
space to bicycles, pedestrians and public
transport. The Danish model, with its ex- Today, Danish cities are some of the most In Denmark we have learned from the
tended network of segregated cycle lanes liveable and best planned cities in the motor vehicle congestion suffocating cities
along the roads, grew out of this realisa- world with a unique interaction between throughout the world: The solution is not
tion, which still continues to be further urban planners and politicians willing and more room for cars, but less. Innovative
developed adding an extensive network of courageous enough to make the necessary and sustainable urban mobility planning
Super Cycle Highways. But another impor- strategic choices. But also an efficient co- will in time pay for itself tenfold – bigger
tant factor made mobility and liveability operation between the many private and highways do not.

Investing in cycling infrastructure projects have been co-funded by the scheme. As a result, the
For the past 8 years the Danish Road Directorate has administered scheme has stimulated investments of more than DKK 2 billion
a subsidy scheme of DKK 1 billion known as the “Cycling Fund.” The on cycle-promotion as the Cycling Fund covers 40% of the total
goal of the Cycling Fund is to facilitate projects that can improve project costs. With support from the fund, the municipalities are
conditions for cyclists so that the bicycle becomes a more attrac- able to make long-term planning and thereby facilitate the inte-
tive, widespread, and safe form of transport for both commuting gration of new initiatives in planned projects in relation to the
and leisure all over the country. The national government can strategy.
thereby stimulate and support local initiatives through the subsidy
scheme. The fund has also fostered long term strategies and fi- Tentative evaluation results show that there has been a 24%
Photo: Erik Petersen, Polfoto
nancing of cycle projects. increase in cyclists on the new cycle tracks funded by the scheme.
One of the busiest shopping streets in Denmark, Strøget, has gone through significant changes in the past 60 years. Back in the 1950s cars
There has been a tremendous interest for the scheme; more than The Danish Road Directorate
dominated the street and pedestrians had to settle with narrow pavements. In 1962 the city council temporarily banned cars from the
1,000 applications have been submitted and 340 different cycling
street causing an outcry from the local shop owners. However, despite of protests, the car free zone became a great success and was made
permanent a few years later. Today, 50,000-80,000 people stroll Strøget every day.
8 Photo: Ursula Bach POLICYMAKING FOR SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY 9

2. POLICY MAKING FOR

SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
Heading for smart and comprehensive solutions
Morten Kabell, Mayor for Technical and Environmental Affairs, City of Copenhagen

Cities across the world experience more Integrated approach to planning resources, to extend the time horizon and
and more traffic, and everything indi- Enabling more liveable cities demands a to adjust the goals accordingly. The City
cates that it will continue to increase in smart and comprehensive approach to sus- of Copenhagen applies green accounts to
the future. This means more congestion, tainable mobility with cooperation across keep track on their progress. These tools
limited space and, thereby, decreased mo- various sectors, policy areas and levels of facilitate a constructive dialogue and offer
bility of goods and people. To combat these government as well as dialogue with citi- valuable knowledge for qualifying deci-
challenges and create sustainable liveable zens and other stakeholders. sions. It allows an overview of the overall
cities, synergies between political visions, vision and understanding of the linkages The Bicycle Account: Copenhagen - City of Cyclists The Bicycle Account serves as an important tool in the City of
plans and assessments are needed. Experience shows that when planning between the goals. Since 1996 the Bicycle Account has been published biannually as it Copenhagen’s efforts to make Copenhagen an even more bicy-
is combined with a continuous dialogue has become a very useful tool for citizens, politicians, the admin- cle-friendly city. It provides a clear indication of needs, demands
Ambitious goals with long among the politicians, the administration “Political visions guide the istration and the press. The Bicycle Account is an assessment of and tendencies that strengthen policy-making, investments and
perspectives and various private stakeholders in an city development by setting the cycling development in the City of Copenhagen. The Account green initiatives. A number of Danish cities are starting to develop
Policy making for sustainable mobility iterative manner, a dynamic development ambitious goals, followed systematically surveys the city’s cycling initiatives, analyses similar accounts in order to measure the effects of investments
can play a key role in solving some of the of achieving the goals of the vision is Copenhageners’ rating of Copenhagen as a bicycle-friendly city, over time.
current and future traffic challenges. In facilitated.
by plans, strategies and
and discusses other factors having impacts on the cycling devel-
Denmark, transport planning takes place assessments. In Copenhagen opment. The Bicycle Account relies on telephone interviews with City of Copenhagen
on national, regional and municipal levels, In contrast to traditional transport plan- our vision is to be a liveable, approximately 1,000 randomly selected Copenhageners comple-
and on each level ambitious goals with long ning, urban mobility planners are increas- mented with other figures and data from e.g. the transport habit
responsible city with an edge.”
perspectives are essential. ingly focusing on coordinating policies studies carried out by the Technical University of Denmark.
between several sectors such as land use, Creating liveable cities with sustainable
As an example, the political goals are clear environment, social policy and transport. urban mobility solutions depends on a
in the City of Copenhagen. Copenhagen When sustainable mobility planning results combination of long-term visions, an inte-
strives to become a more liveable city to in integrated solutions for urban areas, grated approach to planning and continu- Company mobility plan leads to better transport habits Ramboll focused on internal communication with information
improve the quality of life for its citizens synergies between several sectors can be ous assessments of the progress, where Mobility Management entails companies to be involved and affect about the different options in order to make them easy and acces-
through pursuing the ambitious goal of be- made. collaboration across multiple stakeholders, the way employees travel during work time, to and from work and sible as it affects the choice of transportation.
coming carbon neutral in 2025. The overall sectors and government levels is key. in their spare time.
visions for Copenhagen are adopted by the Assessing the progress More employees in Ramboll in Ørestad use bus, train and bike to
politicians and pave the way for dedicated To ensure the necessary progress towards The engineering and consulting company Ramboll work actively work after the move than before. Although the average commut-
long term plans and strategies of how the achieving the goals, it is crucial to decide with mobility management. ing distance was increased by six km, the overall CO2 emissions
goals can be complied with. whether and when to allocate more remained unchanged as employees swapped their cars for public
In connection with a relocation to a new headquarters in Ørestad in transport or cycling.
Copenhagen, transport options were decisive for the choice of lo-
cation. The new location provides great accessibility, green trans- Working with mobility ensures the company to maintain focus
portation options and good cycling facilities. on the employees’ transportation habits in order to continuously
improve and adapt to the needs of employees.
In connection with the relocation, Rambøll developed a mobility plan
with focus on motivating the employees to change their transpor- Rambøll
tation habits and promote sustainable means of transportation.
COPENHAGEN GREEN MOBILITY GOALS FOR 2025
75% of journeys in Copenhagen are done on foot, by bike or by public transport

50% of all journeys to work or education in Copenhagen are done by bike

20% more passengers using public transport compared to 2009

Public transport is carbon neutral

20-30% of all light vehicles use new fuels

30-40% of all heavy vehicles use new fuels

Source: Copenhagen Carbon Neutral by 2025
10 COLLABORATION FOR A TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION 11

3. COLLABORATION FOR A
TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE
TRANSPORTATION
Creating synergies and exploiting opportunities through
collaboration between different stakeholders
Claus Nickelsen, Head of Environment and Energy, City of Aarhus

When people travel, geographical borders More and more Danish cities have ambitious The goal of these partnerships is to make
are crossed and modes of transportation plans to be CO2 neutral in the near future. it attractive and profitable for the private
are often combined. Danish experience To achieve the goals, the cities are focusing companies and big public organisations to Business Park Skejby which seeks to give the area an attractive green profile and
shows that collaboration across borders more and more on collaborations across get involved. In return they need to share The business area in Skejby north of Aarhus houses 100 com- happier, satisfied and healthy employees. When the light rail opens
and between different stakeholders the borders of the municipality as well as knowledge and work together with each panies, academic institutions and a hospital with about 20,000 in 2017, the business park will offer an extensive network of cycling
can create valuable synergies resulting on extended public-private partnerships. other and the city on demonstration pro- people working there every day. To reduce congestion in the area, paths interlinked by bus stops and light rail stations, a bicycle
in greener and more liveable cities. The jects where the return on investment is not the companies and institutions teamed up with the City of Aarhus. library where employees can borrow different types of bicycles,
Danish approach to collaboration with “Public-private climate here and now, but in the future. an accreditation scheme as cyclist friendly company and distribu-
public and private parties is rooted in partnerships are a win-win. First, the partners conducted a transportation survey among the tion of a cycling promoting magazine. Other elements include easy
the Danish history where collaboration Within transportation the city of Aarhus employees to map the potential for reducing single car use and access to information and short cuts for cyclist, as well as a cargo
The private partners make a have people carpool, use public transportation or bike to work bike service for smaller deliveries.
has been widespread within a number of took the climate partnership to a new level
sectors and across municipalities. The profit and the City of Aarhus in 2011 when they teamed up with 9 com- instead.
collaboration approach is challenged by gets the benefits of a green panies in an industrial area in Skejby in the City of Aarhus, Aros Kommunikation
the number of different stakeholders and North of the city and became facilitator for The initiative led to the establishment of “Business Park Skejby”, og Weinreich Mobility
demonstration project.”
interests, but has also given room for new a network of companies, working together
solutions for better cycling conditions, In Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus, to find new ways to reduce congestion in
such as the Cycle Superhighways that pass climate partnerships have been created and around the business area. The Cycle Superhighways region. A secretariat facilitates the coordination between the
through more than one municipality. within a variety of different themes: The Cycle Superhighways is an inter-municipal cooperation aimed municipalities.
The collaboration ensures a common Fossil free energy, transportation, water By applying cross-border collaboration and at creating a strong net of bike paths across the Capital Region of
high quality standard for commut- & climate adaption, intelligent energy engaging in public-private partnerships, Denmark. The goal is to provide better conditions for bike commut- With a realisation of the 28 Cycle Superhighways there is a po-
ers passing through more systems, buildings & housing, and export. the municipalities, companies, and insti- ers and encourage people to choose to commute by bike through tential to reduce the number of sick days by 34,000 annually, and
than one municipality At the moment, the city has teamed up tutions were able to create synergies and new and innovative solutions. reduce car rides during rush hour by 1.4 million.
on their way to job or with over 40 climate partners from a wide exploit the different strengths of the part-
other daily businesses, range of different areas and backgrounds. ners at the same time. The Cycle Superhighways could potentially increase the number of The Cycle Superhighways have a socio-economic return of 19% -
making commuting by bike commuters in the capital region by more than 30% compared far above the Ministry of Finance’s requirement of a return of 5%
bike an easier choice. to today, making the project a key factor in the overall develop- for investments in projects on infrastructure. In comparison, the
ment of sustainable mobility. We have already experienced a 52% Danish Metro City Circle Line has a return of 3.1%. At full potential,
increase in the number of bike commuters on the Farum route since the socio-economic surplus of the Cycle Superhighways is estimat-
the opening back in 2012. ed to be EUR 978 million over a 50 year time plan from 2012.

Behind the project is a unique, inter-municipal partnership between Secretariat for Cycle Superhighways
the Capital Region of Denmark and 23 municipalities within the

52%
INCREASE IN BIKE
COMMUTERS
SINCE

2012
12 Photo: Ole Malling CREATING GREEN LIVEABLE CITIES 13

4. CREATING GREEN LIVEABLE CITIES

The human dimension in sustainable city planning
Jan Gehl, Birgitte Bundesen Svarre and Andreas Røhl, Gehl Architects

A common feature of almost all cities is healthy cities has become a general and that fulfills the aims of social sustainability
that the people who use city space in great urgent desire. All these four objectives can and an open and democratic society.
numbers have been increasingly poorly be strengthened immeasurably by increas-
treated. Limited space, obstacles, noise, ing the concern for pedestrians, cyclists Cities by people and for people
pollution, risk of accident and generally and city life in general. A unified citywide What is remarkable about the development
disgraceful conditions are typical for city political intervention to ensure that the in Denmark the last decades as well as
dwellers in most of the world’s cities – re- residents of the city are invited to walk and cities such as New York City in recent years
gardless of global location, economic via- bike as much as possible in connection with is that it reflects a growing understanding
bility and stage of development. This turn their daily activities is a strong reinforce- that cities must be designed to invite city
of events has not only reduced the oppor- ment of the objectives. life. These cities want people to walk in
tunities for pedestrianism and cycling as a city space, they recognise the importance
form of transport, but also placed the social “For decades the human of pedestrian traffic and bicyclists for sus- The new Nørreport Station - a busy urban plaza needs at the most convenient place and to create an inviting and
dimension has been an By putting cyclists and pedestrians first, conditions for all 250,000 coherent urban space.
and cultural functions of city space under tainability and health in society, and they
daily visitors to Denmark’s busiest transport hub have been im-
siege. Fortunately, now more and more overlooked and haphazardly acknowledge the importance of city space
proved dramatically. The transformation has turned the once The new station buildings feature curved, glazed facades and
cities realise the value of putting humans and city life as an attractive, informal and
first in order to create more liveable cities
addressed urban planning democratic meeting place for their resi- crammed and untidy station area into an open, liveable and mul- green roofs with PV solar panels while the 2,100 bicycle parking
and hereby increase quality of life for the topic in most cities. dents in the 21st century. ti-functional urban plaza. spaces are set 40 cm below the surrounding paving. In this way,
bikes are kept accessible and visible while ensuring unobstructed
inhabitants. Fortunately, more and more The design is inspired by the studies of people-flows across the views across the square.
Planning with human beings as the point of
cities now realise the value of square and has resulted in an open, safe and legible urban space
A necessary new planning dimension departure – and not the number of cars, the
After years of neglect of the human di- putting humans first in order number of square meters or technical spec- - without a traditional station building or main entrance. Instead, Gottlieb Paludan Architects, Cobe Architects,
the new station area boasts a number of clearly designated station Sweco, Bartenbach Lichtlabor
mension, here at the beginning of the to create more lively, safe, ifications of different transport systems
21st century we have an urgent need and – can create more sustainable cities, en- functions, evenly distributed across the square to serve peoples’
sustainable and
growing willingness to once again create vironmentally as well as economically and
cities for people. New global challenges healthy cities.” socially.
underscore the importance of far more Cities must therefore urge urban planners The City Bridge - Reconnecting the city A bicycle bridge, based on cyclists’ movements, gradients and
targeted concern for the human dimen- and architects to reinforce pedestrianism The text is adapted from the book Jan Gehl, In Odense a new bridge has improved mobility for cyclists and train curves - and a footbridge, optimised for pedestrians with wide
sion. Urban planning with a human dimen- and cycling as an integrated city policy to Cities for People (2010), Washington DC: passengers; stitching together two separated urban areas, and stairs and direct access to station platforms. Above the tracks the
sion demands focuses on the needs of develop liveable and healthy cities. It is Island Press. creating two new squares as well as a new landmark for the city. two bridges come together as one, while they split in two at the
the people who use cities. The vision of equally urgent to strengthen the social The railway lines running through the city have long served as abutments, providing the best possible ‘landing’ for the two types
ensuring more lively, safe, sustainable and function of city space as a meeting place a barrier between the harbour and the city centre, so in 2015 a of users – creating a more connected and accessible city for the
bridge was established over the track area. inhabitants.

The bridge is a piece of very functional design, intended to simply Gottlieb Paludan Architects, NIRAS, ES Consult,
extend Odense’s large network of cycle lanes, catering to cyclists’ Bartenbach Lichtlabor, Artist Anita Jørgensen
demands. Thus the bridge was really designed as two bridges:

Photo: Gehl Architects

14 INTEGRATED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS 15

5. INTEGRATED
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
Combining modes of transportation can lead to more
flexible and cost-efficient transportation systems
Michael Svane, CEO, Danish Transport Federation

Urbanisation causes increasing problems transported by both truck, train, ship and system allows free transfer between each
with traffic congestion leading to reduced vans before reaching its final destination. mode and increasing the convenience
mobility and rising CO2 emissions from road Commuting and transportation of freights for the users. Delivering post and parcels
Photo: Ursula Bach
traffic. needs to be effective, flexible, cheap, and to the last destination is often done by
environmentally sustainable. bicycle.
Congestion in one street can often be New Urban e-Mobility Most of the Bycyklen stations are located close to a train, metro or
measured throughout a city’s transpor- Planning for the future is about planning
“Focusing on sustainable
Bycyklen in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg is the world’s first elec- bus station to facilitate easy use and journey integration.
tation network, and even slight changes for intermobility, combining the best qual- integrated transportation tric smart bike-share system. It is the new generation of transport
in overall travel time can result in massive ities of various modes of transportation in systems allows for a reduction for the urban traveler combining state-of-the-art mobility, touch- Through a partnership with City of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg and
socioeconomic surpluses or deficits due to the different parts of the cities. Building
in traffic congestion in screen-computing and GPS navigation. DSB, Bycyklen has been able to implement a solution designed to
its effect on businesses’ productivity. a convenient and time-saving transport suit different types of users with a flexible pricing model depend-
system makes it possible for people to the cities, secures more ent on the type of use, through an easy-to-use solution.
Bycyklen is the “fourth leg” in the public transport, which comple-
8% of trips in the Greater Copenhagen move seamlessly between bike, bus, train, reliable travel times for the ments the already extensive infrastructure in the Danish capital,
Area are integrated transport trips, where car, and metro services. When planning mo- passengers and decreases allowing users to travel by rail, metro and bus hassle-free. City and Commuter Bike Foundation
the traveller uses a combination of bus, rail, bility, focus should therefore be on the first
car, or bicycle. The fact that many Danes in and last mile of the journey, as much as on valuable time lost when
Furthermore, it saves CO2 emissions and gives commuters and tour-
urban areas use a combination of train and the main choice of transportation. commuting, benefitting both ists the opportunity to connect the first and last mile to their journey.
bicycle is very visible near most stations, the environment and the
where the number of parked bicycles far Facilities for bikes and cars
exceeds the capacity for bicycle parking. Railway stations in the big cities in
society.”
Denmark allow great accessibility and easy Interconnected public transportation op- Køge Nord Station - A landmark for green mobility contribute significantly to meeting the transport requirements
Focus on intermobility transfer by providing both bikes and cars timises the use of urban space in a very In Køge, south of Copenhagen, Banedanmark, Køge Municipality, of the future by significantly improving the timetable with more
In Denmark, one of the solutions to the with parking facilities. When leaving the effective way. Focusing on moving com- and DSB are building Køge Nord Station. The station will be a frequent departures and by reducing the travel time to and from
challenges of congestion has been a focus car at the station and reaching their stop muters from single use of cars into other new gateway to Copenhagen for the more than 100,000 people Copenhagen considerably.
on intermobility through an integrated in the city, commuters have the possibili- more sustainable modes of transportation passing through the area daily, and a significant step on the
transportation system where people and ty to change to one of the many modes of thereby allows for a reduction in traffic commute for the expected 8,000 daily users of Køge Nord Station. The station will stand as a characteristic landmark for green mobil-
freights are moved effectively. Today, com- transportation available to them – includ- congestion in the city, secures more reli- The station will function as a hot spot for the entire Copenhagen ity and strengthen Køge’s position as a regional business develop-
muters choose between different modes ing electric city bikes with GPS navigation, able travel times for the passengers, and region and a transport hub for people travelling by car, bus, train, ment hub.
of transport and are no longer viewed indi- reliable and recurrent bus routes, rentable decreases valuable time lost in commuting and bicycle. The project consists of a 225 meter long pedestrian
vidually as a single type of commuter – be electric cars, or simply bringing your bike time. bridge, a new train station and an associated park and ride facil- Banedanmark, Køge Municipality, DSB,
it cyclists, pedestrians, drivers, or users on the train and taking the final part of your ity. The station is a part of a new electrified high speed railway COBE, DISSING + WEITLING, COWI
of public transportation. Goods are often journey by bike. An integrated payment line running from Copenhagen to Ringsted via Køge. The line will

Bringing the bike along for the commute One of the reasons for this is that the trains have been designed to
The Danish State Railways (DSB) offer commuters the possibility accommodate the bikes and that the customers have become used
to bring bikes on the trains in Copenhagen for free. By redesigning to making room for the bikes and showing consideration.
the carriages with a one-way system for easy entry and exit with
bikes, DSB have created a very popular mode of daily commuting. The flexibility in being able to bring your bike with you when taking
the train enables commuters to avoid using the car when travel-
Making room for bikes did not take place at the expense of the ling over longer distances, causing less congestion in the city and
other passengers, as the red Copenhagen trains transported a easier and faster transit for the travellers.
record 114 million customers and has not affected the timeliness,
which was 99 percent in 2015. DSB

Photo: COBE & DISSING+WEITLING

16 ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION CREATE SOCIOECONOMIC BENEFITS 17

6. ALTERNATIVE MODES OF
TRANSPORTATION CREATE
SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Measuring the socio-economic benefits
of alternative modes of transportation
Lars Green Lauridsen, Senior Vice President, COWI
Photo: Danish Cyclists’ Federation

Choosing mode of transportation has to commuting by bike instead of by car. For people. The added health benefits can be
significant socio-economic impact for so- example, for every kilometre commuted by measured on municipalities’ bottom line, Encouraging children to bike through effective campaigns The main benefits of the campaign are that more children are
cieties all over the world. Nowadays com- bike instead of by car, society saves around as less sick days in companies reduces pro- The annual All Children Cycle campaign has been assessed by COWI physically active giving positive health effects and a reduction in
muters are increasingly making a choice 1 EUR per km. In a city like Copenhagen, duction losses, in turn positively impacting and The Danish Cyclists’ Federation using the socio-economic car use.
between different kinds of transportation people use their bike so much that it com- the economic growth of cities. methodology and the unit costs developed for cycling projects.
in order to arrive at their destination in the pares to 31 times around the world every The campaign aims to make school children change their mode of The socio-economic return is more than EUR 60,000 in net present
most efficient way. Therefore, there is a single day. Cities with less developed “Denmark is known as one transport to and from school from being driven by their parents to value from an investment of EUR 330,000. This leads to a return on
need for more advanced socio-economic cycling infrastructure can potentially save of the best cycling countries using their bike for a two week period. the campaign costs of 18%, which is more than twice the return on
tools to calculate the benefits of these an even greater amount on costs, if they e.g. the fixed Fehmarnbelt tunnel return on investment.
of the world, and our cycling The campaign costs are very low and achieve very high impacts.
initiatives. manage to change mobility patterns of
even a small percentage of the citizens. infrastructure is among the The number of participants are approximately 136,000 children, COWI
In Denmark there are well developed finest in the world. Why do where a substantial part of these are ‘new’ bike users. This leads to
more than 600,000 additional bike kilometers and a reduction of
standards measuring the benefits of trans- The socio-economic effect of these initi- we do it? Because substantial 340,000 km in the parents’ car use.
port infrastructure projects to identify the atives leads directly to an improved pro-
socio-economic value. These assessments ductivity because less time is spent on the
benefits can be harvested
include various variables such as construc- daily commute. and measured throughout
tion and maintenance costs, travel time, the society when choosing The Cycle Serpent – a creative cycling solution count shows that there are more than 11,500 cycle journeys across
accidents, public health, and of course en- The single most expensive part about tra- that benefits the city and the people the Cycle Serpent every day – 15% more than expected by the City
alternative transportation.”
vironmental effects such as air quality and ditional car based mobility is the expenses The “Cycle Serpent” in Copenhagen is a great example of a costly of Copenhagen. The bridge makes up a missing link in the network
CO2 emissions. used by municipalities, regions and the Policymaking promoting alternative mo- yet effective cycling solution in Copenhagen. The project had of cycling routes in Copenhagen. Every cyclist saves 1 minute by
state, on maintaining and providing infra- bility will be the correct path for cities a cost of EUR 5 million and was partly financed by national funds not having to use the stairs, which amounts to almost EUR 2000 a
Promoting active and environmentally structure for an extremely ineffective mo- throughout the world who wish to increase and by the City of Copenhagen. The new bridge was inaugurated day – more than EUR 0.7 million a year in socio-economic benefits.
friendly mobility has socio-economic ben- bility choice. As a result, promoting alter- the quality of life for their citizens, while at in 2014 and made up the final link between Vesterbro and Islands That gives a payback time of 7 years and is thereby a great benefit
efits that can be quite substantial. The native mobility and intermobility can cause the same time supporting projects directly Brygge. Before it was built, cyclists had to stop and haul their to society.
potential benefits are perhaps most sig- significant socio-economic benefits such beneficial to the city’s economy. bicycle down two sets of stairs in order to reach the little older
nificant when changing mobility patterns as less congestion, pollution and healthier (from 2006) bicycle and pedestrian bridge “Bryggebroen”. A 2014 City of Copenhagen

1 km by car moved to bicycle = 1 EUR in socio-economic benefit

Benefits Costs

Time

Vehicle operation
Car

Health

Accidents

Air pollution and climate

Bicycle

Noise

Congestion

Other effects

Total socioeconomic cost

EUR -1 -0.75 -0.5 -0.25 0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1

A cost-benefit analysis of a 1 km cycle journey at a speed of 16 km/h in Copenhagen rush hour shows a socioeconomic benefit of 0.22 EUR
per km. In comparison, the socio-economic loss of a 1 km car journey at a speed of 50 km/h corresponds to 0.70 EUR. The total saving in cost
therefore corresponds to EUR 1 per travelled km. (Source: Copenhagen Bicycle Account 2014) Photo: Ursula Bach
18 SMART MOBILITY WITH CAR SHARING AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES 19

7. SMART MOBILITY WITH CAR

SHARING AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
A smart approach to urban transportation with renewable energy
Lærke Flader, Managing Director, The Danish Electric Vehicle Alliance

As more and more people move to urban increase safety for both vehicular traffic of electricity. Electrical vehicles play a key
areas, commuting and transportation of and bicycles. role in providing flexibility to an energy
goods will increasingly challenge the trans- system with even larger shares of renew-
port system and as a consequence increase Transportation in a sharing economy able energy, since charging the electrical
congestion and emissions. At the same By providing a wide range of different car vehicle can be moved outside of peak
time politicians and citizens are asking for sharing programs in combination with hours, without reducing the comfort of the
more “liveable cities” with greener spaces, public transportation citizens’ transporta- consumer. This brings several socio-eco-
cleaner air, biking lanes taking up space tion needs are likely to be covered, without nomic benefits due to a cheaper electricity CITS – Copenhagen Intelligent Traffic Solutions The dashboard can help categorise traffic, look for patterns and
from roads, etc. having to own a car. As a result, fewer cars production and energy savings for the end The CITS project is an innovative smart city project to improve identify long term behavioural tendencies amongst the road users.
will take up valuable space in the city for consumer. traffic flow, reduce emissions and increase safety for the cit- The data can be explored and analysed historically, presented in
To many, the answer is Smart Mobility, parking. Many car sharing programs depend izens by using big data. The objective is to enable city officials to real-time or serve as a basis for a variety of simulations that can
where existing and future technology lead on the municipalities reducing parking fees
“Danish municipalities have both monitor traffic conditions in real-time and run a variety of predict future traffic behaviour. The system makes it possible to
to more integrated and strategic ways of and/or creating dedicated parking lots, taken their first steps into the simulations. plan and test new traffic scenarios for city planners, build cause-ef-
mobility management – including big data hereof also dedicated parking lots for elec- future of smart mobility with a fect relationship, optimise traffic light timings and much more. CITS
monitoring, sharing economy, self-driv- trical vehicles, which contributes to an im- The CITS platform draws data from a network of wifi access points bring depth and richness to traffic data like never before.
variety of sustainable mobility
ing cars and e-mobility. This changes how provement of air quality in the city. that have the capability of geo-locating wifi enabled devices on
we get around and makes transportation management initiatives the streets without compromising privacy. The data is aggregat- Leapcraft, Citelum, Technical University of Denmark,
more efficient, cleaner and less space de- The flexibility potential causing less congestion and ed, anonymised and then fed back into a cloud based software Cisco, City of Copenhagen
manding. These are not only visions for the of electric vehicles easier accessibility through dashboard.
future. Cities can take the first steps today. Electric vehicles also play a key role in the
greening of the transportation sector. Not the city.”
Several municipalities in Denmark have, only do electric vehicles encourage smart With a smart approach to urban transpor-
Fully electrified car sharing about weather, events and the “rhythm” of the city is compiled
as part of their green city initiatives, em- mobility. They also enable the realisation tation where renewable energy is part of
Copenhagen serves at test platform for technologies and innova- into data, which are used to identify hotspots and positioning of
barked on different strategic intelligent of an intelligent energy system with in- the solution, the future challenges can be
tive business models. This has been proved many times before. the infrastructure needed for charging. All in all to make a public
traffic solutions. Advances in intelligent creasing amounts of fluctuating power. met.
DriveNow, in Copenhagen, is the first fully electric free floating car infrastructure suitable for use for both the car sharing scheme and
communication technologies and trans-
sharing scheme in the world, to be integrated with public transpor- the daily use of private owned electric cars. The electric car assists
port monitoring systems have for example Today, wind power accounts for more than
tation. This is indeed also a test platform to measure how electric as a modern platform, by integrating to an online travel planner
made it possible to build traffic models 40% of the Danish power generation and
cars can affect the patterns and behaviour of the passengers last and providing the possibility of using the nationwide travel card as
based on large scale data gathering in Denmark therefore has a strong focus on
mile, from bus stop to their door steps. The system conducts in- key for entering the system. This will change the intermobility of
order to reduce congestion, emissions and enhancing flexibility on the demand-side
formation about the usage and utilisation of the cars, compared Copenhagen.
with public transportation and where people live and work. Details Arriva Danmark & DriveNow
20 INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS IN URBAN TRANSPORTATION 21

8. INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
IN URBAN TRANSPORTATION
Developing new solutions to solve multiple challenges
Niels Hoé, CEO, HOE360 Consulting

If we want the cities worldwide to adapt and city development and at the same time that cater for the cyclists’ needs is another
to a future with increasing urbanisation involving the local citizens in creating a example of using familiar solutions, but in
causing massive problems with both con- more liveable city. a new context. Green waves have been
gestion and decreasing air quality, alter- used in order to make the traffic flow more
native modes of transportation is required “Innovation in an urban easily, but now, specific bicycle friendly
and getting people to adapt to these alter- context is key to create “green light waves” have been implement-
natives is necessary. sustainable cities of the ed to follow the flow from cyclists, not cars, Photo: Mikkel Østergaard
thereby increasing the effectiveness when
Political courage and a more holistic ap-
future, involving both city travelling by bike. Innovations in urban mo-
proach to innovative solutions are required development, local growth bility does not always have to be technical Small innovations to show the city cares By counting people who ride bicycles and showing it on a bicycle
to create the necessary momentum and and citizen involvement.” and complicated, often small simple new In Copenhagen, a special effort has been made towards making counter display, the city sends a signal that “every cyclist
efficiency to keep up with future needs. elements can have a large effect. the cyclists feel welcome in the city by offering them “a little counts”, thereby encouraging the choice of transport. In central
This involves both public and private stake- Existing solutions can be used to test new extra”. Small innovative solutions that make the bicycle ride more Copenhagen, the yearly count accumulates to the equivalent of
holders as well as knowledge institutions technology, such as the public transpor- Cycling is an element in creating the smart enjoyable and prove that your city cares have been implemented the Danish population passing by twice.
to be able to create truly innovative and tation that is an ideal opportunity to test city and with the many years’ knowledge city-wide, such as footrests at intersections that makes waiting at
meaningful smart urban solutions. alternative fuels. Also, implementation and experience gathered from a long tradi- red-light easy, tilted litterbins made cycling friendly, by facing the HOE360 Consulting, City of Copenhagen
of sensors creating real-time data on con- tion for cycling, the Danish companies are cyclist making it easy to get rid of your empty coffee cup without
Live test and demonstration gestions and air quality can help to foresee able to develop new innovative solutions stopping, and green waves that fits the speed of cyclists and makes
in the city and solve concrete challenges. Even small that can be integrated in different contexts the traffic flow more easily are just a few examples.
The city is the perfect demonstration site everyday-innovations can support the and solve multiple challenges. When inno-
to test new innovations to meet the needs people in the city to make the smarter vating for urban mobility, it is important to
of the growing cities and at the same time and more sustainable choice in regards to maintain a holistic view, considering the
Technical experiments mature the industry and accelerate based on slaughterhouse waste, and both 7 and 12 meter nightly
support the citizens in adapting to new transportation. environment and purposes of the city in
the green transition charged electric busses. Currently, Movia is planning tests with 12-
modes of transportation. The innovative general.
In an attempt to ensure environmental sustainability and the meter electric busses charged in the urban area in 2016. Overall,
projects are often developed in collabora- Using familiar solutions
green transition in the public transport industry, Movia has facili- these technologies reduce harmful pollutants such as CO2, NOx,
tion between private companies and the in new contexts
tated test with new technology and green solutions for busses for particles and noise among others.
municipalities creating both local growth Implementing new features around the city
many years. There is a need for public transport authorities to take
an active role by facilitating technical tests in order to support the And tests make a difference. Many of the tested technologies are
maturing of the industry and to help uncovering risks and costs. in operation today, e.g. numerous lightweight busses, eco-driving
The knowledge gained through tests is shared with the private op- and busses using CO2-free slaughterhouse waste. The many tests
erators, enabling them to offer environmentally sound solutions at and trials enable a faster transition from fossil to renewable fuel to
a more reasonable price than otherwise possible. the benefit of passengers, citizens living along the routes and the
environment as such.
In the past five years, Movia has commenced tests with hybrid
busses, gas busses, lightweight busses, midi-busses, eco-driving, Movia
different forms of biofuel for example 100% synthetic biodiesel

Photo: Troels Heien

22 23

THE CYCLING EMBASSY DENMARK – THE STATE OF GREEN

OF DENMARK Denmark has a long tradition for cycling
and alternative transportation modes in
helping customers and stakeholders reach
highly efficient and ‘smart’ solutions, while
well as an overview of the combined Danish
story within energy, climate, water and re-
the cities. In order to meet the challenges in turn developing their ability to profit sources. Danish representatives act as
of an increased urbanisation, sustainable from that knowledge. We see great oppor- hosts that both inspire and inform delega-
The Cycling Embassy of Denmark (CED) is The expertise of the CED is extremely mentioned activities in Denmark but they transportation must be an integrated part tunity for mutual benefits in the transfer of tions before they move on to on-site visits.
a comprehensive network of cycling pro- wide-spread as the CED include members can also be found all over the world giving of city planning. A flexible and smart ap- knowledge, spurring growth in both part- For more information about House of
fessionals from private companies, local in public administration (on both a local, lectures and consulting to a wide range of proach to commuting and transportation ners’ businesses – holistically, with healthy Green, please visit houseofgreen.dk
authorities, and non-governmental organ- regional and national scale), some of the professionals. of goods is necessary to meet the ambi- respect for different perspectives and
izations working together since 2009 to world’s most renown architecture firms, tions of Denmark becoming independent agendas, as well as for the environment. Experience implemented
promote cycling and communicate cycling innovative NGOs, and possibly the world’s In addition the CED awards the Leadership of fossil fuels by 2050. green solutions – live!
solutions and know-how. The members of best consultants in the field of everyday Award for Cycling Promotion each year, to Explore, learn and connect online A cornerstone of the Danish vision is to
CED represents the latest knowledge of bicycling. an individual or organization in acknowl- Denmark knows smart and sustaina- State of Green gathers all the leading inspire others and demonstrate how a
all areas related to cycling be it planning edgement of their work to promote cycling. ble urban transportation players within sustainable transportation green society is both possible and profita-
bicycle and people-friendly cities, creating Our activities The award has previous been given to In Denmark we believe that knowledge is in Denmark. Stateofgreen.com is the offi- ble – and we invite people to come see for
synergy between cycling and public trans- CED assists with the coordination of mas- Mayors, CEO´s and cycling advocates from power. To ensure that the transition to a cial platform for Denmark’s green solutions themselves. Through State of Green Tours
port, building safe infrastructure for cy- terclasses, study tours, lectures, and all over the world. greener economy is a good investment, and knowhow. The web portal is an online we offer commercial and political decision
clists like cycle tracks and bicycle bridges, guided bike tours in various Danish cities. renewable energy resources must be intel- entry point for all relevant information makers and journalists from around the
developing successful campaigns and mu- Our services target professional planners All in all the over 40 organisations in CED ligently integrated into the energy system about Danish companies and institutions world a chance to take advantage of the
nicipal policies that motivate people of all in public administrations and private com- are all working together to create more and used as alternative fuels. This requires and their expertise within Denmark’s ten lessons learned by leading Danish com-
age groups to cycle, designing urban furni- panies, local and national policy makers, re- liveable and bikeable cities around the more flexibility in the system and integrat- green strongholds. panies and institutions within the fields
ture like bicycle pumps, bike counters, and searchers, and civil society organisations. world. ed in the urban planning. of energy, water, climate adaptation and
bicycle parking facilities, and much more. CED receives over 100 foreign delegations Come visit us in House of Green environment, and to experience Danish
every year – who come to Denmark to study For more information about the Cycling Since the 70s, Danish governments have House of Green is an interactive visitors’ green solutions – live. For more information
The goal of CED is to encourage cycling cycle infrastructure and planning solutions Embassy of Denmark, please visit addressed the country’s limited natural and exhibition centre located in the heart about State of Green Tours, please visit
throughout the world and share the know- in leading Danish cities. The members con- www.cycling-embassy.dk resources, concentrating on using them of Copenhagen. House of Green uses a stateofgreen.com/tours
how that have made Denmark one of the stantly work to share their knowledge and wisely, pushing energy efficiency meas- combination of guided storytelling and
most cycling friendly nations in the world. know-how internationally – through the ures. As a nation we are known for our self-exploration to showcase green Danish
ability to collaborate and our expertise is in integrated solutions and scenarios, as

About State of Green

State of Green is a public-private partnership founded by the Danish Government, the Confederation of Danish
Industry, the Danish Energy Association, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council and the Danish Wind Industry Association.
H.R.H. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark is patron of State of Green.

As the official green brand for Denmark, State of Green gathers all leading players in the fields of energy, climate,
water, and environment and fosters relations with international stakeholders interested in learning from the Danish
experience. Connect through: www.stateofgreen.com
Photo: Mikkel Østergaard
 Learn more about Danish solutions in sustainable
transportation, find more cases from around the
world and connect with Danish expertise at:

www.stateofgreen.com/sustainable-transportation

State of Green is a non-profit, public-private partnership founded by: