Why Pakistan Should Introduce Cycling Infrastructure in Major Cities

Preamble

Cycling cannot be adopted as a mode of transport if a city is not equipped with cycling infrastructure. This blog aims to provide insights into what is cycling infrastructure and what are its inherent characteristics. Lastly, the blog will mention why cycling infrastructure should be added in major cities for achieving a more sustainable and environmentally friendly transport model.

Research Questions 

1. What is cycling infrastructure? 
2. What are the features of cycling infrastructure?
3. Does Islamabad have the capacity to incorporate cycling lanes? 
4. What can be done to introduce cycling infrastructure in Islamabad? 

Introduction

People are reluctant to adopt cycling as a means of daily transport because they do not feel safe sharing the same space with fast-moving cars. Since most modern cities are designed for cars and other motor vehicles, there are no separate bicycle lanes incorporated into the road network. In 1998, the Colombian city of Bogota built more than 300 kilometers of ‘greenways’ – protected bike routes separated from roads by trees (Bain, 2013). This massively improved the number of people who took cycling as a means of everyday travel. Every new road must include a bike lane. Cycling infrastructure is not just about bike lanes, it can also be used to promote clean and green tourism. Several businesses are also being established that promote bike-sharing for effective travel in cities, making it a sustainable option for transport systems. But to encourage people to take on cycling as a regular mode of transport requires efforts on a grass-root level by incorporating cycling into a society’s culture through education and raising awareness. 

What is Cycling Infrastructure

Cycling infrastructure includes all the infrastructure used by cyclists, including the network of roads and streets used by motorists, including bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, and sidewalks. It also includes facilities such as bike racks for parking and service centres for repairs. Specialised traffic signs and signals are also needed for the safety and security of all individuals. The safety of cycling depends heavily on how public road networks are designed, built, and managed. A good cycling network can provide users with direct and convenient routes, minimising unnecessary delays in reaching their destinations. Therefore, settlements with a dense road network and interconnected streets are the most viable for cycling environments. Cycling infrastructure is used in urban planning to encourage bicycling to relieve automobile traffic congestion and reduce pollution. In the United States, an academic analysis of eight cycle tracks found that they had increased bike traffic on the street by 75 percent within one year of installation (Christopher Monsere, 2014). Cycle tracks can be at road level or sidewalk level, and they all have some common form of separation from motor traffic with bollards, barriers, or boulevards. Lastly, cycling infrastructure is not just about cycle paths, areas for parking bicycles and keeping them safe are also necessary along with repair shops and service centers. 

Features of Cycling Infrastructure

Cycling infrastructure and equipment is designed with a primary focus on keeping the cyclists safe, and secondly, to enable smooth mobility of cyclists. The most visible aspect of a city’s cycling infrastructure is often the most expensive part to establish. An essential feature for cycling tracks is safety. Cyclists must feel secure from start to finish of their cycling trips from motorised traffic. The paths should also consist of a comprehensive network where all major areas of the city are covered within range. Cyclists need some place to store their bicycles and keep them safe; therefore, parking spaces for bicycles are also required. Another aspect is the homogeneity of infrastructure where the speed and direction guides are the same for the entire city. If cycle lanes are marked differently in different areas of the city, it could confuse the motorists and increase the chance of an accident. The infrastructure should also be distinctively recognisable from afar. The preferred infrastructure for cyclists is for cars and bicycles to have a separate path, but roads, where the speed limit is under 30km/h, can be shared by both. 

The Need for Cycling Infrastructure in Pakistan

Traffic problem in Pakistan is getting worse with every coming day, especially in big cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, and Hyderabad. The increase in traffic has also increased the number of traffic accidents, and our roads are becoming increasingly dangerous. The rising number of smoke-belching vehicles during rush hours has developed air pollution, and most of the people suffer from some form of ear, nose or throat problem. Introduction of cycling infrastructure will promote cycling as a common means of travel. As most people travel short distances locally for markets, and longer trips can be made through bus or metros, cycling can also serve as a means of modal transport where individuals travel to bus and metro stations on bicycles to continue their journey by other means. This will significantly reduce traffic on roads and will also serve as relief for the environment. (Khan, 2018)

From a governance perspective, transport in major urban centres is becoming more and more problematic due to increased population and poorly developed road networks. A lack of governance on part of the traffic police puts the daily traffic under extreme pressure creating an increased risk of accidents. Sometimes traffic signals in particular areas of the cities are also not in workable condition. The number of road accidents is also growing apart from pedestrians facing many inconveniences while crossing a road. The roads are too compact to facilitate cars, taxis, rickshaws, and other vehicles. Moreover, the poor condition of roads also contributes to traffic accidents and traffic jams. Therefore, cities need a new way to manage the increasing demand for intercity commute, ultimately reducing the number of accidents and fatalities. 

Bicycles use less space on the road and in parking areas allowing for valuable space to be added to the city environment and utilised more efficiently for other activities. Cyclists do not emit any air pollutants while most other driven vehicles emit particulate matter and harmful oxides in the atmosphere. These pollutants harm the environment and in colder weather, can form smog which is becoming an increasing health hazard in many cities. Cycling is also more affordable than buying cars; therefore, if proper cycling infrastructure is introduced in cities, those who cannot afford a car will now have an alternate mode of cheap travel. A healthier, safer, and less polluted city makes it more liveable. Furthermore, the social interaction of cyclists is different from other motorised road users. Cyclists communicate differently from car drivers in their body language and social interaction, as they are less physically separated from their immediate environment than those enclosed in a motorised vehicle. Cyclists also have a positive economic impact. 

Conclusion

Cycling infrastructure is a combination of components which work together to give cyclists an environment where they can travel safely. Not only bicycle paths, but parking areas and service centres for bicycles are also included in cycling infrastructure. Pakistan is already facing problems in transport in its major urban centres. Introduction of cycling infrastructure will not only ease the burden of traffic on roads; it will also severely reduce the environmental impact of motor vehicles. Cycling is a healthy activity which is fast becoming the future of sustainable mobility. 

Key Takeaways

1. People are reluctant to adopt cycling as a means of daily transport because they do not feel safe sharing the same space with fast-moving cars.
2. Cycling infrastructure is not just about bike lanes, and it can also be used to promote clean and green tourism.
3. To take on cycling as a regular mode of transport requires efforts on a grass-roots level by incorporating cycling into society’s culture through education and raising awareness.
4. The safety of cycling depends heavily on how public road networks are designed, built, and managed.
5. In the United States, an academic analysis of eight cycle tracks found that they had increased bike traffic on the street by 75 percent within one year of installation (Christopher Monsere, 2014).

Bibliography

Christopher Monsere, J. D. (2014). Lessons from the Green Lanes: Evaluating Protected Bike Lanes in the U.S. Retrieved from https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cengin_fac/144

Khan, A. (2018). Traffic Issues in Pakistan. Retrieved from Daily Times: https://dailytimes.com.pk/318471/traffic-issues-in-pakistan/