İzmir Became a Pioneer City in Bicycle Transportation

In line with the goal of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer to use bicycles as a means of transportation, there has been a great transformation in bicycle transportation in İzmir in the last two years. New bicycle paths were built. The number of BİSİM stations increased to 55 and the number of bicycles in service increased to 890. While tandem and children’s bicycles were included in the fleet, İzmir set an example for Turkey in bicycle transportation with free bicycle repair stations and practices encouraging the use of bicycles in public transportation.

Adopting an environmentally friendly, economical and sustainable transportation policy against the global climate crisis, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality has implemented many infrastructure, implementation and incentive projects in the last two years to reduce motorized transportation and increase bicycle and pedestrian transportation in the city. Under the leadership of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer, who encouraged the people of İzmir to use bicycle transportation by frequently choosing bicycles for urban transportation instead of official cars, many studies were carried out to use bicycles for transportation in the city. Steps have been taken to increase cycling tourism in İzmir, which is the first city in Turkey to apply to the European Cycling Route Network EuroVelo and whose application has been officially approved. Non-governmental organizations were included in the decision-making processes. The comfort of cyclists has been considered. The number of people using bicycles as a means of transportation has gradually increased in İzmir, which was selected as the leading city in the EU-supported “Let’s Bike Türkiye” project.

Soyer: “We encourage nature-friendly transportation”
Stating that automobile-oriented solutions create a heavy traffic load, especially in city centers, and that the vehicle load in traffic increased with the pandemic, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer said, “We are carrying out a holistic and comprehensive policy in transportation, as in every field, in line with the goal of becoming a sustainable and resilient city. During the pandemic period, the value of the bicycle was better understood all over the world. It has become clear how important the space we allocate for bicycle transportation is in transportation policies. Our main goal is to promote transportation that is energy efficient, consumes less resources, is reliable, healthy, respectful of nature and accessible. We want our people to spend more time on two wheels and prefer bicycle transportation. We started the construction of new bicycle paths in many arteries within the city. We want to transport our citizens wherever they want to go with safe bicycle paths. “We are expanding the bicycle parking areas and bicycle repair stations implemented in the city center to non-central districts as well,” he said.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan was prepared for İzmir
According to the “İzmir Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan” in line with the 2030 İzmir Main Transportation Plan, which envisages a significant increase in bicycle and pedestrian transportation routes, the Metropolitan Municipality carries out studies on calmed streets and shared roads, a bicycle path design guide specific to İzmir, activities to encourage bicycle use, policies that will ensure bicycle integration with public transportation, urban infrastructure and unit arrangements for bicycle users, increasing shared bicycle stations and integrating them with public transportation, and creating safe parking spaces.

The first city from Turkey to participate in EuroVelo
Taking important steps for the development of cycling tourism, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality joined the European Bicycle Route Network (EuroVelo) in 2019. Thus, İzmir became the first city from Turkey to apply to EuroVelo, which has an annual economic size of approximately 7 billion euros, and its application was approved. It is anticipated that the 500-kilometer-long bicycle route connecting the ancient cities of Pergamum and Ephesus will also contribute to city tourism and transportation.

Selected as the leading city in bicycle transportation
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality was selected as the leading city in WRI Türkiye Sustainable Cities’ EU-supported “Let’s Cycle Türkiye” project. The campaigns developed by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality in 2020, within the scope of the program that supports municipalities that want to make bicycles a means of transportation, organize communication campaigns in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, set an example for other provinces in Turkey.

Award for bicycle paths project
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality won an award with its “Social Distance and Bicycle Paths in İzmir” project in the Healthy City Planning category at the 11th “Healthy Cities Best Practice Competition” organized by the Healthy Cities Association last year. The project was prepared to ensure that the society adopts the new urban mobility in İzmir, where social distance is maintained, with 40 kilometers of “Separated Bicycle Paths”, “Shared Bicycle Paths” and “Bicycle Lanes”.

The number of BİSİM’s stations reached 55
In order to encourage bicycle use in the city, the number of stations in BİSİM, the Smart Bicycle Rental System of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, was increased to 55. A rental bicycle system was also established for citizens living in Gaziemir, Narlıdere and Güzelbahçe districts. BİSİM, which has 373 thousand members, aims to increase the number of stations to 60 by the end of 2021.

These bicycles are the first in Turkey
A first was achieved in bicycle transportation in Turkey with tandem bicycles and children’s bicycles.  120 tandem bicycles, which allow more than one person to use a bicycle at the same time, were put into service and the obstacles to visually impaired citizens in bicycle transportation were removed. 120 children’s bicycles, two at each BİSİM station, were placed in order to support the bicycle culture from childhood and to raise generations that use bicycles. In two years, BİSİM fleet reached a total capacity of 890 bicycles, including 650 adult bicycles, 120 tandem bicycles and 120 children’s bicycles. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer gifted bicycles to 101 children on the 101st anniversary of the 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, and to 102 young people who voluntarily supported the projects of the Metropolitan Municipality on the 102nd anniversary of the 19 May Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.

New bicycle paths have been created
The bicycle path surrounding the bay has been completed. During the pandemic, approximately 15 kilometers of bicycle paths were put into service in Konak, between Şehit Nevres, Vasıf Çınar, 2. Kordon and Plevne Boulevard, in Narlıdere, between Narlıdere Center and Sahilevleri bicycle path, on Yeşildere Street side road, between Şirinyer and Basmane, and on Sevgi Yolu and Uğur Mumcu Street in Dikili.  Manufacturing works continue on Karşıyaka Aziz Nesin Boulevard, Cumhuriyet and Talatpaşa boulevards.  Planning and project work for the bicycle path continues in Gaziemir, Buca, Çeşme, Menderes, Bayındır, Tire, Bergama and Selçuk districts. The bike path, which has reached 84 kilometers in İzmir, will increase to 107 kilometers with the new regulations to be implemented.  In addition, it is planned to build 103 kilometers of bicycle paths in the short term and 248 kilometers of bicycle paths in the medium and long term.  Thus, it is aimed to increase the share of bicycles in the daily journey distribution in the city from 5 per thousand to 1.5 percent within 10 years.

Free repair stations for bicycles were established
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality took another step towards reducing motorized transportation and increasing bicycle and pedestrian transportation, placing 35 free repair stations and 50 bicycle pumps on bicycle paths. Additionally, 400 hand/foot rests were installed so that cyclists can easily stop and wait at traffic lights and intersections. In the last year, 899 bicycle parking spaces were put into service at 98 points. By the end of 2021, 20 more repair stations and nearly a hundred bicycle parking spaces will be available to citizens.

Those who ride the ferry with a bicycle in İzmir pay 5 kuruş
In order to encourage bicycle transportation in public transportation, it was decided that as of September 1, 2020, bicycle passengers will benefit from intra-gulf ferry services for 5 kuruş. Thus, the number of citizens who preferred the ferry with their bicycles increased by 30 percent.  

Bus permit for folding bikes
Obstacles preventing cyclists from benefiting from public transportation were removed one by one. While İzmir Metropolitan Municipality has installed special apparatus for carrying bicycles on buses, all new buses have bicycle apparatus. In addition, since August 26, 2019, those who have a folding bicycle in İzmir can use public buses at certain hours.

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News Source: https://www.gundemebakis.com/izmir-bisikletli-ulasimda-oncu-kent-oldu