Description
The citizens and cyclers of Sibiu city faces a high level of traffic pollution, lack of respect from car drivers, deficient education among students on traffic rules and insufficient urban infrastructure for bicycles. The project addresses these problems in order to create a safe and pleasant environment for bikers while it also seeks to combat climate change and improve the quality of life in the local community through promoting the use of bicycles. The aim is fulfilled through education for students on cycling-related issues, promoting biking as a mean of transportation for employees, informing car drivers and bikers about traffic rules and dangers they can face on the road, installing new bike racks and marking new trails outside the city. Environmental Protection Agency Sibiu will be involved by gathering information about air pollution and making aware the targeted public about climate change. The Traffic Police Sibiu will have an important role in the street campaigns and in awareness-raising among car drivers on respecting bicycle lanes. The Rotary Club will be involved in the cycling promotion campaign among the employees of local companies.
Summary of project results
The project “Sibiu – Green Light for Bicycles” initiated by “Tura in Natura Sibiu” Association addressed a variety of challenges faced by the cyclers in Sibiu: the deficient education among students regarding traffic rules in the city; the high level of traffic pollution affecting cyclers’ health; the lack of transparency at the level of local authorities regarding the development of cycling infrastructure; the unclear traffic rules for cyclers; the lack of respect from car drivers; the insufficient urban infrastructure for bicycles; the lack of biking trails outside the city. The project’s activities sought to combat climate change and improve the quality of life in the local community by promoting the use of bicycles. Therefore, 1,405 students have been educated on cycling-related issues (benefits for environment, traffic rules, infrastructure for bicycles) and 7 working groups were organised at the level of Sibiu Town Hall and Sibiu County Council in order to influence the local urban plans and policies in favour of cyclers. At the same time, 194 employees from local companies and public institutions have been involved in coming up with joint solutions for traveling to work by bike. Another component of the project was an information campaign during which 1,090 drivers have been informed about the presence of cyclers in traffic. In order to increase the urban infrastructure for bicycles, 20 bicycles racks were installed in the city of Sibiu and 5 cycling trails were marked outside the city in a total length of 281 kilometres.
Summary of bilateral results