Copenhagen Plans Greater Restrictions On Car Use As Cycling Surges To 49% Of Commuter Journeys

"The bicycle’s share of commuter trips in Copenhagen has risen. It increased from 43% in 2017 to 49% in 2018 – annual jumps of 6% are unusual yet Denmark’s capital city is not resting on its laurels. To improve air quality and reduce motor-traffic congestion, Copenhagen municipality’s “Cyclist Priority Plan for 2017-2025”–Cykelstiprioriteringsplanen 2017-2025–aims to get even more people on bikes. The goal had been to increase bicycle commuting journeys to 50%, and this target looks set to be exceeded this year.

However, this has not been an overnight success story: Copenhagen has been a “cycling city” for many years. The city built at least one mile of cycleway every single year from 1912 to 1969, with just a slight hiatus between 1970 and 1974, followed by an even greater building spurt between 1975 and 1985, when five miles of cycleways were installed each and every year."