What do stars, pasta and chips have in common? They’re all names for EU funded initiatives on cycling. Here’s the place to start if you want to understand this curious world of EU cycling projects.
What Are EU Cycling Projects?
Any project which promotes cycling and has received European Union funding has been included here as an ‘EU Cycling Project’. Millions of euros each year have been channelled into cycling projects in Europe; the latest major cycling project, ‘Handshake’, received just short of five million euros.
EU cycling projects generally fall into the following categories. Whilst some projects are EU wide, most focus on a selection of EU states, regions or bordering countries. Projects can cover cycling within active transport, or cycling specifically: if so, projects tend to be defined further into cycling infrastructure, campaigns, best practices or planning. The EU also provides funding for country-specific cycling schemes or businesses developing cycling innovations – we haven’t included these.
Below is a summary of the major EU cycling projects, compiled from the EU search engines of Cordis, Keep,Trimis and the EU Budget page. Whilst not an exhaustive list, it gives a good indication of what projects are out there. Links have been included where there is still an active website.
Major EU Cycling Projects:
EU Cycle (2019-2023)
- Aim: establish an online database of best practices based from 100 EU cycling projects
- EU funding: €1,060,181
- Countries involved: Europe wide
Handshake (2018-2022)
- Aim: support cycling in 10 cities by sharing best practices from champion cycling cities
- EU Funding: €4,859,093.75
- Countries involved: 13
CARMA (2010-2013)
- Aim: improve marketing and awareness of cycling
- EU funding: €1,322,100
- Countries involved: 6
PRESTO (2009-2012)
- Aim: create a policy guide on promoting cycling for everyone as a daily transport mode
- EU funding: €1,399,224
- Countries involved: Europe wide
CHIPS (2016-2019)
- Aim: Develop and promote cycle highways in cities
- EU Funding: €2,710,000
- Countries involved: 9
Cyclelogistics (2014-2017)
- Aim: encourage delivery companies to use electric cargo bikes
- EU funding: €2,276,920
- Countries involved: Europe wide
Bike2Work (2014-2017)
- Aim: influence employers to change commuters’ behaviour
- EU funding: €1,381,549.5
- Countries involved: Europe wide
VeloCitta (2014-2017)
- Aim: share information about the use of bicycle share systems
- EU funding: €1,267,601.34
- Countries involved: 5
PTP-Cycle
- Aim: provide personalised travel planning for cycling
- EU funding: €1,533,609.75
- Countries involved: 5
MOBILE2020 (2011-2014)
- Aim: increase biking in small and medium sized towns in Central and Eastern Europe
- EU funding: €1,418,463.75
- Countries involved: 11
CHAMPS (2011-2014)
- Aim: exchange cycling policies among champion cycling cities
- EU funding: €1,039,162.50
- Countries involved: 6
OBIS (2008-2011)
- Aim: optimise bike sharing in European cities
- EU funding: €1,100,736
- Countries involved: 10
Trendy Travel (2008-2010)
- Aim: use an emotive approach to promote cycling
- EU funding: €1,003,173
- Countries involved: 8
SpiCycles (2006-2008)
- Aim: make an accessible tool for cities to implement bike sharing systems
- EU funding: €1,361,363
- Countries involved: 5
BYPAD (2006-2008)
- Aim: create a bicycle policy audit tool
- EU funding: €546,022.50
- Countries involved: Europe wide
CityChangerCargo Bike (2018- 2021)
- Aim: raise awareness of the use of cargo cycles
- EU funding: €3,808,645
- Countries involved: Europe wide
BIMOBIS (2007-2013)
- Aim: increase cycling mobility between Italy and Slovenia
- EU funding: €1,500,000
- Countries involved: 2
BITS (2019-2022)
- Aim: raise awareness of best practices in ‘smart cycling’
- EU funding: €2,453,840
- Countries involved: 5
BSC (2000-2006)
- Aim: assist Baltic towns with increasing cycling in urban traffic
- EU funding: €1,363,500
- Countries involved: 6
BiciTransCat (2014-2020)
- Aim: link cycling routes along the tourist destinations in Girona to those in the Pyrénées-Orientales
- EU funding: €3,048,025.01
- Countries involved: 2
Bike Friendly Cities (2007-2013)
- Aim: boost cycling through exchanging best practices on infrastructure and services
- EU funding: €3,175,025
- Countries involved: 3
Borderless Cycling (2007-2013)
- Aim: secure political commitments for cycling in Denmark and Germany
- EU funding: €862,206
- Countries involved: 2
CYCLEWALK (2017-2021)
- Aim: support the shift from car usage to cycling and walking over short distances
- EU funding: €1,591,327
- Countries involved: 6
CYCLO (2007-2013)
- Aim: promote sustainable mobility in small and medium Mediterranean cities by integrating cycling policies into spatial planning
- EU funding: €463,377.50
- Countries involved: 6
Central Meetbike (2011- 2014)
- Aim: improve cycling in Central Europe
- EU funding: €2,271,743
- Countries involved: 3
ECO-CICLE (2018-2022)
- Aim: establish a European network for the promotion of cycle tourism in natural areas
- EU funding: €1,332,795
- Countries involved: 6
UrBike (2000-2006)
- Aim: share good practices and solutions to issues facing urban cyclists
- EU funding: €913,417
- Countries involved: 7
VELO INFO (2002-2004)
- Aim: provide a platform to exchange information on bicycle planning policies and bicycle use
- EU funding: €672,912
- Countries involved: Europe wide
E-Tour (2000-2002)
- Aim: demonstrate, evaluate and promote the advantages of electric two-wheelers in sustainable mobility in urban areas
- EU funding: €1,463,760
- Countries involved: 8
Vector (2007-2009)
- Aim: visual research into the exposure of cyclists to traffic exhausts
- EU funding: €314,483
- Countries involved: Europe wide
BITRIDE (2017-2018)
- Aim: create flexible bike sharing initiatives without fixed stations
- EU funding: €2,417,012.50
- Countries involved: Europe wide
Nordiske cykelbyer (2009-2011)
- Aim: launch a common campaign for cycling among Nordic cities
- EU funding: €810,522
- Countries involved: 3
Cyclecities (2012-2014)
- Aim: share best practices for cycling in urban settings
- EU funding: €1,304,743.90
- Countries involved: 7
Go Pedelec! (2009-2012)
- Aim: raise awareness about pedelecs among citizens and municipal decision makers
- EU funding: €1,530,774
- Countries involved: 6
PRO E-BIKE (2013- 2016)
- Aim: promote e-bikes to citizens and policy makers as an alternative to fossil fuel vehicles
- EU funding: €964,014.75
- Countries involved: 8
Bike Intermodal (2010-2014)
- Aim: reduce weight of bikes to integrate cycling within public transport
- EU funding: €1,581,000
- Countries involved: Europe wide
Major EU Active Transport Projects:
Active Access (2009 -2012)
- Aim: promote walking and cycling as a local recreation activity rather than car journeys outside of local area
- EU funding: €1,460,247.75
- Countries involved: 13
TRANSPOWER (2006-2009)
- Aim: supervise the implementation of sustainable urban transport concepts
- EU funding: €800,000
- Countries involved: 8
ASPECSS (2011-2014)
- Aim: create a system for testing road safety for cyclists and pedestrians
- EU funding: €2,355,331
- Countries involved: EU wide
MIMOSA (2008-2013)
- Aim: explore innovative solutions to sustainable mobility
- EU funding: €15,290,808
- Countries involved: 5
Transdanube.Pearls (2014-2020)
- Aim: promote sustainable mobility tourism along the Danube
- EU funding: €2,497,222.64
- Countries involved: 8
CAMP-sUmp (2016-2018)
- Aim: use SUMPs as plans for university campus mobility in the Mediterranean
- EU funding: €463,777.50
- Countries involved: 6
STARS (2013-2016)
- Aim: increase the number of pupils travelling sustainably to school
- EU funding: €1,629,607.50
- Countries involved: 9
FLOW (2015-2018)
- Aim: reduce congestion by creating opportunities for more walking and cycling
- EU funding: €3,781,696
- Countries involved: 6
TRACE (2015-2018)
- Aim: examine the potential of movement tracking to plan and promote walking and cycling
- EU funding: €2,896,984.75
- Countries involved: 8
PASTA (2013-2017)
- Aim: encourage physical activity through sustainable transport approaches
- EU funding: €5,122,539
- Countries involved: 7
SWITCH (2014-2016)
- Aim: encourage a switch from car-based to active mobility using personalised information and communication technology approaches
- EU funding: € 1,227,365.25
- Countries involved: 5
ISAAC (2016-2018)
- Aim: develop the PedBikePlanner, a tool to identify the most effective and appropriate measure to boost walking and cycling
- EU funding: €1,480,535
- Countries involved: 4
BICY (2007-2013)
- Aim: design and implement national and transnational policies for a modal shift towards walking and cycling
- EU funding: €1,633,693
- Countries involved: 8
In a Nutshell…
From emotive campaigns to personalise bicycle plans, there’s a huge range of EU cycling projects out there. It is hoped that this brief synopsis of EU projects gives you a feel for the topics covered, costs and country participation.
For more detailed information on EU cycling projects, see our articles on Top Cycling Projects, Major EU Transport Projects, Handshake and BYPAD.