Page 272 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 3

Environmental Sustainability and Cycling as a
Transport Mode: Best Practices

Table 2. Comparison of the Environmental Effects of Transportation Types (Base=100
is taken for automobile) (Whitelegg, 1991)
Auto- Bus Cy- Airway Railway
mobile cling
Use of space 100 10 8 1 6
Primary energy 100 30 0 405 34
consumption
CO 2 100 29 0 420 30

Nitrogenoxide 100 9 0 290 4

Hydrocarbons 100 8 0 140 2
CO 100 2 0 93 1

Total atmospheric 100 9 0 250 3
pollution
Accident risk 100 9 2 12 3

Cycling, compared to other motorized urban transport modes, is a compact
urban means of transport which offers the opportunity to directly reach the
destination from a starting point, and does not take up space in the urban
area except for its own size. Bicycles do not consume energy, besides they do
not cause any air and noise pollution, unlike the motor vehicles (Grava, 2003).
Following the traditional approaches for supply planning; modern
approaches including the management of transport demand, where the
cycling is regarded as the alternative transport mode worldwide, emerge
as the solution for urban mobility problems today. Provided that the urban
mobility focusing on the cycling and walking, which is among the most
prominent strategies of the modern urban transport planning, is planned as
an integrated way, it will contribute to the environmental sustainability of the
cities. In the scope of the modern transportation planning approach, the main
interventions for cycling are specified as follows:
• Low emission areas which include pedestrian zones, pedestrianized streets
• Bicycle routes, lanes, bicycle parking spaces
• Traffic management that gives priority to cycling
• Bicycle-sharing systems (Öcalır, 2020)
Cycling can be primarily seen as a free-time activity or sports vehicle.
According to Grava (2003), purposes of using the bicycle include a type of
toy for children, leisure entertainment, sports car, urban transportation vehicle
and vehicle used to fulfill urban services. In those times when the bicycles

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