A eye have all noticed, but now there are even numbers to confirm: Rome has increased dramatically the number of urban cyclists usual. Numbers contained in a survey, not yet published, but that the AGI is able to anticipate, held by the Agency for services to the mobility of the Capitol. The survey, conducted during the months of April, May and June 2012, is part of the “Report 20-12, the point on cycling in Rome,” which collects the work of a team of young professionals in training the Department’s environmental policies common, and produced unexpected results: the last official survey, between 2010 and 2011, which showed a normal bike share movement of 0.4%, it has gone “suddenly” to nearly 4%, with a “fork “numerical ranges between 150,000 and 170,000 people.
The report of the pool, led by architects Roberto D’Alessandria and Maria Luigia Convertino and designer Matteo Rapisarda, has as goal-states in the preface-‘to provide an updated value and reliable on the number of current users and the frequency using the bike for movements ». For regular shifts, says the survey, means at least 5 shifts per week and here is surprising given peak: at least 40,000 people make at least 10 trips per week by bicycle. The sample, more than 5,000 interviews, was divided in both age groups both in territorial areas, the latter about four macro-zones: the limited traffic zone more Aurelian walls, railway ring; boundaries within the Great Ring Road; municipal boundaries extra Gra.
The age groups used were instead divided into three groups: young people under 24 years, adults between 24 and 60 years old over 60 years old. The greater part of the regular users of bikes, urban cyclists in full, of course, lies in the second tier, with a percentage between 6 and 7% of the Roman population. The intersection of the two components, age and region, “highlighted reads-the primacy of zone 1 (ztl more Aurelian walls), with a peak of 10% among the elderly and an overall average of 8%. This value decreases away from the center, “an average of 5.4% within the ring rail, 4.6% by Gra before rebounding in included within the municipal boundaries of 5.4%. The percentage of trips calculated, the survey warns, “is determined by the total number of cyclists,” which is projected weighted, totaled the tune of 1,001,165 people who use the bike even sporadically, “and their frequency of use of the medium, the weighted average number of trips per week declared for the rate of representativeness of each interview. The number of daily trips by bicycle was compared with the total range of trips that, in the municipality of Rome having taken-is still read-a mobility index of 2.4 trips per day per citizen. ”
The total deemed travel in Rome is measured daily in 2010, equivalent to 7 million, but according to the data of 2011, the total dropped to 5 million, thus rendering even higher-but this time, warn researchers, is controversial within the Agency mobility-the percentage of urban cyclists compared to those using other means. In 2012, we must remember, the data on registrations of cars and fuel consumption fell by 20%, while sales of bicycles has increased by 10%. Surprising results, which will not fail to provoke controversy between those who fight for measures for cycling ‘and the administration. “The increase in full-blown from the data but empirically perceived by all, occurs in the absence of policies for cycling ‘, so spontaneously and despite the lack of administrative fact-attacks Simone Dini, one of the leading figures of # salvaiciclisti and between main organizers of a demonstration of the movement, in Milan this year after last year’s success in Rome itself-on the Forum. If there are policies for cycling ‘the data would be immensely multiplied. But the trend is unstoppable, although the directors pretend nothing. ” According to Dini, you must “promote CYCLING ‘policies with truly effective, without shaking the flag of demagogic km of cycle paths to earn a consensus as easy as uninformed: it is not just a matter of protection of cyclists, as priority, but a way to start thinking about the real needs of the movement of people, and not on managing the flow of cars.
“Even before the economic crisis for the apparent increase in the number of people who have left the car to go by bike is the same reasoning Alberto Fiorillo, responsible urban areas Legambiente-weighs the most serious crisis of the Roman mobility, exacerbated rather than bad government administration from the Capitoline choice not govern at all. As you can see, people are organizing themselves, having understood only by using common sense that the car in the city is a hindrance, not a help. ” According to Fiorillo, “would suffice very few actions made with intelligence and with a minimal use of financial resources to ensure that the capital is aligned allle other major European cities, who have already discovered long as you can make mobility more healthy , safer, smoother and where the share of non-motorized is always smaller compared to those who choose to move and on foot, by bike or by public transport. ” Even Christian Avenali from a few days to elect the Lazio region in the list of Zingaretti, emphasizes the spontaneous growth of urban cyclists Romans: “given a very positive, it was already clear just going around Rome. Now the numbers confirm, and also show how citizens are far ahead of the authorities and of the choices that go to a mobility different, new. In light of this it becomes even more important that the institutions support these scelte.In region can do a lot, and put the new mobility at the center of our own. For example, along with other directors, we plan to offer free admission bikes on regional trains, but now-emphasized, the priority is not to kill people on the roads, as the cyclists have increased and adequate policies at Rome if you see the shadow. ”
The Romans appear to have left aside the traditional indolence and begin to move by bike even in the absence of dedicated policies, in short, say industry experts. But the benefit of any dedicated policies, according to Matthew Donde ‘, architect and urban planner, author of the plan CYCLING’ of Reggio Emilia, between the cities’ bikesmart “of Italy, it is clear and almost immediate:” International experience shows as developing cycling routes through the creation of a Biciplan is possible to increase the use of bicycles on the short-range, 3km, up to 30% modal use. “á If a calculation done for Milan, says Donde ‘, can be valid for Rome, “and it is, the multiplication factor for cycling policy ‘would be 4, and then from 150 to 170,000 regular users, you could go to more than 600,000.” Would also benefit, of course, air quality, “the estimate for Millano indicates a reduction around 15% of the pollution resulting from the use of motor vehicles. In economic terms equivalent, you could reach the figure of 607 million euro per year of lower network costs entirely made and success achieved. The achievement of this objective, concluded-would allow a rate of return equal to 126% of your investment.”