A ‘reverse congestion charge’ for cyclists has been proposed by a group of researchers at Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology as a means of promoting cycling in Stockholm.
Motorists in the city currently pay a congestion charge for driving in the city and the proposal would see cyclists receive a ‘reverse congestion charge’ in the form of points for using their bikes. The points could then be redeemed against the cost of a bike service or purchasing studded tyres for example.
“It’s all about sending the right signals,” project leader Teo Enlund, one of the leaders of the research team Green Leap at KTH Research told newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
“Those who make the jump to start cycling rather than traveling by car should get a pat on the back, not a kick in the face.”
Other proposals which the research group came up with include bicycle motorways and allowing bikes on the metro. The proposals arose from the “Pedestrian Years” project where Enlund along with doctoral students Hanna H and Mia Habibi asked some Stockholm families to live without a car for a year.
The proposed bicycle motorways would consist of two-lane cycle highways, with a lane intended for fast cyclists and another lane for those who cycle at a more leisurely pace.
As part of the study, the group identified some of the reasons why people were reluctant to cycle more, and many of the reasons were due to inadequate infrastructure. Amongst the problems identified were bike paths that come to an abrupt end, narrow bike paths and insufficient snow removal from paths.
Their ultimate goal is that 20% of all journeys in Stockholm will be carried out by bicycle by 2030.
“A completely car-free city is a utopia,” said Mia Habibi, “but the goal that more families should not need to own a car, on the other hand, is not a utopia.”
