Milan (Italy), Paris (France), Odense (Denmark), Glasgow (UK) and, in just a few days’ time, Bruges. The UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum has been held in various cycling friendly cities since its launch in 2018 and on 25-26 October, it will be hosted for the very first time in Belgium, in the Flanders region that has been awarded with the UCI Bike Region label.
The medieval city of Bruges was broadcasted around the world during the 2021 UCI Road World Championships, when the city hosted the time trial events, and showcased its passion for cycling and its highly-developed cycling infrastructure. Hosting the Forum will be another opportunity for the city to reiterate its cycling ambitions, share examples of best practices and explore new collaborations with the cities and organisations that will be present at the Forum.
A comprehensive and interactive two-day programme
Jointly organised by the City of Bruges and EventFlanders, it will take place at the BMCC (Bruges Meeting and Convention Center) and will feature topics ranging from social inclusion, innovation in road safety and new public policies to promote cycling, in particular the European Commission’s recent European Cycling Declaration.
The Forum is hosted over two days. On the first day, participants will be able to learn from and exchange with expert speakers. New tools, policy actions and infrastructure enabling local cycling promotion will be presented.
Two particularly impactful documents will be launched during the Forum: the first Sustainability Report published by the UCI and the CycleRap report, a report by the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) on the deployment of its cycling infrastructure risk evaluation model, a pilot project that has been carried out in partnership with Fundación Mapfre, the UCI and PTV.
The second day will feature interactive workshops, led by partner organisations present in Bruges. Participants will also be able to discover the city’s cycling infrastructure, initiatives and highlights, via four different bike tours offered in the afternoon.
A host city which breathes cycling
As a pedestrian friendly city that hosts both professional cycling events and numerous cycling festivities for the general public, the city prides itself on living and breathing cycling. According to Reinout Cloet, from the Bruges Mobility Department: “Our city wants to promote cycling by making its streets bike friendly. This is done by creating cycling paths and cycling zones, improving cycling comfort throughout the entire city, and we have implemented several other cycling measures to achieve this objective.“
He adds “In Bruges we apply the STOP principle. This means that we give priority to pedestrians, cyclists, public transport and lastly, the car. Transport should be as sustainable as possible, and we design our roads in Bruges with a view to make it as easy as possible for residents to get around by foot, bike or public transport.”
In terms of infrastructure, city officials are very proud of the “Balkonrotonde”, located near Bruges train station, allowing cars to pass above cyclists and pedestrians. As a result, cyclists can easily get to other parts of Bruges without having to cross a busy main road. Air pollution [to which cyclists are exposed] is also reduced thanks to the presence of these separate lanes.
Cycling events for the general public, combined with major sports cycling events, are a key element in the city’s cycling promotion strategy. In 2023, Bruges hosted both the start of the Ronde van Vlaanderen – Tour of Flandres and welcomed more than 300 young participants to its children’s Tour of Flanders (in collaboration with De Fietsbieb and Flanders Classics). In addition, a Car Free Sunday is celebrated every year in September and regularly attracts thousands of participants to ride in the city. On the same day, the city also organises its 'Kroenkelen' walking and cycling event, which allows cyclists to discover the city's green outskirts via mapped cycle routes.
Visiting Bruges by bike during next week’s UCI Mobility & Bike City Forum is therefore well worth the effort. Reinout Cloet confirms that “our STOP vision, combined with cycling zones and car-free areas in the city centre and a UNESCO World Heritage label, makes Bruges a city where you can truly enjoy cycling while taking in the beautiful medieval scenery.”