CYCLING AS AN URBAN DEVELOPMENT ENGINE IN MILAN

The city of Milan will invest around 250 million euros by 2035 with the bicycle plan project "Cambio" to cover the city and region (Lombardy) with a network of 750 km of cycle paths and cycle expressways. The infrastructure development aims to set far-reaching urban development impulses via the promotion of cycling; in the areas of environmental protection, quality of stay and life, safety and economic development. With the help of data analyses of daily traffic volumes, existing cycle path networks will be supplemented with supercycling corridors that will connect 133 neighbouring municipalities to the city. In total, 86% of the population and 80% of public facilities will thus be connected to a cycling route within one kilometre, which should lead to an increase in cycling mode share to 20%. Along the routes, parking facilities, signposting (physical and digital) and smart lighting systems will be installed to "prioritise" cycling as the most "convenient" mode of transport in the city. The costs for the entire project will be recouped through the savings in congestion and accidents of about one billion euros - excluding the positive effects on the health of citizens and the environment.