{"id":5990,"date":"2024-12-19T17:52:20","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T16:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/?p=5990"},"modified":"2024-12-19T17:52:20","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T16:52:20","slug":"italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Italy has produced legendary cycling champions, but it holds the last place in Europe for the number of kilometers of bike lanes. Here, the dominance of the car\u2014favored with investments and subsidies\u2014remains uncontested. The new Highway Code provides clear proof, disregarding cyclists’ safety concerns and demands for better protection. What remains is the goodwill of some mayors.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Last Place. In cycling jargon: the black jersey. Italy is the European country with the fewest kilometers of bike lanes. According to the report <\/span>Italy Is Not a Country for Bikes<\/span><\/i>, commissioned by Clean Cities, FIAB (Italian Federation for the Environment and Bicycle), Kyoto Club, and Legambiente, and based on ISTAT data, Italian cities average just 2.8 kilometers of bike lanes per 10,000 residents. This compares poorly to Helsinki\u2019s 20 kilometers, Amsterdam\u2019s 14, and Copenhagen\u2019s 8. While northern cities like Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Ferrara perform better (12 to 15 kilometers per 10,000 residents), the situation is dramatic in many central and southern cities, some of which have zero kilometers of bike lanes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Reign of Cars<\/b><\/h3>\n

Claudio Magliulo, the Italian head of the Clean Cities campaign, says: \u201cFirst, we spend too much of our tax money subsidizing private car use, and only pennies on giving everyone the chance to ride bikes. Second, our cities are still largely bike-unfriendly, and many current cycling development projects are insufficient for real progress. Third, making our cities truly bike-friendly would only cost slightly more than three billion euros\u2014the same amount we spend every three months to slightly lower diesel and gasoline prices.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Magliulo continues: \u201cMillions of Italians want the opportunity to bike safely to work, school, or for leisure. But they can\u2019t, because roads are dominated by cars and lack adequate infrastructure.\u201d He adds: \u201cEncouraging widespread and accessible bike use isn\u2019t just a priority for environmental and climate concerns; it\u2019s also part of the solution to the epidemic of pollution-related deaths and an issue of social justice and inclusion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Discussions abound about bike lane design: width, single- or two-way lanes, exclusive use or shared with pedestrians, separation or cohabitation with vehicle traffic, and helmet use. Environmental and cycling associations agree on the need to \u201ccreate a technical structure within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, with a dedicated budget, to coordinate a national cycling plan; fund bike-sharing in cities unattractive to major operators; establish a fund to promote cycling with specific tax breaks and incentives; mandate that new infrastructure projects include intermodal connections; promote bike access on regional trains with adequate space and subscription discounts; and raise awareness of the bicycle as a daily transportation option for work and school.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Here and there, some bike lanes have been built\u2014locally, often by volunteers and associations. Too often, they serve as a \u201ctoken\u201d gesture, not integrated into any broader plan, network, or program. These bike lanes, sometimes poorly maintained, deteriorate prematurely, end abruptly at curbs, or lead onto busy roads.<\/span><\/p>\n

Between 2015 and 2020, bike lanes in Italy grew by 20%, but over a third of municipalities built no new lanes or even removed some. The disparities between regions are vast: the top ten cities for bike lanes are all in the north, while the bottom of the ranking is dominated by central and southern cities. Debates about bike lane design persist: should they be marked along the roadside or separated from car and truck traffic with curbs?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Safety Issue<\/b><\/h3>\n

The most tragic aspect is safety. In 2022, 205 cyclists died on Italian roads, followed by 197 in 2023, and 86 in the first half of 2024\u2014a figure that had already risen to 166 by mid-October. \u201cIt\u2019s as if every year we lose all the participants in the Giro d\u2019Italia,\u201d remarked Giovanni Biserni, president of the Association for Road Police Supporters, referring to a study on cyclist safety conducted by the Asaps-Sapidata Observatory.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to ISTAT data from 2021, overall road deaths dropped by 59.5%\u2014from about 7,000 in 2001 to just under 3,000 in 2021. For cyclists, however, the reduction was only 37.4%. Over 60% of accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians\u2014the smallest and most vulnerable road users\u2014occur in urban areas, where countermeasures should be concentrated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Italy holds another dubious honor: it leads Europe in fatal cycling accidents, with 5.1 deaths per million kilometers cycled\u2014nearly double France\u2019s rate (2.9) and over five times the rates of Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands (0.9). Italian pedestrians fare no better: they walk the fewest kilometers and have the highest mortality rate, with five pedestrian deaths per million kilometers walked. Experts call this phenomenon safety in numbers: the more cycling and walking become the norm, the fewer serious accidents occur\u2014thanks to habits, awareness, and mutual respect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Milan exemplifies this grim trend. In 2023, nine cyclists died in the city, following seven in 2022 and six in 2021\u2014the highest numbers since 2012. This is despite a significant reduction in overall accidents (down by over 4,500 since nearly 14,000 in 2012).<\/span><\/p>\n

The situation is complex: on one hand, there\u2019s a rise in urban cycling; on the other, an increase in 30 km\/h zones and bike lanes (312 kilometers today compared to 137 in 2015). Milan\u2019s mayor and avid cyclist, Beppe Sala, acknowledges the challenge: \u201cIf we insist that bike lanes can only be built with curbs, we\u2019ll stop building bike lanes in Milan altogether.\u201d He notes that Milan is \u201ca city with narrow streets\u201d and adds: \u201cIn Europe, most bike lanes are simply marked on the asphalt.\u201d His initiatives include improving signage and traffic lights. His goal: \u201cBike lanes are important and appreciated by many Milanese, and I intend to continue building them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rome is also making moves. Its BiciPlan outlines 850 kilometers of bike lanes funded by \u20ac13 million from the Recovery Plan. Of the 15 planned sections, nine are being built, while the remaining six are promised to follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

A National Paradox<\/b><\/h3>\n

Italy\u2019s paradox is striking. It\u2019s not just the birthplace of cycling champions but also of cycling culture, literature, industries, and artisans. In the last three years, economic crises and the pandemic have driven bike sales above car sales. Italy\u2019s geography and history make it the perfect stage for a shift from four wheels to two, supported by tourism and the economy. But this potential remains unrealized, starting with the new Highway Code. While stricter penalties are planned for drivers under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or distracted by phones, proposed stronger regulations for speed limits, safety distances, and bike lanes were blocked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unclogging traffic, humanizing roads, and giving cities and metropolises room to breathe: the bicycle could help save the world. And Italy could lead the way\u2014in cycling terms, wearing the pink jersey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

BOX: When the Grand Tour of Italy Is on Two Wheels<\/b><\/p>\n

Conditions are only slightly better for cycling routes\u2014long-distance bike trails ideal for touring and bike pilgrimages. According to the \u201cState of the Cycling Tour Operators Industry 2024\u201d survey, presented by FIAB, Italy is the most popular destination for cycling holidays.<\/span><\/p>\n

Globally, most cycling tourists come from the U.S. (29%), followed by Germany (16%) and the UK (13%). Among European tour operators, German customers lead (21%), followed by Americans (20%) and Brits (14%). Cycling holidays typically last four to eight days, with European packages averaging \u20ac128 per day compared to \u20ac214 outside Europe. Tourists prefer three-star accommodations (74%) and enjoy activities like city visits (83%), natural sites (68%), cultural attractions (57%), and food and wine experiences (54%).<\/span><\/p>\n

Of the nearly 92,000 kilometers of EuroVelo routes, Italy accounts for just 5,247 kilometers. Completion rates in France, Spain, and Germany range from 90% to 91%; Italy lags at 36%.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Marco Pastonesi is a sports journalist who covered cycling and rugby for <\/span>La Gazzetta dello Sport<\/span>. He is the author of <\/span>Pantani Was a God<\/span> and <\/span>Rocky Marciano Blues<\/span> (66thand2nd), and <\/span>Spingi me senn\u00f2 bestemmio<\/span> and <\/span>Se cadono tutti vinco io<\/span> (Ediciclo). He collaborates with <\/span>Il Foglio<\/span> and <\/span>Wikiradio<\/span> (Rai Radio 3).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Italy has produced legendary cycling champions, but it holds the last place in Europe for the number of kilometers of bike lanes. Here, the dominance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7095,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[78],"class_list":["post-5990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-categorizzato"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nItalian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles - Rivista Eco<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles - Rivista Eco\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Italy has produced legendary cycling champions, but it holds the last place in Europe for the number of kilometers of bike lanes. Here, the dominance […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rivista Eco\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-19T16:52:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marco Pastonesi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marco Pastonesi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/19\\\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/19\\\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Marco Pastonesi\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/eb78dc4ad6c83c88db4cad00186e90ef\"},\"headline\":\"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-19T16:52:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/19\\\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1288,\"articleSection\":[\"Non categorizzato\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/19\\\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/19\\\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\\\/\",\"name\":\"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles - Rivista Eco\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-19T16:52:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/eb78dc4ad6c83c88db4cad00186e90ef\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/19\\\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/19\\\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/19\\\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rivista Eco\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/eb78dc4ad6c83c88db4cad00186e90ef\",\"name\":\"Marco Pastonesi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c9688ad17ad6c45665fb2c3660b67d654866fd224201426db25771d2d2010de0?s=96&d=mm&r=g2fb171aa67d05d6d65ab0e7a57982667\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c9688ad17ad6c45665fb2c3660b67d654866fd224201426db25771d2d2010de0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c9688ad17ad6c45665fb2c3660b67d654866fd224201426db25771d2d2010de0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Marco Pastonesi\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rivistaeco.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/mpastonesi\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles - Rivista Eco","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles - Rivista Eco","og_description":"Italy has produced legendary cycling champions, but it holds the last place in Europe for the number of kilometers of bike lanes. Here, the dominance […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/","og_site_name":"Rivista Eco","article_published_time":"2024-12-19T16:52:20+00:00","author":"Marco Pastonesi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Marco Pastonesi","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/"},"author":{"name":"Marco Pastonesi","@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/#\/schema\/person\/eb78dc4ad6c83c88db4cad00186e90ef"},"headline":"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles","datePublished":"2024-12-19T16:52:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/"},"wordCount":1288,"articleSection":["Non categorizzato"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/","name":"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles - Rivista Eco","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2024-12-19T16:52:20+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/#\/schema\/person\/eb78dc4ad6c83c88db4cad00186e90ef"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/2024\/12\/19\/italian-cities-arent-made-for-bicycles\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"http:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Italian Cities Aren\u2019t Made for Bicycles"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/","name":"Rivista Eco","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/#\/schema\/person\/eb78dc4ad6c83c88db4cad00186e90ef","name":"Marco Pastonesi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9688ad17ad6c45665fb2c3660b67d654866fd224201426db25771d2d2010de0?s=96&d=mm&r=g2fb171aa67d05d6d65ab0e7a57982667","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9688ad17ad6c45665fb2c3660b67d654866fd224201426db25771d2d2010de0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9688ad17ad6c45665fb2c3660b67d654866fd224201426db25771d2d2010de0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Marco Pastonesi"},"url":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/author\/mpastonesi\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7095"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5990"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6048,"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5990\/revisions\/6048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5990"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rivistaeco.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=5990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}