EU-Ministertreffen zum Radverkehr
Gesamtverkehrspolitische Integration angestrebt
Österreichischer Verkehrsminister Stöger begrüßt erstes EU-Ministertreffen zum Thema Radverkehr - Verkehrsminister beschließen Förderung des Radverkehrs
Mit dem Beschluss einer gemeinsamen Deklaration zur Förderung des Radverkehrs endete ein informelles Verkehrsministertreffen in Luxemburg. Neben Vorschlägen zur Entwicklung einer europäischen Radstrategie und für einen EU-Koordinator für den Radverkehr sprachen sich die Minister auch dafür aus, das Radfahren in die Gesamtverkehrspolitik zu integrieren. "Damit ist das Thema Radfahren endlich auf der EU-Ebene angekommen", freut sich Verkehrsminister Alois Stöger. "Ich bin der luxemburgischen Ratspräsidentschaft sehr dankbar, dass sie diesen Schritt gesetzt hat und die sanfte und gesunde Mobilität damit weiter in den Fokus rückt", so Stöger weiter.
Radfahren hat in den vergangenen Jahren - insbesondere im urbanen Raum - einen regelrechten Boom erfahren. "Das wollen wir weiter fördern. Ich freue mich, dass wir jetzt auch von europäischer Seite bei der Entwicklung multimodaler Verkehrssysteme unterstützt werden. Schließlich bringt ein optimaler Mix aus Individualverkehr und öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln spürbare Vorteile für alle", zeigt sich Stöger überzeugt.
Österreich hat bereits 2006 mit dem "Masterplan Radfahren" eine Strategie zur Förderung des Radverkehrs entwickelt. Das Ziel des Masterplans, der von Bund, Ländern und wichtigen Städten erarbeitet wurde, ist es, den Radverkehrsanteil in Österreich auf 13 Prozent zu steigern. Damit wird gegenüber 2006 (5 Prozent Radverkehrsanteil) eine jährliche Einsparung von 200.000 Tonnen CO2 und ein volkswirtschaftlicher Gesundheitsnutzen von 1,4 Mrd. Euro pro Jahr erreicht.
Das bmvit hat in den vergangenen Jahren wertvolle Erfahrungen beim Ausbau des Radverkehrs gesammelt. Die Spannweite reicht von der Verkehrssicherheitsarbeit und der freiwilligen Radfahrprüfung für Kinder, über die grundlagenorientierte Forschungsförderung zu diesem Verkehrsträger bis hin zur Verkehrsauskunft Österreich, in der das gesamte Verkehrsgeschehen bundesweit abgedeckt und über alle Verknüpfungsmöglichkeiten informiert wird. "Ich bin gerne bereit, unsere guten Erfahrungen und unsere Praxisbeispiele mit unseren europäischen Partnern zu teilen und bin mir sicher, dass wir durch eine enge europäische Vernetzung im Radverkehrsbereich interessante Impulse bekommen werden", betonte Stöger abschließend.
Quelle: http://bmvit.gv.at/presse/aktuell/nvm/2015/1007OTS0198.html
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Informal meeting of EU ministers for Transport
Luxembourg, October 7th, 2015
Declaration on Cycling as a climate friendly Transport
Mode
Preamble
Innovation
Cycling is a European success story (i). Bicycle innovation will
boost jobs and growth and support EU industry through new
technology and services(ii).
Environment
In and around Europes many growing urban centres, cycling is an
essential tool for congestion relief (iii). Both for the state and
for citizens, cycling is the most cost effective transport mode
after walking, as it produces massive positive externalities for
society at little expenditure in terms of infrastructure and
vehicles. When production, maintenance, operation and fuel are
taken into account, cycling is the most greenhouse gas efficient
transport mode of all. Considering that half of all passenger car
trips made in most European cities are shorter than five kilometres
and that more than half of all motorized cargo trips in EU cities
could be shifted to bicycles (iv), there is significant potential
to increase cyclings mode share and to improve quality of
life.
Health
Cycling benefits society. Children who cycle to school concentrate
better than those who are dropped off. Employees who cycle to work
claim fewer paid sick days. The health benefits of switching from
car commuting to bicycle commuting amply outweigh the safety risks.
Cycling also becomes safer the more cyclists there are on the road:
the 'Safety in Numbers' principle. According to conservative
estimates by the World Health Organisation, if every adult in the
EU walked or cycled for an additional 15 minutes a day, more than
100.000 premature deaths linked to insufficient physical activity
could be avoided annually. Through congestion easing, emissions and
noise reduction, public health and infrastructure cost savings,
cycling benefits even those who dont practice it.
Financing
As a network based element of multimodal mobility sustaining an
EU-wide industry, cycling can only fulfil its potential with
support from all levels (v). Through the mainstreaming of the
promotion of cycling into existing EU policy instruments (such as
Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans in the 2013 Urban Mobility
Package, Policy Orientations on Road Safety 2011-2020, CIVITAS
2020, ELTIS, URBACT and the European Mobility Week) and relevant
funding instruments (including European Structural and Investment
Funds, COSME and Horizon 2020), cycling can contribute towards
several Commission priorities, such as triggering private
investment in hundreds of thousands of sustainable jobs across all
Member States, reducing emissions and increasing energy
efficiency.
Action plan
Taking into account (1) the call of the European Parliament for an EU roadmap for cycling to be included in the Commission Work Programmevi and (2) the 2014 Paris Declaration (vii) of the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP) to develop 'a pan-European Master Plan for cycling promotion',
- Ministers and State Secretaries
call upon the Commission to consider, in full respect of the
principle of subsidiarity, the following actions:
- Integrate cycling into multimodal transport policy, including
smart mobility, stressing the need to promote physical
infrastructure and behavioural change programs.
- Develop an EU level strategic document on cycling. This
strategic document should (1) list all the goals within EU
competence that would benefit from an increase in cycling's mode
share, (2) identify EU policy and funding instruments that are
already mobilized or that should be mobilized to increase cyclings
mode share and to foster cycling related employment in the EU, and
(3) include cycling in the above EU policies and funding
instruments.
- Set up a European focal point for cycling (viii) (1) to serve
as a one-stop-shop for cycling related questions, (2) to facilitate
the exchange of best practices among Member (ix) States, notably on
cyclists' road safety, and (3) to monitor the implementation and
the impact of the EU strategy for cycling.
Ministers and State Secretaries recognize that Member States can contribute to increasing cycling's mode share by:
- Designating a national focal point for cycling to gather and
disseminate best practices within the Member State and to cooperate
with the European focal point for cycling as well as with existing
forums, such as the United Nations Transport, Health and
Environment Pan-European Programme.
- Ensuring that national transport infrastructure projects
consider and aim to strengthen international, national, regional
and local cycling networks (x).
Ministers and State Secretaries welcome initiatives by urban, local and regional authorities to:
- Include cycling in urban, local or regional projects, both as
an efficient transport mode and as a recreational activity.
- Draw on national and international best practices, co-funding
opportunities and guidelines by working with national and European
focal points for cycling and with other stakeholders.
Ministers and State Secretaries gathered in Luxembourg today are committed to promoting cycling as a climate friendly and efficient transport mode.
(i) The bicycle itself, bike-sharing and electric power assisted cycles (EPACs) were all invented in Europe. Urban design and transport experts from those Member States with the highest mode share for cycling are being commissioned to redesign public space and mobility chains all over the world.
(ii) 21 million bicycles were sold in the EU in 2014, outnumbering newly registered passenger cars by more than eight million. Public bike-share systems have been implemented in more than 800 cities on four continents. EU based manufacturers of EPAC technology lead the way in e-mobility, serving a rapidly growing global market of currently 35 million units a year. Cycling related manufacturing and services currently employ 650000 people in the EU. Doubling the current mode share of cycling would raise that number to over one million.
(iii) Compared to cars, bicycles consume seven to ten times less space while moving in urban areas, and eight to 50 times less space while parked. Given proper infrastructure, cycling is the fastest way to get from kitchen table to office desk on distances of up to five kilometers, depending on traffic congestion and parking availability. Electric bicycles even compete favourably with cars for trips of up to 10 kilometers.
(iv) Assumption of the Cyclelogistics study (EU funded): bikes or cargo-bikes can be used for private or commercial logistic trips carrying more than a handbag and less than 200kg on distances under 7km.
(v) Cycling occurs locally, but cycling concerns all policy levels. Cycle routes often cross several municipal or provincial borders, and recreational long-distance routes even cross state borders. Member States can express and define their support for local and regional cycling initiatives through cycling strategies or by improving the cooperation between the different governmental tiers; a national focal point for cycling can assist sub-national authorities with technical and funding expertise. Member States can contribute to inter-modal mobility and to a coherent cycle path network by integrating cycling into national infrastructure projects such as railway stations and roads. Member States can provide fiscal incentives to shift commuters from private cars to active mobility and public transport. With a supportive policy framework in place, local authorities are able to take more and better initiatives to increase the mode share of cycling.
(vi) 2015/2005(INI), EP Plenary vote on September 9, 2015.
(vii) www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/thepep/documents/D%C3%A9claration_de_Paris_EN.pdf
(viii) Current examples range from a designated person within a ministry or an administration to a standalone organisation, such as the Fietsberaad (NL), the Cycling Embassy (DK) or the Fahrradakademie (DE).
(ix) By means such as data collection, the coordination of a network of national focal points and practical publications.
(x) For example, TEN-T Guidelines currently include the following wording: 'When implementing projects of common interest on the TEN-T, due consideration should be given to the particular circumstances of the individual project. Where possible, synergies with other policies should be exploited, for instance with tourism aspects by including on civil engineering structures such as bridges or tunnels bicycle infrastructure for long-distance cycling paths like the EuroVelo routes'.
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Siehe auch:
www.adfc.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/eu-verkehrsminister-unterzeichnen-declaration-for-cycling
www.ecf.com/news/european-cycling-summit-milestone-in-cycling-advocacy