The idea of living in a more environmentally friendly city is perhaps the brightest utopia for those concerned about the planet. Carbon emissions at this point in modernity are truly worrying. For this reason, some countries around the world are betting on encouraging their inhabitants to travel by bicycle and have adapted their cities with the most spectacular cycle lanes.
Bicycles as a means of transportation are the key to reducing the hateful pollution that is killing everything. Furthermore, with the arrival of electric bikes and skateboards, cycling culture is gradually gaining more strength.
With this, governments are forced to create safe routes for transportation on wheels. Some of the results are surprising; There are already those that have left behind the traditional lane dedicated to cyclists and have taken it to the next level; adapt the city to them.
Cities in the world with the most cycle lanes
Cuyperspassage, Amsterdam
Under Amsterdam’s main station there is one of the simplest, but at the same time modern, areas for cyclists and pedestrians.
Built by Benthem Crouwel Architects, this cycle path is a tunnel with a dual image. On the one hand, it is covered by nearly 80,000 white and blue tiles that generate lighting by reflection, and also make up a work of art. On the other side is the cycle path, with a slightly rougher texture but quite illuminated.
With a length of 110 meters, 10 meters wide and 3 meters high, its function is to connect the central part of the city with the exit to the IJ River. This cycle path is used by about 15,000 people a day.
Bicycle Snake, Copenhagen
Located in Copenhagen, Denmark, where more than 50% of the population travels by . It is a bridge for cyclists, located 7 meters high and has a length of 220 meters. Like the Cuyperspassage, it is a hybrid for pedestrians and cyclists and was built in order to solve the problem of access to the Fisketorvet shopping center.
8 House, Copenhagen
More than a bike path, this is actually a large mixed-use development. What is this? It is a home that combines different purposes such as residential, offices, hotels, shopping centers and community places, all in the same space. And yes, it also has its own bike lane, more or less. You can park your bike outside your apartment and leave the complex, just pedaling. You can even take a tour of the entire space using your bicycle without any problem.
Designed by Bjarke Ingels, it has an area of 61,000 square meters. Its main characteristic, and from which it takes its name, is that it is shaped like an eight. In addition to its super structure, it incorporates a visual and conscious identity of the green roof.
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Hovenring Bridge, Netherlands
This cycle path is one of the most surprising in the world, it marks the entrance to the cities Eindhoven and Veldhoven. It is a ring suspended from a 70-meter-high tower, supported by 24 steel cables. It presents an innovative solution to the problem of increased traffic at the intersections of two roads and guarantees the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.
Shimanami Kaido, Japan
One of the most beautiful cycle paths in the world for its views of nature, connects the cities of Onomichi and Imabara. The route is very popular among cyclists, with a total of 70 kilometers of route with incredible views.
It runs next to the car track, although at times it is lost from it to access the destinations. The road connects several islands in the area, so it crosses over the sea in some sections.
Te Ara I Whiti, Auckland
The Nordic countries are not the only ones that have cycle paths, in Oceania we also find some. One of the most recognized for its magenta color is located in Auckland, New Zealand.
Te Ara I Whiti, is a 600 meter route that tells us about the identity of its people with a magenta colored soil, it also illustrates the route with drawings of the Maori culture in some areas. Its true attraction is walking it at night: The path is illuminated by 300 fully programmable LED devices.
Hechtel Bridge, Eksel
It is a circle 100 meters in diameter and 700 meters in length. Located in the forests of Belgium. This is the first loop lane in the middle of a forest for cyclists to connect with more than just the city. The Hechtel Bridge is a structure that integrates and blends with the natural space, simply a beauty.
Van Gogh Pat, Brabant
Eindhoven is a special place, it was the place where Vincent Van Gogh lived from 1883 to 1885. To pay tribute to this great painter, Daan Roosegaarde created a cycle path inspired by “The Starry Night”, Van Gogh’s most representative work.
The starry road, located in Brabant, is 1 kilometer long and glows in the dark. Roosegaarde managed to introduce LED technology into the environment, a magical space where nature, technology, art and humans coexist.