The Copenhagen Transformation

Copenhagen has transformed itself for cycling in ways that have direct applicability and relevance for U.S. cities.

Thirty years ago, Copenhagen’s streets and plazas were filled with motor vehicle traffic and cycling was on the decline. Kids weren’t riding or walking to school any more. Traffic crashes were reaching epidemic proportions. Sound familiar?

Thanks to very deliberate policies over the years, walking, cycling and transit have all been made much safer, more convenient and comfortable. You will be able to see first-hand how cycle tracks, bike sharing, signal timing and detection, promotion campaigns, education programs, traffic calming, enforcement, parking (more parking than you can imagine …), colored intersections and bike boxes all work together to get more people riding – and in ways that conform to the same basic engineering principles that we follow in the United States.