Copenhagen: Bike-Friendly City
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Copenhagen is a city like no other, and many places around the world are trying to copy what it has.
That's because it's the biking capital of the world, with bikes now numbering more than cars on the city
In 1892, Copenhagen put in its first formal bike lane, and 15 years later, the number of bikes in the city
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had increased from 2,500 to 80,000. After World War II, cars took over the roads, but with them came air
pollution, car accidents, and energy problems. During the 1970s energy crisis, the country was depending on
oil for 92% of its energy. It had had enough and decided to go green. By the 1980s, bikes had become
popular again and people were calling for more bike lanes.
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Their efforts have paid off Millions of dollars have been spent on giving bikes priority over cars. For
example, in Copenhagen, bikers keeping a speed of 12 miles per hour can travel through a string of green
lights without having to stop during rush hour. Thanks to these green waves, commute times are a lot
shorter. Now, 62% of its people bike to work and school daily, which is up 12% from 2010 and 21% from
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2004.
