Lublin’s strategic target is increasing the share of bicycle travel to 15%, which will contribute to lower air pollution and improved quality of life in the city. Although the magistrate has well-prepared documentation for a cycling policy, the policy has not been introduced. The objective of the project was to check how the provisions of those documents are implemented, and to act for change.
The analysis included 100 decisions and 9 local area development plans, to indicate the scale of violations regarding parking indicators. 23 plans and 19 finished cycling investments were checked, indicating inconsistencies with the Cycling Standards. The first measurements of cycling traffic in Lublin were conducted. Data from the public bike system and the data on cycling accidents were analysed, and recommendations for the most urgent investments were made. The monitoring results were presented, and the residents’ infrastructural needs were recorded during meetings with residents of chosen districts. In addition, a map of cycling routes was published – both in a digital and a paper version – which encouraged the residents to travel by bike. The outcomes of the project were publicised via two issues of the OIKOS magazine. The first issue was sold out during the European Mobility Week. Local activists received copies of “The Active Cyclist’s Handbook”, to aid their lobbying for the development of cycling. Implementation of the project contributed to improved quality of cycling infrastructure in Lublin – automatic cyclist detection was introduced, the existing infrastructure was repaired, and an illegal parking lot on one cycling route was liquidated. The dialogue between the public and the magistrate was renewed. It was possible to organise the first session of the Council on Cycling Traffic after a three-year break. Because one of our team members was nominated as the president’s assistant, we could not employ confrontational actions, such as community sessions of the review committee.