When Velo-city kicks off in Canada in June 1000+ delegates will link cycling to the universal rights of the child.
The United Nation’s 'Convention on the Rights of a Child' has stated that children should develop their physical abilities to their fullest potential, respect the natural environment and have opportunities for recreational and leisure activity.
Cycling provides all these, argues the European Cyclists’ Federation, the co-organizing body of Velo-city, which takes place at the end of June in Vancouver, Canada.
Across the globe, the number of children that walk or cycle to school has decreased from 82 percent to 14 percent within the last 30 years. In the US, only 1 percent of children ride bicycles to school. Contrast this with the Netherlands. where nearly 49 percent of children cycle to school.
“By making healthier mobility a universal right, we can boost the case for governments to invest in cycling for children," said Kevin Mayne, Director of Development at the European Cyclists’ Federation.
"The more children cycle, the more parents buy bicycles too. Velo-city is the place where we will provide advocates, campaigners, politicians and planners with the tools and expertise to get more children cycling.”
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The global conference comes at a time when North America is undergoing a cycling renaissance of sorts. In Canada there has been a 42 percent increase in the number of daily bike commuters between 1996 and 2006. In the US, the share of bike trips made for the journey has risen by 50 percent between 2001 and 2009.
Bike sharing is also taking off, with schemes now in Washington DC, Montreal, Toronto and Minneapolis. New York is set to have a 10,000 strong fleet of public bicycles in place this summer and Vancouver is also looking to do the same.
“The growth in cycling in Canada and the US is in large part due to the hard work of bicycle advocacy groups supported by the bicycle industry,” said Mayne.
He is encouraging companies in the bicycle industry to join the Cycle Industry Club, which seeks to triple the number of cyclists in Europe by 2020. Big names like SRAM and Trek have already pledged funds, and are seeking €1 million for bicycle advocacy by the end of the year.
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2 comments
Interesting article, but is there any data as to the average journey distance to school in the US vs The Netherlands? The question of logistics naturally arises, but if it can be put into some better perspective it would add credibility to the info published...
billy hunt May 29th 2012 at 12:55PM
0 1Of course distances in the USA are much bigger, since everything has been design in a car-centric perspective. Once you change that perspective, things start changing. Nobody expects that mobility patterns and habits in the USA to change from night to day, but if you change the way people think, their demands will speed the change. Those that live nearby their destinations, will start cycling more, and it's no secret that prices in central areas have rised in the last couple of decades, while the "once desired" suburbs are loosing their value.
Miguel Barroso Jun 22nd 2012 at 11:17AM
0 0