In May 2023, I have the pleasure to present the project »FreiRad – Voluntary cycling test for all children« at the Velo-City Conference. Our contribution was selected – we, the FreiRad project team, are very happy to disseminate the recommendations for action there – so that more young people cycle in their everyday lives in the future!
Kids cycle more, if … – What parents, schools and police can do to get kids into cycling!
If we had an ideal cycling infrastructure tomorrow, would every kid cycle? Probably not. We invited police officers, school council and parents’ representatives to discuss and prioritise what needs to be done, to get more kids to cycle.
Kids are the adults of the future: What needs to be done to enable them to cycle more?
In Austria kids are allowed to cycle on their own at the age of 10, if they passed the Voluntary Cycling Exam. So, every child should be enabled to do so: How kids move, impacts how they move as adults – with all the consequences on their health, climate and society.
If we had an ideal cycling infrastructure tomorrow, would all kids cycle?
Within the project »Voluntary Cycling Exam for all kids« we, the team of two consultants and two researchers, work on recommendations to act on: We conducted school workshops, did research and surveys, as well as workshops with various stakeholders: The 1st stakeholder workshops in June 2022 was to present research and identify obstacles and solutions together. The 2nd in November 2022 was to discuss and prioritise the outcome: Recommendations for action – our draft for discussion listed 54 recommendations grouped in 5 chapters. The two workshops were held onsite at the TU Vienna and online – to enable stakeholders from all over Austria to participate.
The need to act is clear. But where to start? With this project we aim to give concrete recommendations and create workshops for stakeholders to meet and to build alliances to act together. The project will be completed in March 2023: With the finished recommendations for action – and probably also with ideas in the team to further promote cycling for kids.
The need to act is clear. But where to start? Recommendations for actions to promote cycling for kids!
In the meantime, the 46 recommendations for action have been finalised, grouped into 6 themes and will be published soon.
»Voluntary Cycling Exam for all kids« (FreiRad – Freiwillige Radfahrprüfung für alle Kinder) is a collaboration of Elisabeth Kampel from »klarFakt«, Tadej Brezina and Lisa Gallian from »Research Center of Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering at Vienna University of Technology« and Beatrice Stude from »stape e.U. URBAN CONSULTING« commissioned by the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund, the »Klima- und Energiefonds«.
More information
- FreiRad – in German
- Velo-City Leipzig 2023