MANIFEST OF THE 1st CATALAN BICYCLE CONFERENCE

With the 1st Catalan Bicycle Conference concluded in Barcelona on June 9, 2006 , we proclaim that everyone has the right to travel by bicycle without incurring injury or damage, while enjoying the ride. We declare that the consolidation of a culture in favor of the use of the bicycle requires more promotion from all the organizations and institutions of Catalonia .

The use of the bicycle as a tool of mobility contributes to improving the quality of life. It is healthy and has numerous advantages for the individual as well as society:

•  The bicycle is a silent, clean, affordable and sustainable vehicle.

•  It helps reduce the congestion of the cities and helps to make transit safer and more fluid.

•  It improves social cohesion and offers independence and freedom.

•  It needs little room for parking and improves the quality of public spaces.

•  It is a quick mobility tool for short distances.

•  It increases the opportunities of free time, sports and tourism.

•  It improves physical and mental health because it provides moderate physical activity.

In Catalonia , the trips taken by the major part of citizens are short. The large majority of traveling is done within the city: between 60% and 90% of the trips are less than 8 km. In many cities and towns, walking and cycling are the most used means of transportation. The bicycle has great potential as a tool of mobility.

•  The participation of the bicycle in transportation can increase and improve. It can constitute an efficient method of access to public transportation.

•  The bicycle is an alternative tool of mobility to the car or motorcycle in 50% of short trips.

To develop the potential of the bicycle and make its use is attractive and safe, we must:

•  Design the urban space so the majority of traveling can be done on bicycle.

•  Recognize the value and functionality of the bicycle just like other means of transportation.

•  Improve and increase the network of cycling itineraries, in urban and interurban surroundings.

•  Increase safety against bike robberies.

•  Favor interdiscipline and multidiscipline.

•  Promote policies and bicycle promotion campaigns.

•  Physically motivate the use of the bicycle.

•  Design the infrastructure in a way that it avoids conflicts between cyclists and other users of the public roads, through the separation of the different types of transportation and/or the reduction of speed and volume of motorized transit.

•  Provide sufficient financing for posterior management and maintenance of cycling infrastructures.

•  Develop education, training and information programs. The education of all public road users, knowledge and fulfillment of the road safety standards are fundamental in increasing the safe use of the bicycle.

The Strategic Bicycle Plan in Catalonia has to intensify the promotion of the bicycle, display its potential and improve the favorable climate for the mobility in bicycle. The participants of the 1st Catalan Bicycle Conference ask all the administrations of Catalonia to approve and start to implement, in an efficient manner, and that together with the industries related to the bicycle:

•  Make an effort to achieve that traveling by bicycle is more attractive and safe.

•  Increase the infrastructures for the use of the bicycle.

•  Designate more resources to financing bicycle promotion projects.

•  Intensify collaboration with all the implicated parts, especially with the organizations of bicycle users.

We assure that our experiences are available to form a part of catalogues on policies related to the bicycle. We will work together so that the plans and good intentions of this conference create actions to achieve a better and safer use of the bicycle, inviting all people and entities to collaborate in this task. We will evaluate the results in the 2nd Catalan Bicycle Conference.