For the last 5 years, this blog has celebrated the positive impacts bicycles have on people, places, communities and the environment.
Last year, I celebrated World Bicycle Day by going for a ride, attending the Mabo Oration and meeting Assoc. Prof. Chelsea Bond. The year before that, 2018, was the inaugural World Bicycle Day – it’s first time ever so I had an extra post looking at how it all came about. For 2020, we’ll look at the UN’s perspective of how WBD 2020 contributes to improving global health.
Happy World Bicycle Day 2020!
I hope you had a great time out and about on two wheels!
To see photos and stories from how others spent World Bicycle Day 2020 – check out #WorldBicycleDay and #JustRide
People celebrate World Bicycle Day in many ways. Some people do it on bikes, others do it for bikes. It was a delight to see the myriad ways people honoured the humble bike – riding with friends, making art, sharing music, having critical conversations, holding events and all kinds of advocating for more positive bike change.
One example was MP Jim McMahon (Oldham, UK) who wrote a letter to Oldham Council encouraging them to look towards off-road routes for future cycling and walking infrastructure projects in his local area.
The UN Perspective of World Bicycle Day
For the UN, World Bicycle Day is:
To acknowledge the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation, fostering environmental stewardship and health
In large part, this is in response to the fact that, internationally, the mobility needs of people who walk and cycle – often the majority of citizens in a city – continue to be overlooked. The UN Share the Road Programme Annual Report 2018, shows that the benefits of investing in pedestrians and cyclists can save lives, help protect the environment and support poverty reduction.
Walking and cycling continues to be a critical part of the mobility solution for helping cities de-couple population growth from increased emissions, and to improve air quality and road safety.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), safe infrastructure for walking and cycling is also a pathway for achieving greater health equity.
For the poorest urban sector, who often cannot afford private vehicles, walking and cycling can provide a form of transport while reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, diabetes, and even death.
That means bikes are not only healthy, they are also equitable and cost-effective. There are many reasons to love bikes, for example…
- Bikes are a simple, reliable, clean and environmentally sustainable means of transportation
- Bikes can serve as a tool for development and as a means not just of transportation but also of access to education, health care and sport
- The synergy between the bicycle and the user fosters creativity and social engagement and gives the user an immediate awareness of the local environment
- The bicycle is a symbol of sustainable transportation and conveys a positive message to foster sustainable consumption and production, and has a positive impact on climate
Internationally, the aim of World Bicycle Day is to:
- Encourage specific bicycle development strategies at the international, regional, national and subnational level via policies and programmes
- Improve road safety, sustainable mobility, and transport infrastructure planning and design
- Improve cycling mobility for broader health outcomes (ie preventing injuries and non-communicable diseases)
- Progress use of the bicycle as a means of fostering sustainable development
- Strengthening bike and physical education, social inclusion and a culture of peace
- Adopt best practices and means to promote the bicycle among all members of society
Regardless of the reason you ride bikes – you are in very good company!
Keep riding, be healthy and have a awesome World Bicycle Day today!
Parts of this content is taken/edited from the UN World Bicycle Day official website.