Home > Advocacy

More than 60 per cent of people in Copenhagen commute to work or school by bike

The Danish city leads the world in daily cycling

Photo by: @Copenhagensecrets

All across the world, more and more people are riding their bike as a primary means of transportation. In Canada, there has been a massive uptick in cycling and bike infrastructure. But nothing compares to Copenhagen, where the city government reported that 62 per cent of its residents are now commuting to work or school by bike, which is even more than 52 per cent in 2015 and 36 per cent in 2012.

A recent LA times feature included some of the many Danes who have ditched their car, for their bike. “I had a Mercedes but it sat in the garage all the time because it was so much easier to get everywhere by bike,” Soren Jensen said, a 51-year-old who works in a bank in downtown Copenhagen. Once he stopped using his car, he saved over $600 a month, as he simply didn’t need it anymore. Part of the lack of need for a bike was him moving downtown, from the suburbs.

As well as saving money, Jensen says he feels better. “The hour on the bike is time I don’t have to spend in a gym. I got healthier and look forward every day to all that fresh air. Life’s good.”

Although cycling has always been a part of Danish life, it increased dramatically in the 70s when gasoline prices surged over 200 per cent. The city now boasts an incredible amount of dedicated bike lanes all over the city, creating a safe and viable way for people to ride all-year round, despite the rainy winters.

According to the city of Copenhagen, there are more bikes (675,000) than people in Copenhagen, and five times as many bicycles as cars, which is an astonishing figure.

How to commute all year-round

Copenhagen recently pledged to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025. Part of the city’s long-term plans are to bring in even more cyclists and lower carbon emissions.