Citizens co-write new cycling plan in As
Recently, the As municipality presented its new Cycling Plan. With this plan, the former mining municipality wants to make cycling even smoother and safer. The plan came about in close cooperation between the municipality, its residents and Mobiel 21.
Cycling plan: Smoother and safer cycling
More and more people are choosing to cycle. So too in the Limburg municipality of As. The municipality wants to further reinforce this positive trend towards more sustainable, active mobility. That is why, over the past few months, it has been developing a Bicycle Plan, which should make cycling in As even smoother and safer.
"First and foremost, the Cycling Plan aims to ensure that all kinds of destinations in As remain easily accessible by bike," explains Jo Santermans, alderman for mobility in the former mining municipality. "This is why the plan provides for investments in cycling infrastructure, such as better bike paths and crossings, for example. In addition, the Cycling Plan also pays attention to the cohesion and efficiency of the cycling network, to the attractiveness, safety and comfort of cycling routes, and, finally, to the cycling culture in As. Just think of communication to promote cycling, for example," said the alderman.
Wil je eens grasduinen door het nieuwe Fietsplan van As? Dat kan!
Citizens participate and think
Of course, a Cycling Plan does not come out of the blue. For the new plan, the municipality actively cooperated with Mobiel 21. Residents were also invited to think along and participate in the policy process. Such cooperation between a municipality and its citizens is sometimes called citizen participation.
"The municipality first presented its residents with a digital survey," explains Glenn Godin, project officer at Mobiel 21. "More than 500 residents of As filled in that survey and provided information on how they usually get around, the means of transport they use, the routes they take, the bottlenecks they encounter along the way, and so on. Thanks to that input, the municipality got a good picture of how its residents view the current situation."
In a second phase, in autumn 2023, the municipality then looked ahead together with citizens. Some 15 citizens came together in a citizen panel to go through the results of the survey and reflect on the future of cycling in their municipality. "The panel was very interactive," explains Glenn. "The participants played bottleneck bingo, indicating the main areas of concern in the cycling network. Then they listed cycling routes where it is pleasant to pedal, and routes that you would rather avoid as a cyclist. The participants also thought about less obvious aspects of cycling policy, such as bicycle parking, bicycle education and bicycle promotion." All the residents' input was eventually compiled and used as the basis for the new Cycling Plan.
Cycling ambassadors steer by
In the future too, As wants to continue to involve citizens in its cycling policy, and especially in the evaluation of the plan. "To keep our finger on the pulse, and respond quickly to the needs and wishes of cycling citizens, we therefore started a community of bicycle ambassadors," said Marijke Appeltans, mobility expert at the municipality.
"These are people who applied to represent the Cycling Plan and form the bridge between the municipal administration and As' neighbourhoods. They are an approachable point of contact for their neighbourhood residents. They take fellow citizens' ideas and insights to regular consultation meetings with the mobility department." In this way, the municipality guarantees that it receives feedback from various quarters and can constantly refine and improve its cycling policy.
From plan to practice
So the Cycling Plan is not just a working document. It is a strategic guide that steers cycling policy in the right direction and lists concrete action points to make cycling in Ashes even smoother and safer. The municipality will put these action points into practice in the coming years, which will make the Bicycle Plan a little more visible for cyclists every day.
"As a cyclist, by the way, you don't have to wait to benefit from the new Cycling Plan," concludes Jo Santermans. "Indeed, as part of the plan, the municipality, together with Mobiel 21, created a handy cycling route map. Besides points of interest on the network, that map shows cool destinations, cycling nodes and planned infrastructural interventions. Anyone cycling in Ashes, from commuters to schoolchildren, can consult the cycling route map online at www.explore.maplix.com/nl/as-fietsplan. Highly recommended!"
Want to know more about citizen participation or cycling plans?
Our colleague and participation expert, Glenn Godin, is happy to tell you more. Contact him using the form below.
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