Team members from ESkişehir Metropolitan Municipality and SUM-Türkiye cycle along the proposed corridors. Photo by SUM-Türkiye.

The Center for Sustainable Transport in Turkey (SUM-Türkiye) and the Interface for Cycling Expertise (I-CE), a Dutch NGO, held its first cycling inclusive urban transport planning workshop on January 19-21 in Eskişehir, Turkey.

“Cities are for people not for cars and the cycling project will be a big move to realize our motto," Eskişehir's Social Services Director Nur Süllü said during her opening speech.

The workshop introduced the concept of cycling inclusive urban transport planning with examples from other countries. Participants also analyzed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the cycling project, created a cycling vision for the city, and developed a conceptual cycling network. Similar workshops have been held in Sakarya and Antalya.

On the last day of the workshop, participants held a cycling excursion along the proposed corridors. They concluded the workshop by developing the workplan for the next stage of the planning process.

Prior to the workshop, SUM-Türkiye and Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality teams conducted several studies to understand bicycle use in the city and to identify potential cycling corridors.

“Eskişehir has an admirable mass transport network and I believe it will be a benchmark city for cycling, as well,” SUM-Türkiye Director Sibel Bulay said at a press conference to announce the partnership on January 21.

SUM-Türkiye Transport Engineer Sefik Elbeyli presented the results of a bicycle user survey, stressing that the typical profile of bicycle users in the city is highly distinctive.

"We are at the right place and time to start a cycling project," he said.

Some highlights from the bicycle user survey:

• 706 bicycle users participated in the survey
• Age of bicyle users ranges between 13-76 (average age is 32)
• 13% of bicycle users are women (this is the highest result compared to other cities)
• 4% said they prefer bicycle to safeguard the environment (this is the highest result compared to other cities)

Below are links to related stories that appeared in the Eskişehir press and Metropolitan Municipality website:

http://www.eskisehir-bld.gov.tr/haber_dvm.php?resim_id=173

http://www.eskisehirgundem.com/index.asp?sec=1&newscatid=1&newsid=45384

http://www.haber3.com/bisikletle-butunlesik-ulasim-planlamasi-calistayi-...

http://www.sakaryagazetesi.com.tr/haber_detay.asp?gorus=128380&hab=12838...

http://www.eskisehirliyiz.biz/haber/?sec=1&newscatid=1&newsid=45384

http://www.sonhaber.com.tr/yazi.asp?id=5194&yazar=10

http://www.sonhaber.com.tr/yazi.asp?id=5197&yazar=23

http://www.eskisehir.net/haber.asp?id=2669

http://www.sondakika.com/haber-bisikletli-ulasim-calistayi-sona-erdi-248...