Detailed description (English): The Municipality of Braga (MB) has the strategic goal of promoting sustainable mobility, liveability, a safe and inclusive environment. With a strong commitment to raising awareness among the population, especially children, as they are the most likely to change their behaviour, school mobility is the issue that has the greatest impact on achieving this strategic objective.
The diagnostic surveys that have been carried out to promote school mobility have also revealed that around 35% of school-age children don't know how to ride a bike.
Considering that only 1% of the population in Braga uses a bicycle as their daily mode of transport, we realise that empowering children, young people and families is fundamental to changing this paradigm. The MB therefore implemented this project first within the Area+ project, complementing the physical measures to reorganise and humanise public spaces with a view to eliminating urban barriers, promoting urban living for all and later as part of EMW during the World Car Free Day, closing a street usually with hight traffic pressure.
Having seen the success of these initiatives, the MB municipality decided to extend the initiative on a permanent basis to the entire population, with actions taking place once a month throughout the year. This programme aims to raise awareness to the use of bicycles as a means of transport, under a joint strategy with other projects that are being developed such as the “Bike Bus” and the Shared Green Deal (a pilot oriented towards the school community for the promotion of sustainable school mobility).
Target group(s): Children and the community in general
Objectives: The main aim of the project is to promote habits that improve the quality of life of the population, with a view to transforming behaviour in terms of sustainable development. The aim is to raise awareness, educate and involve children in active modes and sustainable habits, training cyclists in order to increase the number of future urban cyclists.
To enable people to experiment with alternative modes of transport, giving them the knowledge they need to use bicycles responsibly and independently. In realising this strategic objective, the following specific objectives are to be achieved:
-to train and sensitise the population to cycling
-increase the number of cyclists in the medium term
-to familiarise children and families with this mode of transport
-increase parents' confidence levels and children's autonomy in using bicycles
Partner: Get Green - Mobilidade Elétrica, Lda
Portugal