Carnival of bicycles

What kind of carnival is this?

Biking is one of the most enjoyable and sustainable activities for the people of Stockholm. This year the ‘train’ of bicycles was assembled and rolled through the city centre on 18 September. It is a demonstration to showcase the bicycle community’s values and get together in this lovely autumn weather! What an unforgetful experience I had! I felt like part of an enormous and welcoming community.

All forms of human-powered transport, e-bikes, cargo bikes, bike-trailers and other fossil-free transport modes were welcomed to stroll together through the streets of Stockholm centre. For one hour, the traffic was held, giving priority to bicycles. It gave me an insight into what a future city without cars could look like! Even though drivers and pedestrians were not satisfied with the traffic being held for bicycles (if you could have seen their faces…!), certainly all kinds of human-powered bikes caught their interest!

“We do not obstruct the traffic. We are the traffic.”- someone wrote on a poster attached to their bicycle, which made me smile.

Bicycle-friendly Stockholm

Most of the Stockholm city roads have a separate lane for bicycles. I have noticed signs for bicycles were introduced and painted on the road’s surface together with the bus lane (since lack of space on the street). Small actions like this highlight the inclusiveness and support of eco-friendly commuting, which again puts a smile on my face!

I fell in love with biking straight away when I came to Stockholm. Well-developed bicycle traffic infrastructure is visible in the city centre and across Sweden. Luminous streets inside and outside Stockholm at night give me a sense of safety. Also, traffic lights that are only for bicycles, doesn’t that sound amazing? These are perfect conditions for me to bike until the first snow falls!

When you come to Stockholm, I can not wait to see you on a bicycle strolling through the city!

//Martyna