ThinkBike Workshop in the Swiss city of Chur

From October 5 to 7, 2022, a ThinkBike Workshop took place in the Swiss city of Chur. Together with the city of Chur and the canton of Graubünden, three Dutch cycling experts developed solutions to improve the local cycling infrastructure and to give the local cycling culture new momentum. Chur aspires to once more place first in the Prix Velo Stadt (a Swiss prize for the best cycling city) in the category medium-sized cities, a prize the city last won in 2017.

After the introductory presentations, the group of experts and participants visited junctions and streets in the city of Chur that are problematic for cyclists. Upon return, everyone worked together on various creative approaches for short-, medium- and long-term solutions. The group also discussed the topics of network planning and network integration (everyday networks, leisure networks, the basic and supplementary network), combined mobility, as well as the disentanglement or coexistence of various traffic participants on leisure routes.

One of the key messages of the workshop was that integrated mobility is the best solution for an attractive, healthy and livable city. Driving should not be banned, but car drivers should be attracted to cycling by comfortable, attractive bike routes.

Over the course of the two and a half days, the group determined that Chur is well positioned as a cycling city, but still has much room for improvement. At the end, the participants and experts presented their results, findings and suggestions to city councilor Sandra Maissen.

The workshop was executed by three Dutch experts: Elke Schimmel from Studio Bereikbaar, Sjors van Duren from RoyalHaskoningDHV, and Ruben Loendersloot from Loendersloot International. The City of Chur was represented, among others, by Carlo Ursprung, City of Chur Civil Engineering Services Division Manager for Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic, and Roland Arpagaus, City Engineer and Head of Civil Engineering Services, City of Chur Department of Construction, Planning and Environment. The Canton of Graubünden was represented, among others, by Claus Caluori, Head of the Slow Traffic Department of the Civil Engineering Office of Graubünden, and Werner Glünkin, Head of the Competence Center Coordinated Mobility of the Office of Energy and Transport of Graubünden. In addition, Giani Spinatsch, Head of Operations at Allegra Trail GmbH, presented and contributed to one part of the three-day workshop.