Bike Fridays

Title in original language:

RoweRowe Piatki

Location:

Poland, Gdansk (460,000 inhabitants) in 2010

From 2011 also in other municipalities in Pomerania Voivodeship

Project description:

The project background

The report “Complex Research of Traffic in Gdansk” (2009) shows that the bicycle as a mean of transport is only used by 2% of the citizens. 31% of the cyclists are female and 69% male. The “Gdansk Charter of Brussels“ (2009) says that cycling traffic shall amount until 2020 at least 15 % of the total traffic in the City of Gdansk.

Aim and objectives

The Social Campaign “Bike Fridays” aims to promote cycling as a mode of transport and a modern part of mobility culture.

Cycling means independence, flexibility and freedom. There is nothing better for avoiding traffic jam in the cities then riding a bicycle. Bicycle means also more social contact – small talks on the red light and smile to the unknown cyclists crossing by each day. Bicycles raise live quality in the city. The car free zones in the cities are vital and the squares are filling up with people. Gdansk wants to be the Cycling Capital of Poland, invests in bike paths and tries to raise the social awareness for sustainable transport and cycling.

The main goal of the campaign was to encourage citizens to use the bike as a daily mean of transport as well as a mode of spending leisure time during weekends in the Pomerania Voivodeship. The long term goals are to decrease traffic jams in the city centre and to minimize CO2 emission in the long run.

Implementation

The campaign “Bike Fridays” was implemented in 2010 for the first time. This edition was awarded as the “Best social campaign of the Year 2010” in Poland. The prize rewards the best example for the greatest public relations and promotion actions for social means. It was the first bike campaign which was dedicated to female bikers. Small gifts like lipsticks and eye shadows were offered to all bikers. It has been presumed that male bikers pass the presents to their girlfriends, wives and female work colleagues. In this campaign the highest civil servants of the local government participated. Even the president of the City of Gdansk offered gifts.

The second edition of the campaign was implemented in September 2011 within the CIVITAS MIMOSA Plus project. It was connected with the European Mobility Week and the Car Free Day to support the idea of the Sustainable Transport Strategy for Europe.

The main activities were concentrated on two Fridays, the 16th and 23rd of September between 6:30 and 9:00 a.m. On ten main road intersections in Gdansk some of the highest civil servants of the municipality and other volunteers gave small gifts (amongst others flowers, make-up products, rain coats, information materials) to cyclists passing by on their way to work or to school. With these gifts they encouraged the cyclists to continue cycling. Advertising in advance and the media coverage motivated people to choose the bicycle as mode of transport. The slogan of this campaign was “Let yourself be persuaded to change your optics – take a bike leaving the car at home”.

Some municipalities or interesting places in the Pomerania Voivodeship promoted their touristic sites among the cyclists:

• Ergo Arena and the basketball players from the Sport Club TREFL
• Municipality of Smołdzino, Municipality of Trąbki Wielkie
• Footballer from Lechia Gdańsk
• Adventure Park Przywidz
• Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo (Polish Oil-mining and Gas industry)
• City of Malbork and City of Tczew

Media

The campaign was accompanied by promotion actions like posters, advertisements in a newspaper, radio and internet advertisement, leaflets and press information:

• Flyer in the newspaper „Metro” (30,000 pieces)
• Flyer distributed among the citizens of Gdansk (5,000 pieces)
• Radio spot (paid) 60 times á 35 seconds (broadcast during 2 weeks)
• Billboards along the main roads (200 pieces)
• Banner (7 pieces)
• Website of the campaign: www.rowerowepiatki.pl

Consequences

The success of the campaign “Bike Fridays” 2010 and 2011 has inspired a number of cities and communities in the neighbourhood to organise their “Bike Fridays”. Furthermore “Bike Fridays 2012” was carried out as the “E-Bike Fridays”. Interested people had the opportunity to try out bicycles with electric support.

Target group of the campaign:

Directly: Bike users in the City of Gdansk, children and adults on the way to school and work
The campaign 2010 was dedicated especially to female citizens.

Indirectly: Potential bike users

Funding:

60.000 PLN / approx.15.000 EUR:

• 42% - own contribution of the City
• 33% - PGNiG (Polish Oil-mining and Gas industry)
• 25% - CIVITAS MIMOSA

Organizations responsible for the project:

Pomorskie Stowarzyszenie Wspólna Europa PSWE (Pomeranian Association Common Europe), www.pswe.org

City of Gdansk, www.gdansk.pl

Supporting partner:

• Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo (Polish Oil-mining and Gas industry) supported the campaign within their social business responsibility campaign promoting active mobility.
• Zarząd Dróg i Zieleni w Gdańsku (The Road and Green Board in Gdansk)

Media partner: Radio Gdansk, Newspaper “Metro”, internet portal “trojmiasto.pl”

Project term:

Annual event in September since 2010 (each year modification and adjustment to the developments and needs in the city and environment). Main activities:

• Bike Fridays edition 2010: September 10^th, 17^th, 24^th
• Bike Fridays edition 2011: September 16^th, 23^rd
• Bike Fridays edition 2012: September 21^st, 28^th

PR and documentation:

• Website: www.rowerowepiatki.pl
• Photos of the campaign
• Presswork /Press relations (in Polish language)
• The campaign on facebook

Contact person:

Project management

Mr. Rafal Glazik
Marketing Director
Polska Unia Mobilności Aktywnej (PUMA)
ul. Jana Heweliusza 29
80-861 Gdańsk, Poland
Phone: +48 695624634
E-mail: rglazik@mobilnosc.orgt