Will Donetsk switch to bikes?

Many Ukrainians who live in cities have thought about the ways to develop the use of bicycle transportation in Ukraine. After all, the “green” means of transport could solve many problems: from the traffic jams to decrease in overall air pollution. Unfortunately, due to many reasons this issue remains open. Donetsk got close to solving this issue on September 28.

Representatives of various social organizations of the city, officials, architects, and residents of Donetsk concerned with this issue met within the framework of a mini-referendum “Town Meeting Hall” and together came up with 100 proposals of various kinds, which could help to implement the “bike policy” in the city. Unlike the well-known format of referendum, mini-referendum allows a person to be more involved: to develop projects, suggest proposals, and thus, become a direct contributor to the future legislation formation dealing with the issue. One can assume that this could lead to a more efficient solution of the problem. All the proposals that have been elaborated within the framework of the reported mini-referendum will be finalized and sent to the City Council for consideration.

Among the hundreds of proposals, one of the most popular ones was the idea of creating conditions for making bicycle rent possible. Bicycle rent, by the way, has activated in Donetsk this spring, even if it is only in small amounts (only a few rental points in the city). Another innovation of Donetsk is a cycle rickshaw. This type of urban mobility today is more like a kind of entertainment. But at the same time it is the means of promoting cycling and bicycles. “In the city you can now freely ride a bike on the roads, but this requires self-confidence and some skill. It is pretty safe to move closer to the right side of the road near the curb wearing a helmet with the font and rear lights on. Another point is that it is not very pleasant because of the exhaust gas and dust. Therefore, I try to plan my trips along less busy streets. Personally I do not go to work by bike, because there is no shower at where I work. But when I lived in downtown I used it to get to my old job. In the center it is usually the fastest means of transport. Naturally, the question of making bike paths is hanging up in the air, but I think that the separation of the main roads of the city will not work, because in the rush hour, cars often move even on the sidewalks. Personally I am more concerned with the fact that cyclists can no longer ride in the Shcherbakov Park, I used to go through there to avoid riding near the unpleasant spot on the ‘Golden Ring.’ In fact, it would be better to make those cycle paths in the Shcherbakov Park and make sure that cyclists are able to go along the Alexander Pushkin Boulevard without stumbling over curbs and having to maneuver through the traffic. This would be a good start and people would be able to pass the city center busy with traffic and pedestrians with no problems at all,” cyclist from Donetsk Roman YAKHYMCHUK told us about his experience. As we can see, use of bicycles could solve many problems in Donetsk. Hopefully, the City Council will pay attention to the proposals developed by the city residents.