Bologna on the podium in the first EU Cycling Challenge 2012

After reporting the European Mobility Week 2011 Award in March, the city of Bologna has launched the first edition of the EU Cycling Challenge 2012. The contest was promoted and managed by SRM (the local Agency for Mobility and Local Public Transport) in the framework of the CIVITAS MIMOSA project. Each city has committed to cover the highest number of kilometers by bike through their local participants. Every bike trip distance was traced via GPS through cyclists’ mobile phones plus a web platform which allowed real-time data sharing.

For one month (from 1st to 31st May) more than 700 people joined the challenge in Barcelona (Spain), Tallinn (Estonian), Reading (United Kingdom), Saronikos (Greece), Iasi (Romania), Bologna and San Lazzaro di Savena (both Italy) and they cycled about 90,000 km instead of driving, thus saving round 20 tons CO2 emissions. At the end of the challenge, Tallinn and Bologna, both MIMOSA project partner cities, respectively ranked first and second, followed by Barcelona.

The award ceremony will take place in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna on June 20th in the presence of the vice-Mayor for urban mobility, Mr Andrea Colombo.