Skip to main content

Norway to build cycle highways

Norway is proposing to spend US$923 million and build ten dual-lane bicycle pathways that would link the country's nine largest cities and extend to their suburbs, allowing longer-distance cyclists to travel with a speed and safety hitherto impossible. The effort is part of the country's National Transit Plan, which seeks to reduce emissions from vehicular traffic. Challenges, however, include dark winters, steep mountains and the small number of Norwegians who use cycles. According to CityLab, the ef
March 8, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Norway is proposing to spend US$923 million and build ten dual-lane bicycle pathways that would link the country's nine largest cities and extend to their suburbs, allowing longer-distance cyclists to travel with a speed and safety hitherto impossible.

The effort is part of the country's National Transit Plan, which seeks to reduce emissions from vehicular traffic. Challenges, however, include dark winters, steep mountains and the small number of Norwegians who use cycles.

According to CityLab, the effort is just one of several measures proposed in the country’s National Transit Plan to cut transit emissions by half.

By 2030, the government is aiming to have zero car use, 75 per cent of the country’s buses and 50 percent of its trucks must be low-emission, while 40 per cent of its short-distance ships and ferries must be either low emission or use biofuels. In addition, rail and road infrastructure will be repaired nationwide, including an improved, expanded coastal highway with bridges to replace ferry crossings. For roads repairs alone, the government estimates that $4.15 billion will be required, while railway upgrades will cost $2.08 billion.

Related Content

  • Arup report reveals the future of highways
    December 3, 2014
    Future highways will be made from self-healing, glow-in-the-dark materials and will be governed by sophisticated technologies that communicate with cars, road infrastructure and GPS systems, according to the Future of Highways report from global engineering and design consultancy, Arup.
  • IRD complements WIM with tyre under-inflation detection
    May 8, 2015
    To complement its existing WIM offering, IRD has introduced a system to detect under-inflated and flat tyres at highway speeds. Tyre inflation pressure has both safety and economic impacts for road users and none more so than with commercial vehicles. An underinflated tyre has decreased directional control, increased risk of catastrophic failure, and negatively impacts tyre life and fuel economy. In June 2014 the USDOT published Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2012 in which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
  • Indonesia targets road death reduction
    April 17, 2012
    The government of Indonesia says it is working to reduce the number of road deaths in the country by 50 per cent by 2020 and by 80 per cent by 2035. To achieve this, the government will be upgrading the road infrastructure as well as introducing a road safety programme that will run over a ten-year and 25-year plans, starting this year. The programme will be overseen by the National Planning Development Board with involvement of the national police as well as the public works, transportation, national educa
  • ITS warms to Biden $621bn infrastructure plan
    April 1, 2021
    American Jobs Plan seeks to future-proof US infrastructure for the 21st century