You have probably noticed freshly green-painted portions of pavements and streets across Kaunas centre. This is to signify the new Kaunas municipality initiative – Kaunas is aiming to become the first 100% bike-friendly city in the Baltics.
According to information provided by Kaunas city, only 1% of Kaunas citizens are regularly choosing travelling by bike. The plan, which is targeted on increasing the number of cyclists in Kaunas is called Like Bike, and is labelled a bike revolution by the authorities.
Like Bike plan means new and renovated bike paths, bike-friendly pavements, a thousand new bike racks around the city, lower car speed limit in the centre and various other features and innovations that will help Kaunas become the first 100% bike-friendly city in the Baltics.
Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), owning a prestigious European Union accreditation QUESTE-SI and promoting sustainability in all parts of the university life, is an active participator of green movement.
“In 2014, we have prepared KTU sustainable mobility plan uniting a wide range of initiatives for promoting cycling and other alternative means of transportation among the members of the university community”, says Inga Gurauskiene, coordinator of sustainable development activities at KTU.
She reminds that KTU is an active participant of European Cycling Challenge – urban cyclist team competition taking place every May. For the second year, KTU team has been the leader among Kaunas educational institutions.
“Among individual initiatives I could mention cycling events for the University community – this year it took place in Gražutė regional park, in the first weekend of July – and a summer challenge, which promotes cycling and other sports”, says Gurauskienė.
Safe and roofed bicycle racks next to KTU campus buildings, locked-up bicycle storage facilities at the University dormitories, as well as increasingly cycle-friendly environment of the main campus are just a fraction of the University’s initiatives. In the future (KTU Campus Vision 2036), the main KTU campus is becoming a traffic-restricted zone especially friendly to cyclists and pedestrians.
Click here for a bicycle rent paces in Kaunas and enjoy a ride through a city centre and KTU campus.
