Oulu is one of the world’s northernmost cities. (Photo credit: Unsplash)
New Delhi: Cycling is one of the best excercises for our mental and physical health, and it is a mode of communication that keeps the environment pollution-free. While many cities in the world are urging their citizens to commute more with cycles, there is this one city in Finland which takes the cake for its craze for cycling. So much so that the city is even called the ‘winter cycling capital of the world’.
Oulu’s love for cycling
Oulu is one of the world’s northernmost cities. This Finnish coastal city is located just 100 km south of the Arctic Circle and people there love to cycle during the winter, thanks to the encouragement from the administration. In winter, the temperature there can drop as low as -30C, and despite that, 12 per cent of winter journeys are made by bicycle.
A precise network of communication
In Oulu, the network of cycleways connects all the city districts and even the surrounding region. In many places in the city, one can reach the destination more quickly by bicycle than by taking a car. The cycling routes are well-maintained and they provide excellent scenic beauty in several places, enabling people to relax during the journey.
You won’t get lost
One of the best initiatives to encourage cycling in Oulu has been the signs put up by the administration. In Finland, no place has a more comprehensive system of cycling signs than this coastal city.
Cycling during winter
Even when the winter is at its coldest in Oulu, people mostly commute by bicycle, thanks to the efficient maintenance of cycling routes. During winter, the city administration clears the snow on the path every day. Apart from enabling cycling, the cleared paths also give access around the city to people who use mobility scooters.
Those entrusted with the task of maintaining the cycle paths also arrange “roadside events” with hot drinks to get feedback from cyclists. The cycleway network was first planned in the city in the 1960s and since then, it has expanded to have over 900 km of pedestrian and cycle paths combined, with the network still growing.
To ensure the safety of the cyclists during the dark winter period, the paths are well-lit and there are 320 underpasses so that children especially don’t have to cross roads. There are projector-based signs that are illuminated from lamp posts onto the snowy surfaces.
In an age when carbon emissions and mental health problems are on the rise, cycling provides a good solution to reduce to tackle both these things. Cycling improves our mental health, fitness and cardiovascular health and reduces carbon emissions in a city by a massive margin. And on that note, let us take inspiration from the cycling-crazy city of Oulu.
