EMBARQ Turkey Launches Dialogue on Urban Bike Networks
A biker pedals in Istanbul, Turkey's Galata neighborhood. Photo by Stefano Corso/Flickr. Cropped.
EMBARQ Turkiye’s BikeLab Istanbul hosted a February 11th workshop, in which experts addressed the role of the bicycle in Turkey’s transportation framework and discussed issues of safety, the design of a bike network, and the challenges of employing the bicycle as a means of transportation in Turkey’s urban areas.
The BikeLab İstanbul Project is part of the strategic approach of EMBARQ Turkiye to promote safe networks through proper design guidelines. The workshop hosted 60 participants, in collaboration with the city’s municipal entities. EMBARQ Turkiye has undertaken several bicycle projects in the past, including a road safety inspection of the city of Eskisehir’s bike corridor and an introductory bike workshop in city of Sakarya. As part of their strategic plan, EMBARQ Turkiye is developing a BikeLab concept in Istanbul, to bring the cycling culture of the Netherlands to Turkey. The project is currently being implemented with the cooperation of the Dutch urban design company, YARD 9, and the Netherlands' Royal Consulate General.
Experts, bicycle users, and representatives from local governments met to better identify what needs to be done in order to establish a sustainable infrastructure. EMBARQ Turkiye’s main role has been to establish an acceptable set of design guidelines for a city bike network. The publication of design guidelines by EMBARQ Turkiye will serve as the foundation for a safe biking infrastructure in Turkiye.
Next Steps
A final report has been prepared and distributed to stakeholders. EMBARQ Turkiye will work closely with ISPARK (a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality dedicated to parking issues) to potentially implement a 20-kilometer-long bike corridor. They are also collaborating with Istanbul Electricity, Tramway, and Tunnel General Management to better integrate bike and busing systems. In addition, upcoming workshops to promote bike usage in other cities within Turkey are currently in the planning stages.
To learn more, please contact Arzu Tekir at EMBARQ Turkiye.
