We first need to create the conditions for cycling and motivate people that way, not the other way around, says Brno’s cycling coordinator

What personally drew you to specialize in cycling measures? What do you enjoy and find motivating about this work?

I studied at the Faculty of Architecture and specialized in urbanism during my last two years. In my first year, we were told that urbanism isn’t popular and that everyone wants to do architecture. That same year, however, the work of Jan Gehl started to gain attention, and since then I’ve felt that an enormous urban boom has begun. After years of deliberately suppressing the connection to public space, we are learning to perceive it, use it, and reclaim it. The topic of public space quality is appearing in the media, and more frequently in discussions we hear that public space shouldn’t just serve for car parking. Changing people’s perception of this is fundamental, and I enjoy being part of it.

I come from a cycling family—my husband and many of my friends use bikes as a normal mode of transport. Being able to directly influence the state of public space for all these people is a huge motivation. My decision to work at the city hall was influenced by this as well. I remember waiting at a crosswalk in the rain, and my mom rode by on a bike, squeezed onto the curb among a sea of cars. It was a strong internal push: things cannot work like this here. If I have the opportunity to help change this, I should take it.

How often do you cycle around Brno? Which areas do you find pleasant and safe, and where does the infrastructure fall short?

I cycle daily, practically everywhere I can. My dad taught me to navigate the city from high school—he sat me down with a map and showed me how to reach each intersection, what to avoid, where I could cut through nicely, etc. Thanks to this “school,” I’m not very afraid, but I can’t say I enjoy cycling in Brno. My daily route goes up Úvoz via Mendlovo náměstí, which is really unpleasant. I really enjoy the riverside path along the Svratka with new underpasses beneath Vídeňská and Renneská streets—these are exactly the kinds of improvements that make daily commuting significantly more enjoyable. Experiences like this can be a turning point for someone deciding to start cycling in the city.

Jana Zavřelová rides her bike practically everywhere.

How would you describe the current state of Brno’s cycling network? What significant progress has been made in the past 2–3 years?

It’s not ideal, but I feel that things are really starting to move in our favor. Urban planning here has been focused primarily on cars for the past several decades.

The most significant achievement last year, in my view, was getting the requirement for bicycle parking included in the Brno Building Regulations. It may seem like a minor detail, but I’m convinced that these systemic changes are exactly what we need. National standards currently only set requirements for car parking, so everything is designed just for cars. Brno is the only city in the Czech Republic that recognizes bicycles as a fully legitimate means of transport. This means that designers and developers, when they have to plan bike storage or racks, now think more carefully about how people will actually access them by bike.

Another important milestone for our work was last year’s Great Brno Cycling Survey. It allowed us to directly challenge certain stereotypes in the Brno context, which we often hear in meetings or read in the media—for example, that Brno is too hilly for cycling, that no one rides in winter or over long distances, that cycling is only recreational, or that cyclists don’t know traffic rules… At the same time, we now have a huge amount of data to rely on.

This year, we managed to agree with the Czech Police on model designs for two-way cycle lanes, so we now have clear rules on what is allowed and what isn’t. This prevents us from receiving conflicting opinions. Currently, there are about 50 lanes waiting for approval. My personal joy also comes from agreeing on zone signage within flood protection areas—thanks to this, in areas of near-natural flood measures, there won’t be a forest of 130 blue signs as initially planned. Instead, only a few signs will be posted, and the rest of the markings are on the road, which is much more intuitive for cyclists and pedestrians.

What specific projects aimed at improving cycling infrastructure are planned in the near future? What is the long-term concept for cycling in Brno?

We have roughly 100 km of new cycling measures prepared at various stages of project documentation. If only these were completed, the existing infrastructure would double. A great addition will be the Ponávka Valley trail, which is expected to begin construction next year. We also recently managed to approve physically separated measures on Štefánikova and Palackého streets, with much better conditions for pedestrians as well.

A large part of our energy and time is dedicated to preparing a new Cycling Transport Development Strategy. Brno currently has a 15-year-old cycling master plan, which is outdated, doesn’t cover new trends like shared micromobility or delivery couriers, and has not worked well in practice. The new strategy should address what the old plan couldn’t—building continuous, connected routes.

Cycle path to Kohoutovice. Photo: Brno na kole

In the past, there was discussion about the lack of systematic connections of the main cycling routes. Is there any progress on these key links? For example, through the city center, near the Main Station, or along major city streets?

The Cycling Development Strategy will define continuous backbone routes. We have an initial concept that connects the various city districts to the city center, includes two circular routes, and integrates transfer hubs and employment centers. According to ongoing analyses, in the current concept 75% of Brno residents have a backbone route within 500 meters of their home — the same distance as to a public transport stop.

Many residents would like to cycle, but don’t feel safe on a bike in the city. How is Brno working to increase cyclist comfort, especially in heavy traffic?

The strategy will also include standards for individual measures. Following the example of Western cities, we are developing a simple “guidebook” for designers, city organizations, or state officials, specifying which measure is suitable for which design speed and traffic intensity. This standard states that in a 30 km/h zone, cyclists can share the road with cars, but at speeds above 50 km/h, physical separation is necessary. The strategy will also focus on the most vulnerable users — children, women, and the elderly — exactly those who currently rarely cycle in Brno. The design of new routes will take this into account.

To what extent do you use data from initiatives like Do práce na kole, city apps, or bicycle counters?

All available data is a huge support for us. Thanks to it, for example, we know which one-way streets see the most illegal cycling and which bike two-way streets need to be prepared and discussed as a priority. The data also allows us to confidently state that the number of people commuting by bike is steadily increasing — the number of cyclists rises sharply on weekdays around 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., while the numbers remain stable on weekends.

Cyclists took a ride along the Masaryk Circuit. Photo: Brno na kole

How much support does the development of cycling infrastructure have at the city council level? Is there political consensus in this area, or do you have to “fight” to push your initiatives?

At the city level, there is generally support. Nowadays, it is increasingly rare to hear that cyclists do not belong in the city or that cycling is only a leisure activity. People, in general, do not like any changes, and I understand that getting approval and defending proposals politically can be challenging and requires a lot of courage.

Do you collaborate with other institutions, such as city districts or the Transport Research Centre, when planning routes? How difficult is it to implement cycling measures in real traffic practice?

We are preparing the new cycling strategy in close cooperation with Brněnské komunikace and, naturally, we also coordinate with the Office of the City Architect of Brno. We recently met with almost all city districts in the last week of June to present the draft of the new cycling strategy, and for the summer, we have already scheduled several cycling trips and consultations in individual districts to account for local specifics.

Implementing anything can sometimes be extremely difficult due to existing local conditions. Within the city, every organization and stakeholder has different interests they defend. Moreover, we are intervening in work that people have been used to doing in a certain way for decades, and suddenly young colleagues are saying: do it differently, here we want measures for cyclists, here we want bicycle parking, we don’t like this. On top of that, we lack state support in the form of clear regulations and standards, there are not enough traffic engineers who know how to design quality measures, and the state administration has not fully adapted to this new trend. Unfortunately, we also often encounter a lack of consensus even among cycling experts themselves.

New section of the shared cycling and pedestrian path along Bauerova Street. Photo: Brno na kole

What would help the most for people to cycle more often in Brno?

It’s a classic question: what came first, the chicken or the egg. We know very well that the law of traffic induction works – every new measure generates new cyclists. At the same time, when this topic concerns only a small percentage of people, it seems like a minor issue. People who fight for every parking space are, unfortunately for us, much louder than we cyclists, who have somehow gotten used to quietly enduring.

From the city’s perspective, however, we must first create the conditions for cycling and thereby motivate people; it doesn’t work the other way around. Personally, I’m really looking forward to – and hope to live to see – the day when we will also run a campaign.

And finally – what would you like to say to Brno cyclists or people considering switching to a bike?

Ride, and when you ride, ride carefully. And I always add: when you ride carefully, look good doing it – show that urban cycling can be attractive, appealing, and healthy. And please be patient with us, believe that good times are coming.

Do you like what we do at AutoMat? Support us and feed AutoMat with any amount. Thank you!