SABRINA project to improve safety for Danube region cyclists

The European Institute of Road Assessment – EuroRAP as been announced as the Lead Partner for the new Danube Transnational Programme Project SABRINA – Safer Bicycle Routes in Danube Area. Until the end of 2022 the project will cover routes across 9 countries with 11 Project Partners and 4 Associated Strategic Partners. The project runs in the framework of Danube Transnational Programme (Interreg) and is co-funded by European Union Funds (ERDF, ENI).

In these COVID-19 times, people across the globe look to bicycling as a socially distant transportation and recreation option. The emerging role of bicycles serves as a critical reminder of the need to improve infrastructure, making it safer, forgiving, sustainable, and comfortable. Cycling infrastructure in the Danube region is largely in an early stage of development, especially outside of the major urban areas. Given the benefits that cycling has on environment, transport multimodality, tourism and health, improving cycling infrastructure is both a development opportunity and risk mitigation necessity.

The SABRINA Project aims to tackle cycling infrastructure safety issues on existing, planned and missing cycling corridors crossing the Danube region. Approx. 5000 km of bicycle routes will be inspected using specially equipped vehicles, software and trained analysts. It will increase awareness about cycling infrastructure safety, and facilitate transfer of best practices and transnational cooperation through learning activities.

The project maps infrastructure risks on existing Danube region EuroVelo routes and provides a strategic decision-making toolkit that will increase stakeholders’ capacity, build knowledge and cooperation at different levels, thus preventing development of killer cycling infrastructure in an early stage. Besides comprehensive Risk Mapping on cycle routes, SABRINA will integrate two existing assessment methodologies: EuroVelo ECS – European Certification Standard developed by European Cyclists’ Federation, and EuroRAP. The first integrated bicycle infrastructure risk assessment methodology delivered by SABRINA project will be a significant step for EIRA-EuroRAP’s leadership in cycling safety with expert involvement in CycleRAP development.

Meeting the needs of people who walk and cycle continues to be a critical part of the mobility solution for helping cities decouple population growth from increased emissions and to improve air quality and road safety.

The SABRINA Kick-off conference took place on 15 October 2020 in the framework of the joint online conference with the RADAR project on ‘Improving Road Safety in Danube Area for all Road Users: Challenges and Opportunities in the Second decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030)’. Click here for more information

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