AutoMat is not just Prague. We support sustainable transport in the regions

AutoMat is based in Prague, and experts from our LAB experience most of their traffic problems firsthand. Although events in the field of transport in the capital are our heart, we cooperate with the regions on several levels. We collect and analyze data, share our know-how, consult on research and transport solutions, and publish publications with nationwide impact.

Tens of thousands of people from all over the country accepted our May challenge Bike to Work, walk or trot for the fourteenth time this year. They were transported mainly under their own power for the whole month and uploaded data about their routes to our system. Thanks to this anonymized data, we help cities get a realistic overview of where and at what intensity people actually travel, where the infrastructure for pedestrians and people on bicycles is sufficient, and where it is problematic.

All 54 actively involved cities fought for the title of Cycling City of the Year. This is how we appreciate cities that promote and support sustainable transport, and motivate other town halls. We also gave local politicians, female politicians, and civil servants the suggestions we received from participating in the May Challenge.

Impulses from the regions

The AutoMat´s Laboratory of Sustainable Urbanism solved, for example, initiatives from Bike to Work from Ostrava (Cykloskokan of 2023), Hradec Králové (Cycling City 2023), Topolná and Napajedla.

We asked representatives of the Ostrava municipality about the expansion of bicycle stands and storage facilities: “During the mapping of the accompanying infrastructure, we counted 457 stands that were historically installed by the city, districts, or municipal companies. Stands are set up according to current needs. Currently, racks are most often placed by the city together with the request to introduce a shared bike station or if the existing capacity is insufficient. It goes without saying that there is a requirement for new racks or bike racks for new public buildings. The easiest is to send a request for the placement of the stand officially to the city’s post office (posta@ostrava.cz).”

We turned to the mayors of Topolná and Napajedel about their inadequate transport connections for bicycles. “The municipality is considering the preparation of project documentation for a cycle path from Búrovce along the stream to the road to Spytihněv. Until the time of implementation, we plan to partially “strengthen” the field road in the places with the biggest problems,” the mayor of Topolná wrote to us.

Footbridge in Cycle City 2023

In the case of Hradec Králové, we asked about the establishment of cycle lanes and bicycle stands in the city center (more also in the report on the visit to the deputy mayor). “The city regularly tries to increase the number of two-way bicycle lanes. The demand is especially in the center and in housing estates. We have several analytical materials available for solutions. We cooperate with local governments and the cycling community to suggest suitable streets. We currently have over 20 locations in our search engine, with more being added all the time. The same is true for stands. For each year, we have a certain volume of funds for the purchase of new ones, and where necessary, we supplement them or replace them with old ones,” answered us from the Department of Architecture and Regulation.

We visited Hradec Králové, the Cycling City of the Year 2023, twice this year. In September, our LAB had a meeting with the Deputy Mayor of Králové Hradek, Lukáš Řádek, and the Head of the Mobility Concept and Strategy Department, Petr Schiller. We jointly addressed the suggestions of the participants of our Bike to Work challenge for the establishment of bicycle directions and bike racks. Deputy Řádek also showed us the vision of the transformation of the Great Square, which now functions as one large parking lot. The historic square has the potential to become a pleasant place not only for transit and parking. Fingers crossed that it will be successful. We also talked about shared bikes, school mobility plans, and the first school street in front of Josef Gočár Primary and Kindergarten. In short, the Cycling City of 2023 is well on its way to positive change and sustainable development. You can find more in our article.

In July 2022, in České Budějovice, they restricted transit traffic to Přemysl Otakar II Square, but after only a few months the court ordered the cancellation of this measure. Even then, the new management of the town hall promised to come up with its own proposal soon. Even after more than a year and a half, however, cars drive around Budějovice Square without any restrictions, despite the We Already Agreed petition, which was signed by hundreds of residents. Traffic calming in Budějovice was the main topic of the October discussion workshop Traffic in the center: So what will happen? Together with other guests and the public, Michal Kalina, the head of our Laboratory of Sustainable Urbanism, debated in Alšov’s South Bohemian Gallery about the possibilities of solving the situation and, in general, about traffic calming.

In Tábor, at the beginning of September, we took part in the public debate It’s a ride, or About the courage to live and create a city for people, organized by the AutoMatky association and the Tabook festival. The guests Petr Šesták, Ondřej Budeus and Kateřina Čechová were joined by our “founding father” Martin Mareček on behalf of AutoMat.

Methodologies, analyzes and infographics

In the workshop of our LAB, a number of materials were created over the past year that can be used by the general public from all over the country. The Knowledge base is here for everyone who is interested in improving conditions for cyclists in their area. We analyzed accident statistics for the year 2023. We carried out and processed unique research on the actual (unreported) accident rate of cyclists. We have published a Methodology for researching the traffic behavior of cyclists, the aim of which is to provide support for entering, implementing and processing various types of surveys focused on bicycle transport. Through them, the infrastructure for cycling can be improved. 2 new infographics have also seen the light of day, thanks to which it should be clearer for you to move around the city by bike: Cyclists and pedestrians and Precautions on the road. We’ve also made three videos with practical tips for people who are new to cycling.

Action “in the field”

At the beginning of June, we also organized a celebration of World Bicycle Day, or World Critical Mass, under the auspices of the Deputy Mayor of Prague for Transport, and with the support of the United Nations Office in the Czech Republic and a number of embassies from around the world. In October, we organized the seminar Cycling infrastructure: standards and data, at which, in addition to experts from the LAB, our guests from Ostrava, Bratislava, and Budapest spoke, and we ended with a commented bike ride. We already organized the 5th year of our autumn festival of films about transport, urban planning, and communities called Městem, during which we brought viewers unique documentaries from the USA, Argentina, Italy, and Germany.

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