Cycle City 2024: Otrokovice won the title, Hradec Králové enters the Hall of Fame

The prestigious title Cycling City Bike to Work from the AutoMat association is awarded to the city which, according to the results of the survey and other criteria, best takes care of the development of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. In 2024, Otrokovice will become the Cycling City, returning to the game after a break spent in the Hall of Fame. Last year’s winner Hradec Králové, on the other hand, is entering the Hall of Fame.

“The words of the participants of the May Bike to Work challenge carry the most weight in the evaluation of cities, but the public can also vote in the poll. Objective criteria such as the CykloRank ranking or metrics from our challenge are added to the subjective impressions,” explains Lucie Rýzlerová from the AutoMat association, head of the Bike to Work, walk or jog project.

Last year’s winner Hradec Králové won the most points in 2024. However, the rules of Cycling City do not allow the same city to win the title twice in a row. That’s why Hradec Králové is entering the Hall of Fame. The same fate befell Otrokovice in the past, which is taking over the Cyclist City of the Year relay again after a break and thus remains sovereignly the friendliest city in the country not only for cyclists but also for pedestrians.

“We are very pleased that we have once again achieved the title of Cycling City. Due to their flat character, Otrokovice are perfect for cycling. Therefore, in this spirit, we are also trying to strengthen the infrastructure for cycling. But it is not only about building cycle paths or mixed paths for pedestrians and cyclists, but also other small things that are important for cyclists, such as placing service bike racks, and bike washes, but also creating places to stop and rest during trips. Otrokovice is one of the friendly and smart cities that aim to be a pleasant place for the lives of all citizens, including cyclists,” says the mayor of Otrokovice, Hana Večerková.

The title of Cykloskokan of the Year is intended for the city that has moved up the most places in the rankings since last year. Prague takes over the scepter from Ostrava for the first time in its history. It jumped up 4 places in the ranking and is now eighth out of fifteen cities in the ranking, which is still not a very favorable result. However, the cycling infrastructure in the metropolis has been improving only slowly in recent years and more by accident than as a result of a clear vision of Prague. The tragic accidents of recent days also show that Prague is generally unable to provide safe conditions for sustainable transport to people on bicycles. “So let’s hope that Prague’s politicians, politicians, officials and civil servants will find the courage to stand up for the population that does not pollute the city with emissions, helps the local economy, saves on health care and the expenses of their employers,” adds Lucie Rýzlerová from AutoMat.

More information, including a detailed assessment and methodology, can be found on the website: https://dopracenakole.cz/pro-mesta/cyklomesto-roku