{"id":769206,"date":"2025-10-28T19:48:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T02:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcnews&p=769206"},"modified":"2025-10-28T19:48:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T02:48:19","slug":"seeking-to-make-cycling-a-viable-mode-of-transport-czech-city-relies-on-gis","status":"publish","type":"arcnews","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/seeking-to-make-cycling-a-viable-mode-of-transport-czech-city-relies-on-gis","title":{"rendered":"Seeking to Make Cycling a Viable Mode of Transport, Czech City Relies on GIS"},"author":5752,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[425582,401,476112],"tags":[465551,20422,164992,165692,7142],"arcnews_issues":[493219],"class_list":["post-769206","arcnews","type-arcnews","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arcgis-experience-builder","category-government","category-urban-planning","tag-arcgis-field-maps","tag-arcgis-pro","tag-city-government","tag-cycling","tag-transportation","arcnews_issues-fall-2025","arcnews_sections-your-work"],"acf":{"short_description":"After collecting data on streets, public spaces, and people\u2019s cycling habits, Ostrava is strategically updating its cycling infrastructure.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Ostrava is the third-largest city in the Czech Republic by both area and population. This metropolis\u2014home to 295,000 residents\u2014aims to become a cycling-friendly city where people regularly ride bikes as part of their daily routine. The urban environment supports this goal, and it aligns with the broader objectives of the city\u2019s strategic plan.\r\n\r\nThe current situation in Ostrava, however, isn\u2019t so conducive to cycling. The city\u2019s polycentric layout, long distances between key locations, and robust road network reinforce residents\u2019 car-centric approach to mobility. As in many other Czech cities, the majority of residents perceive cycling as a hobby.\r\n\r\nIn May 2024, Ostrava\u2019s city council approved the new Cycling Transport Strategy created by the Municipal Studio for Urban Planning and Architecture (MAPPA). The strategy\u2019s authors drew inspiration from a methodology developed in the Netherlands\u2014a country that reportedly has more bikes than people. It centers on five principles that make cycling infrastructure work in any city, regardless of its size, topography, or climate: routes must be connected, direct, comfortable, safe, and visually appealing."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":769207,"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"MAPPA used ArcGIS Field Maps to collect data on specific streets and public spaces to see how these principles could be applied in different situations across the city. The organization then used ArcGIS Experience Builder to build an app that shows well-connected bike paths, lanes, and streets with reduced traffic, where cyclists could move around Ostrava safely and smoothly.\r\n\r\nThe strategy\u2019s ultimate goal is to shift residents\u2019 mindset from viewing cycling as just a sport to embracing it as a regular mode of transport."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Finding Answers with Data<\/h2>\r\nAs the team from MAPPA began developing the strategy, several key questions came to mind. So MAPPA\u2019s data specialists used ArcGIS Pro to analyze available city datasets and Field Maps to conduct new field surveys. Here are some of the questions urban planners and transportation specialists asked, as well as how GIS filled in the knowledge gaps.\r\n

Which intersections should be redesigned first, and which missing links would benefit cyclists the most?<\/h3>\r\nTo build a well-connected network, cyclists must be considered on every street and in every significant public space. When deciding which crossings and connections to prioritize, MAPPA focused on the continuity of current infrastructure, the number of people\u2014both residents and visitors\u2014who would be affected, and average bicycle-based travel times.\r\n

What are Ostrava\u2019s cycling conditions like today?<\/h3>\r\nTo make cycling a more competitive mode of transportation, routes should be short and free from detours. In Ostrava, this means that different types of streets may need to be adjusted. Comparing a street\u2019s current state with proposed cycling infrastructure helps identify where changes are needed most.\r\n\r\nBased on this, MAPPA was able to classify routes as suitable, acceptable, or unsuitable. This prepares the city to make traffic regime changes at opportune times, such as when performing planned repairs on water or sewer infrastructure."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":769208,"image_position":"left","orientation":"vertical","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Can cycling tracks\u2014separate bike lanes\u2014fit on specific streets?<\/h3>\r\nOn streets where cars travel faster than 30 kilometers per hour (about 18 miles per hour), the safest option is to separate cycling infrastructure. But to make this possible, the street must be wide enough.\r\n\r\nSo the team from MAPPA analyzed street widths using Ostrava\u2019s Digital Technical Map, a federal government-mandated map of the city\u2019s infrastructure. The team measured the space between buildings, including sidewalks, and found that in residential areas, more than 83 kilometers (50 miles) of streets are wide enough to accommodate some type of separate cycling path.\r\n

Where do road improvements need to be made, and how?<\/h3>\r\nWhen cyclists are comfortable, they have a more pleasant experience, encouraging more people to commute by bike. But if traffic regimes are not well connected or feel unclear or unsafe, cycling becomes frustrating, and fewer people choose it as a mode of transportation.\r\n\r\nIn the summer of 2023, the MAPPA team used Field Maps to gather data throughout Ostrava on road surface conditions and other factors that affect safety. A year later, flooding damaged several cycling paths, so MAPPA updated its surface quality data to include these new damages.\r\n

What does the public think about cycling?<\/h3>\r\nAreas around cycling paths should be well lit, well maintained, and clean. High-quality surfaces, ample bicycle parking, and regular upkeep of paths also play an important role. In places with visually or functionally poor environments, the city should try to make various improvements.\r\n\r\nIn May 2022, residents of Ostrava had the opportunity to fill out perception maps related to cycling conditions in the city. Nearly 350 respondents participated, making almost 800 comments on the map. Responses indicated that dangerous spots were concentrated in residential centers and along major traffic corridors, known as urban avenues."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Data Shapes Design<\/h2>\r\nThe analysis done on these key questions gave MAPPA specialists valuable insight for planning new cycling infrastructure. It helped them identify which streets have the most potential for improvement and which measures would be most effective in each location.\r\n\r\nThe new cycling strategy that came out of the analysis organizes Ostrava\u2019s cycling network around three main principles:\r\n