Let's go to work and to school by bike!

Best Practice

Region
Grenoble / Isère / Rhône-Alpes
In the territorial limits of the Alpine Convention.
Country
fr (France)
Term 2005-02-01 - 2005-06-30
Topics

Short description
On June 2nd and 4th 2005, during the bike festival, ADTC organised the 2nd edition of the bike mobility day, dedicated to the promotion of the use of bicycles to go to work and to school in Grenoble. Surrounded by mountains, this big alpine city particularly suffers from the negative effects of car traffic. 4 actions : - animations - bike challenge between companies - podium discussion : advantages of bicycles for companies : health and security - bike challenge between schools

Projekt Executive Mr Antoine Jammes
ADTC
5 place Bir Hakeim, 38000 Grenoble, France
contact@adtc-grenoble.fr
00 33 (0)4 76 63 80 55
00 33 (0)4 76 51 24 66
Ansprechperson Ms Geneviève Peffen
ADTC
Place Bir Hakeim, 38000 Grenoble, France
genevieve.peffen@adtc-grenoble.fr
00 33 (0)4 76 01 97 84
00 33 (0)4 76 51 24 66
Project executive
ADTC (non-profit organisation for the development of pulic transport, bike and walkways in the urban area of Grenoble) : - represents bikers, walkers and users of public transport) = 650 to 1000 subscribers since 1974 - Global approach of urban mobility; research of innovative solutions - Information, activisme towars politicians, inhabitants, non-profit organisations - Educational role : teaching activities and tools since 1997 - Work on Mobility plans for companies and administrations


Participants
Participating players are : City of Grenoble, Town of Meylan, Grenoble Alpes Metropole (the agglomeration), schools, companies, administrations, Commerce and Industry Chamber of Grenoble, activity zones (Inovallée, LRP), R2C Concerning the publics, the actions aim 2 distinct publics, within a common reflexion on mobility : 1- Employees and employers for their daily house-office commutes 2- Children and their parents for the mobility between house and school. These two themes are linked since children are often brought to school on the way to the office. The house-school and house-office commutes are part of a same mobility cycle.
Objectives
(1) The general objective is to increase the share of bicycles in the daily mobility in Grenoble. (2) Alternative mobility: Going to work represents a very regular reason for mobility and is strongly linked to habits. In Grenoble, the majority of the commutes are done by car. Bicycles are not used very frequently and are often badly considered by the French population. It is however a fast, economical and ecological solution to move about in cities. (3) Optimise the geographical context: Situated in a glaciar valley, Grenoble is a very flat city, making the use of bicycles easy for all publics. (4) Touch all publics, from adults to children, from employees to families. Invite to try in order to convince: - Sensitize employees and their employers on the efficiency of bicycles for daily commutes and increase the credibility through the company mobility plans. - Invite parents and children to think about mobility and security around schools.
Activities
(1) Animations in two activity zones : -7 accompanied bike circuits for employees -bike maintenance -information booths -tests with electrically assisted bikes -antitheft marking of bikes (2) 2nd edition of the challenge between companies (public or private offices with more than 20 employees). The offices with the highest proportion of emlpoyees coming to the office by bike on this day, receive a price. Each office is in charge of motivating it's employees. (3) Podium discussion « the advantages of bikes for companies : health and security » : organised in collaboration with the Commerce and Industry Chamber, in order to contribute practical information, opposing stereotypes. (4) 2nd edition of the contest of schools on bikes (children from 6 to 11 years). The schools with the highest proportion of bikers wins. The teachers are in charge of motivating parents and children.
Process
This action day has now been carried out during two consecutive years. It's increasing success (more participants in 2005 than in 2004) encourages ADTC to renew this event each year, to continue sensibilising as many people as possible. From an innovation 2 years ago, it is becoming a regular activity of ADTC.
Results
(1) About 30 employees participated in the accompanied circuits, the information booths were well visiting the activity zone Inovallée, less in the other one. (2) In 2004, 23 offices participatesd to the challenge, totalising 10000 present employees, 14% of which came by bike on this day. In 2005, 49 offices were concerned, with 21000 present employees, 16% of which came by bike. The offices organised numerous actions (coffee welcome, internal contests, raffle…). (3) About 50 persons were present for the podium discussion. The speakers gave good, practical answers to the questions about health and security. (4) In 2004, 7 schools signed up for the contest, 1250 children were present, of which 50% were bikers. In 2005, 13 schools signed up, totaling 2000 students, of which 46% came by bike. This should be noted: the participants wait for the edition 2006 !
Evaluation
After each edition of these actions (2004 and 2005) an evaluation report has been produced, based on the number of participants and rapid questionnairs. The evaluation reveals 2 important points : the simplicity and conviviality of these actions. Most participants find it very positive and continued organising bike promotion activities in their offices. However, the information before the events was insufficient.
Difficulties
- The information diffusion to a maximum of companies / administrations, who don't necessarily closely follow the subject of the problems created by excess car traffic. - The funding for new actions. - The extension of this punctual activity (2 days per year) to more regular activities concerning various publics : this in order to make the reflexions around mobility lastingly enter the professional, school an familly circles.
Budget
6 500 euros per year (Euro)
Financial backer
Grenoble Alpes Metropole, Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie, Conseil Général of Isère, City of Grenoble
Source of information
Competition
Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition
Homepage
http://www.adtc-grenoble.org
Publication
(1) Internal reports (2) Numerous articles in local and national, general and specialised press. The local radios and TVs also covered the event.
Comments
Impact on nature and environment
Grenoble lies at the feet of 3 mountain ranges and at the confluence between 2 rivers : - it is an obliged passage for many roads, trains, etc. This creates numerous traffic jams. - the air masses and pollution stagnate above the valley. Health problems due to the pollution are known to occur more frequently than in other cities. Reducing the proportion of cars used for daily commutes is a practical answer in favour of the environment, to which everyone can take part. The reduction of the rejected CO2 is difficul to quantify; the major factor is the lasting change in habits and behaviour.
Economic value added
Aside the polution problem, the difficulties induced by traffic jams has a negative impact for companies. Let us add to the disturbances linked to the use of cars, the cost of parking, the accidents, the stress of the employees... It is to increase the competitiveness of companies that the Commerce and Industry Chamber of Grenoble, organisation which represents the private companies, strongly supports ADTC in the organisation of these events.
Socio-cultural value added
These action days create social relations : - Towards the outside, they bring together, around a common subject, various organisations that usually do not work together. - Inwards, between employees and school children of a same organisation. For example, several employers organised a welcome with drinks and breakfast, a tombola... The parents got together to organise the activities around the schools. The survey puts the accent on one point: the conviviality.
Innovative content
Usually, policies to invite the population to use bicycles in cities only include infrastructures and neglect the human aspects (feers, habits, stereotypes, etc.). Infrastructures are necessary but insufficient! The idea of these actions is to invite people to use their bikes on this special day, to impulse a more lasting behaviour change. This concept, setting the accent on the human aspect of mobility, is rather innovative. Furthermore, working on this subject with employers and schools is also new in France.
Good governance
ADTC has created a work group open to all and composed of employees from different organisations. This group actively participates in defining proposed activities to promote the use of bicycles. The decisions are proposed to the financial bakers. Each participant is in charge of motivating other emplyees and parents of students, so that they can identify to the project. For better eficiency, model documents are proposed : posters to announce the event, letter to the parents, and basic organisation rules.
PR impact
This action day was part of the european bike festival, organised in Grenoble by the agglomeration. The communication of the activities organised by ADTC was included in the global communication organised by the agglomeration. The activities were well distributed in the local press: journals « Le Dauphiné Libéré » and « Le Métroscope », the television France 3, radio statio « Grésivaudan » and « France Bleue Isère » Furthermore the daily results are accessible in the internet sites of ADTC and of communauté d’agglomération.
Multiplier effect / networking
Participating to this action day introduces the subject of mobility in the organisations : they are then more motivated to work on mobility plans or projects to accompany school children to school by bike or on foot ("Vélobus" or "Pedibus"). The podium discussion answers shared questions and is a good opportunity for experience exchanges between all. Conviviality and challenges reinforce the existing initiatives and allow new ones to emerge. Each participating organisations appoints one responsible person who is then the contact of ADTC for the organisation of the actions.
Transferability
The challenge, in schools or offices, is very simple, cheep, apreciated for its conviviality and does not engage the partners in complicated processes. It is easily adaptable to different contexts. The main point is finding people to relay the information. Through the national federation of organisations promoting the use of bicycles in urban areas, a similar action was organised in Toulouse in 2005 : a few mail and phone exchanges were enough to transfer the experience of ADTC.
Further information
Affiche Challenge 05
 
Affiche Inovallee 05
 
Journee entreprises
 
Lettre aux parents
 
Concours ecoles
 
Resultats Entreprises
 
Resultats Ecoles