The two things I remember most from Gdańsk are the pain of trying to navigate the cobbled streets on a Brompton and then the incredible feeling of having a multi-lane arterial to ourselves as the bike parade toured around the city. With no research other than booking a trip to Velo-City, Gdańsk was a complete unknown to me…

We arrived at the airport with some neat wayfinding to get you to your onward transportation choice… We opted for a taxi as the easiest option given it was somewhere around 11 p.m. when we arrived. Riding in the taxi, it occurred to me that I didn’t even know what currency they use in Poland… Like I said, zero research beforehand… Turns out they don’t use the Euro, they use their own currency, the złoty…

The decision to put AirTags in our bike cases for this trip somewhat paid off, as it was clear upon landing that my bike hadn’t made it on the plane. The AirTag might not have helped the situation, but I guess I was more prepared to look for the office to report it… They already knew it had been left behind when I got there and said it would arrive the next day. It did arrive the next day… Battered and bruised like it literally fell off the luggage truck on its way to the plane... Bike was mostly okay though…

We stayed in a relatively new 4-building apartment complex on the east side of the city, just outside the centre, with our building being the one furthest from the street. It was a bit of a struggle to find the entrance in the dark, but we finally got in…

Day 1: No bike…

Walking into the centre the next day, the area immediately around our building was nice, but surrounded by empty shells of old industrial buildings…

Seems like every city needs a big Ferris wheel these days… Pretty safe road, it seems…

Cool… A lift bridge… A pedestrian lift bridge, no less… But we waited here for several minutes, and it just stayed like this, even with no boats coming through… We got bored waiting and walked around to another bridge…

We later discovered that this bridge stays open for boats for 25 minutes, takes 5 minutes to lower, although it seems like a lifetime… Then stays open for people for another 25 minutes, then another 5 minutes to lift again… This would be important for route planning and timing when leaving or heading home all week…

Taking the long way around, although more a case of different halves of a rectangle to get to the same point, we pass a bike share station, all dockless, but the big sign and bike racks make it feel a bit more formal than the simple painted corals we often see in Canada. I think the bike racks are available to anyone… This street would be one of the most painful to ride when we didn’t time it right with the bridge above… We’d often resort to the sidewalk that was still cobbles in places but smoother than the road, so the surface was encouraging conflict with pedestrians… A little strip of asphalt bike lane down either side would work wonders…

Substantial old stone walls… And a trials rider…

These new buildings, mirroring the style of the older buildings with their narrow width and pointed roofs, were one of my favourite things…

The buildings form almost a gateway into the city centre from the east side…

And when you get there… Wow! The Main Street was a sight to see… It’s one of those streets you think was always this way, but of course it wasn’t… The buildings were originally built between the 14th and 17th century, but many were destroyed during World War II. Rather than throw up some mid-century modern replacements, the original designs were recreated, preserving the character of the street… While preserving character is often used as a NIMBY response to any change, in this instance, I think I’m good with it... Of course, there was a time when the street was filled with cars. It was in the 70s that the street was pedestrianized. It was probably a hard call to make at the time, but today, can you imagine giving it back to cars… The sun kept making fleeting appearances…

Getting through on a bike can be a challenge when busy…

It was such a nice day… We were sitting having a coffee and then the the heavens opened… And everybody ran for cover…

The storm was brief though and done in 10 minutes or so…

Walking to another edge of the centre, we finally see some asphalt, which would become a relief on the bike… This design detail is interesting… Approaching the crosswalk on a bike, you might be inclined to swerve and weave around pedestrians… These little islands, I think, encourage people on bicycles to yield a bit more readily, as well as narrowing the road for people driving…

Behind me in the shot above are these newer buildings, not looking anywhere near as nice as those in the centre… Some sidewalk cycling was common along this stretch even though there were painted bike lanes on the street… I think just to access the shops and cafés…

Sure, we can build curb returns with drainage that works… But a good example of a location where a continuous sidewalk would lift pedestrians out of the puddles and probably make it easier to divert those puddles into catch basins…

Same location, more puddles and a neat little electric bus…

Quick build street closure…

I love the views through these gateways…

Another… Maybe the lesson here is build more permeable buildings, more alleyways, nice ones of course… Or something…

Day 2: Velo-City Registration and Coastal Ride

The next day, we set out to find the conference venue… Missing the bridge timing as we still hadn’t figured it out properly until later that day, we headed south of the centre to loop around. There were more of these new buildings providing a modern take on old styles...

We work our way around the centre in the hope of avoiding cobbles and are soon directed down an underpass… It was fine, but I’m sure some will think twice about going down here after dark…

A protected corner of sorts… Initially I’m thinking it’s missing the corner island, so there’s not much stopping a car cutting the corner, but in principle, there’s a safer space to wait to make a two-stage turn… But as the guys are showing, you really only need one stage when an all-ped/bike phase is called… Maybe that’s why there is no protected corner…

Lean rails being well used in Gdansk… We missed a sign and were on the wrong route to the venue at this point, but neat lean rail…

After stopping off at the registration desk, we headed up the coast… These large pipes were a mystery at first, but I believe they are part of a district heating system, something we have coming to my building, albeit through underground pipes…

At the coast, a new bike path to Sopot is better separated from pedestrians, while the old red bike path now gives pedestrians more space.

Made it to the beach with my swag bag…

Checking out Woonerfs in Sopot…

Working as intended…

The main square in Sopot…

Day 3: First Day at Velo-City

A very well protected bike lane on the way to the conference… These people are heading into the city though…

These TWSIs caught my eye as we debate what the right approach is in Canada… Slightly different layout than I’ve seen before…

A continuous sidewalk and bike path… Nice to see, and note it is using the Dutch-style markings for the ramps, but I’d prefer it not to have the crosswalk markings… Drivers are crossing the pedestrian space, not the other way around…

The bike path gets a solid double centre line where people might cut the corner…

The Zicla signs directing people to the conference venue… I saw this one yesterday, but I’m sure the next one had been turned around or something…

At the same location, the more traditional wayfinding signs… They remind me a bit of the ones in Valencia, maybe just the colour… Note the English descriptions in the small print too for the tourists, or maybe students…

Another continuous sidewalk and bike path around the corner, this time with no pavement markings, but a little bit of a curb return and an abrupt little ramp…

A speed cushion to slow cars down at the crosswalk, improving safety and likely compliance too…

More well used lean rails… Maybe not purpose built at this location, but still getting the job done…

First one in…

And it begins… The world’s largest event focussed on bicycle mobility, the show started with a trials demonstration, and speaking to some levels of government stepping back, and how that is creating a need for cities, advocates, and industry to step up even more… They were not naming names, but we definitely have some examples of that happening in Canada…

Gil Penalosa provided an inspiring keynote, suggesting that if we want to promote cycling, we shouldn’t talk about cycling... Cave people was a new one to me, meaning citizens against virtually everything… In a world where common sense is the least used sense, a holistic approach is needed that focuses on cities for people and the benefits for people, not just cyclists. Better health, all people accommodated safely. More sharing and learning from others is key and that’s certainly what I try to do with this website... What does a successful city (or project) look like, and who is it serving? Can children get around on their own? If they can’t, it’s nothing! How do we want to live?

In a design workshop run by the Global Designing Cities Initiative, we played with some templates to debate the pros and cons of different approaches, but what I really liked was the use of personas in the design process, asking ourselves how improvements would work for, say, the mum with a kid, or for the food delivery rider that needs bike parking, etc. Imagining the stories of the potential users can help make the case for much-needed design decisions to provide solutions that work for everyone… Not just people that drive… You get what you measure, so including a measurement of sorts for all the potential people that will pass through a project provides a more holistic analysis and a more inclusive solution.

During some lessons from CROW, they talked about many of their standards evolving from pilots (not the flying kind) with their job being to turn those ideas into a standard for the country. They talked about the changes they saw in ridership from the build-out of complete routes, then complete networks… They talked about providing space for passing today, not having to add it in the future... It’s easier to do good things now… But most importantly, as many cities begin to build out their bike networks… It’s about more than just protected bike lanes… No parking = no cycling! People need secure parking!

The show floor…

If you come here often, you’ll know how much I value my Brompton to support the work I do and the trips I take… The number of Brompton bicycles parked outside at the end of the day would suggest I’m not the only one…

Heading back home in the rain… It took less time than I thought and I had the wait for the bridge :(

Day 4: Second Day at Velo-City

Not many photos from the sessions on this day, but it was good to catch up with people that is usually only done virtually… Some condensed takeaways from a few sessions…

Too many names to attribute in this summary, but my takeaways from a session on dealing with the backlash on bicycle projects included a greater need for pilot projects to test the water and a willingness to fail and refine. Rather than building a cycling project for cyclists, starting with people and especially doing it for children, designing for children cycling to school creates recommendations that are hard to argue against. Everyone at VeloCity has drunk the Kool-Aid, and we all ended up on this path in different ways. How do we help more people flick that switch? Is it as easy as making leaders watch Not Just Bikes? Facts are useful, such as illustrating a growing population can’t be accommodated with everyone driving, but better storytelling keeps being brought up as ever more important, making projects more relatable to more people through seeing themselves, their family, or their friends as potential users, or at least people like them.

A session on accessible bike routes, somewhat tourism-focussed, but still providing some good general perspectives on things we perhaps don’t always think about. For example, for many people, cycling is easier than walking, so people biking might not look like they have a disability, but they may find it easier to cycle. The walk and dismount sign should ideally not exist; not everyone is able to do so. It’s a very real barrier. Ensuring good construction quality is key for those less able, removing trip hazards, barriers, and discomfort through poor construction. While not all barriers may be removed at once, making it clear what barriers do still exist on a route at least lets people make an informed choice, while presenting that information, and all route information in a clear and easy-to-read manner is also important for legibility and decision-making. More tourism-related, but where possible on loops, provide opportunities for shortcuts if people decide they can’t manage, and provide amenities such as washrooms, water, etc., along the way. Maybe more at a national level, but ensure consistent grading of things like slopes, widths, ramps, information, etc. No standard? Create them.

The bike parade was by far the highlight of the day though. What started out as an uncomfortable ride on the cobbled streets in the centre, turned into an amazing ride along closed… or some might say… open streets…

There was great light coming and going at the start of the ride…

I guess this is proof that even without intersections disrupting the flow, streets do have a practical bicycle capacity. We were stalling out a few times in this section… Note the woonerf signs and bicycle wayfinding signs…

Again, the sidewalks provided relief for a few from the cobbles…

Our path was cleared along the main pedestrian street…

We didn’t tick this off in Lessons from the Dutch Bingo in Eindhoven, but two people riding side by side holding hands… Check…

This was where it got really good in my mind… This is the busy 6/7 lane arterial road that I’d ride along on the adjacent bike path to get to the conference. That was fine, but having such a road closed for you to ride was something special…

The light was still hitting just right in places…

It’s scenes like this you’re giving up if you can’t find a street or two in your city to pedestrianize…

Same spot pretty much, other direction…

Love these buildings, and the pirogies had there…

Day 5 (and 6): Third and Fourth Day at Velo-City

On the bike parade the previous day, we went this way and I’d caught sight of a very new bike path, so on this morning I took a slightly different way to the conference to check it out. Big bend out on this bike path on route…

Another example of a continuous sidewalk… I like the cobbled ramps on either side, I imagine they’re an extra help in slowing turning traffic. I would still like to get rid of the curb return arc and just keep the material continuous… The clue is in the name…

That new bike path I mentioned… More boulevards than they know what to do with… But seriously, the only issue is the limited access to the building frontage... I’d have chosen a different type of separation between the bike path and sidewalk… Maybe pockets of landscaping…

This little neighbourhood turned out to be a highlight with neat touches at every turn…

Except when leaving it… A new take on parking on the sidewalk…

Day 3 of Velo-City began with a discussion on healthy streets, not being just about throwing down bike lanes but creating a better experience for people. To make walking and cycling a daily habit, it has to provide a good experience, and infrastructure is key to that.

Another session on cycling to school programs provided some insights I don’t normally see. A program in Groningen focuses on skills first at a young age, and shifts to safety over time, but with an emphasis on fun at all times. Surprisingly, the average age where kids learn to ride was 7, and they’re looking to reduce that by half. The key over time was that kids could safely navigate streets by themselves. Start them young, as small wheels have big impacts…

Others spoke to involving the parents with respect to school safety, but it was key to include the kids to understand their views, and this could be beneficial if making changes to infrastructure, if those are a direct result of discussion with the kids. Hard to argue against kids rather than cyclists. Teachers are key allies, so getting them onboard with any programs is critical to make cycling a part of school culture. Others noted kids cycle less as they get older, with greater interest in elementary school, and reducing interest through middle school and high school. There was also discussion of maintenance skills and gamification to encourage kids to ride.

Two sessions near the end of Day 3 focussed on traffic signals, the first rethinking them for cycling, and largely focussed on the benefits of signal removal where possible as it can simplify conflicts if done well and reduce delays. However, it needs to consider all the needs of the area and the surrounding network if changes impact traffic patterns. You can’t just look at an intersection level.

A final session on Day 4 compared the Dutch and Danish approaches, and the Danish approach didn’t fare too well. The Dutch use signals for traffic management rather than as a safety tool - albeit they do those safer too. Denmark uses signals more and believes they increase the feeling of safety as they have very good signal compliance. The Dutch separate people from traffic more, and while protected intersections create some extra conflict between pedestrians and cyclists, it also allows conflict-free right turns from vehicles and shortens crossing distances. The Danes have some surprising research that is counterintuitive, such as only including blue crossings on 1 or 2 legs and mixing cyclists with traffic at intersections… Perhaps strength in numbers and driver laws… The two have very different approaches to roundabouts, with Danes not using them in urban conditions, but their designs are behind the Netherlands. The Dutch are highly in favour of roundabouts as in addition to driver safety, they can reduce cyclist delay to zero. Another take on an experiment with different design elements…

And that’s a wrap from Velo-City… It’s in Italy in 2026… Not sure what my plans are for next year yet…

After the conference, we went back to the neighbourhood from the start of Day 3. The old industrial area has been given a bit of life with various art installations and other uses scattered around the old industrial buildings… Wished I’d taken a few more photos of that, but this was interesting… The rise of the machines…