'MILAN' A CITY OF CYCLING LOVERS...

 

Those who enjoy lively, urban life will love Milan by bike.  With 1.4 million inhabitants, Milan is Italy’s second largest city. It is a popular university city as well as a fashion capital, and is being frequented more and more by bikes. Milan is situated in the Po Valley. As a result, there are very few hills to contend with. In good weather, the Alps can be seen to the north, and in the south the Po rushes past towards the Adriatic Sea.

Street map of Milan city located in Italy (Europe)

The most important feature of Milan city is 'availability of cycle track in the just beside of main street on which vehicles are running. It may get surprise for new viewers, but it is reality that a separate cycle track is created for running bicycle on each and every margins of the main street in Milan city. For me, it was miracle to see this first time. In India generally, we look everywhere a busy road running with numerous motor vehicles, even less amount of space remain for footpaths or two wheelers. But in Milan almost every street is decorated with a footpath and between footpath and main street their is a separate cycle track created for cycle lovers.  

Cycle track intersecting on a corner

Use of large number of cycle standing beside Milano University Campus

Beside main street we can also see a separate lane for cycling

 

A Street view in Milan city

Lots of electric bicycle is standing for daily users

If no cycle path is available, it is usually possible to ride on the normal roads. The Milanesi are tolerant and good drivers. Although the traffic seems chaotic, they watch out for other motorists, drive their cars within millimeter-precision and wait patiently when a bike approaches a crossing. Pedestrians also tolerate cyclists leisurely riding along the pavement without grumbling. Those wanting to take their bike for a longer spin in the city can take their bike on the Metro outside of rush hour free of charge.

There are two longer cycling routes that lead from the centre of Milan to the city borders:

1. Naviglio Martesana: following the canal east towards Trezzo sull’Adda (38 kilometres) and, if desired, continue on the Adda cycle path until you reach Lecco at Lake Como.
2. Grande Naviglio: leads from the Porta Ticinese 22 kilometres to the west, ending in Abbiategrasso. Those looking for more can take the Ticino cycle path from here south towards Pavia or north towards Sesto Calenda on Lago Maggiore.

The so-called Idroscalo is a special feature just before the south-west gates of Milan. It is a 2.6 kilometre-long artificial lake constructed during Mussolini’s era and is now used as a recreation area. You can cycle here in peace, swim in the lake or hire a kayak or pedalo.

A cycle lane starting from the main street

An electric bicycle stand working on midnight

People are meeting together with the use of bicycle

Zebra crossing and cycle crossing lane is together here

Most of student and Professors are using this cycling to keep fit

We can see a cycle stand beside Milano church too

Therefore, cycling is an extraordinary example of keeping fit and healthy life adopted by Mianesi people. This model is almost followed by Northern European countries such as Norway, Sweden, Portugal etc. They understood the value of keeping a sound health by doing only cycling in their daily life. 

Milan city ... In my view ... morning to till night activities.... 

Profit of Bicycling: Cycling is mainly an aerobic activity, which means that your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. You will breathe deeper, perspire and experience increased body temperature, which will improve your overall fitness level.

The health benefits of regular cycling include:

• increased cardiovascular fitness
• increased muscle strength and flexibility
• improved joint mobility
• decreased stress levels
• improved posture and coordination
• strengthened bones
• decreased body fat levels
• prevention or management of disease
• reduced anxiety and depression.

Can we adopt this model of keep healthy our body? 

Sure, we can adopt, even I am saying that we should to adopt after knowing the benefits of cycling and use of cycle in our daily life. But we have only issue with implementation of this cycle track that is availability of space beside a street. Generally, in any Indian city their is lack of space beside the main street. except some planned cities like Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Chennai, New Delhi or Kolkata their is lack of space beside main streets. We have not any single example of Milan model of cycle track in any Indian cities yet. 

An Example from India: 

Ranchi municipal corporation (RMC) launched a new initiative, this month, encouraging people to cycle to improve the air quality (reported on 27 March, 2021).Changing a behaviour takes time. But that's the task Jharkhand's capital Ranchi has undertaken in order to encourage people to use cycles. In one of India's most ambitious plans, Ranchi kick-started the 'har shanviar, no car' (every Saturday, no car) campaign this month in an attempt to reduce air pollution. 

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren rides a bicycle on his way to Morabadi Ground on 75th Bharat Amrit Mahotsav, in Ranchi, Friday, March 12, 2021. (PTI Photo)(PTI03_12_2021_000064B) (PTI); People are doing cycling on the main street. 

Ranchi is among many Indian cities trying new ways to tackle the worsening air quality - be it with pop-up cycle tracks, free cycle repair clinics or pedestrian-only streets. With an urban population of 1.5 million, Ranchi has ambient air pollution levels that are seven times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) recommended standards, according to studies.

But question is that where people will run the bicycle, on the same vehicle track, it may fall in dangerous. without proper availability of safe trafficking for cycle track it is very tough to implement the green plan. Administrative authority should to install another lane for cycling. 

A cycle stand made by Ranchi Municipal Corporation

A busy Main road on which a boy is running their bicycle 

This is reality face by our transporting system particularly by road system in any Indian cities. The question is that why this kind of environmental friendly plan and policies are almost failure in the country? the simple answer is that we have lack of a cycle track beside on a main vehicle street. We should to add a cycle lane between footpath and main vehicle street for movement of traffic free cycle.