Written by Aurora Velez, in cooperation with the European Commission. Last updated before July 1, 2022.

This article was published on the Greek language page of the internet site Euronews and since it deals mostly with the bicycle as a means of livable transportation, I thought it would be fun and interesting to translate and post. Reading between the lines provided an informative tidbit, namely that there apparently is a problem with bicycle theft, at least in Pisa. So beware!

I am not against the concept of livable and/or sustainable modes of transportation. In fact, I commuted to work primarily by bicycle; but not for the purpose of “reducing my carbon footprint,” although doing so certainly helped cut down on trips to the gas pump! It was a great way to wake up in the morning praying while pedaling, and then to relieve tension at the end of the workday, praying while pedaling. But, above all, bicycling is great aerobic exercise that can go anaerobic if the spirit so moves, while praising God for the ability and desire as well as the means to engage in what can be a very demanding avenue of physical exercise.

One last note – in my opinion, our country has “put the cart before the horse” regarding its attempts, recently through the present administration’s ill-conceived domestic policies, to “go green.” Rather than funding solar panels and wind farms while disrupting the flow of fossil energy resources in order to fuel motorists’ discontent and impatience with the cost of gasoline and drive them to get on the freeway of electric mobility, those dollars should be diverted to laying thousands of miles of bicycle paths that would drastically reduce carbon emissions while encouraging a healthier America! And, yes, I am a strident cycling enthusiast!

So much for the soapbox; here’s the article:

In Pisa, Italy, those using public means of transportation or non-pollutant means are rewarded through the application GoodGo. The application detects all the modes of transportation, records the movements of every user, and the calories consumed, thus encouraging livable mobility.

Cynthia Cherai was among the first who signed up and now thinks about which local store will use the points she has collected: “This morning I set out on my bicycle, took the train, walked a little, and took the bus. I collected 48 points, so I rose in the standings. I will get some prize very shortly.”

Kiara Patsali uses a bicycle every day. What she likes most on the app is the service “Savemybike,” which indicates the safest places to park her bicycle. The first gift for those signing in on the platform is a passive RF sensor, which is very useful in the case of bicycle theft.

“It’s a kind of button that goes on the bicycle. We raise the saddle and put it inside. In case the bicycle is stolen, we call the number with the app. I can report that it has been stolen and then through the municipal police, I can find it.”

The endeavor has a total budget of €815,007 and is funded at 44.9% by the EU cohesion policy (€366,753). In the first week of the introduction of the app (which kicked off on May 9, 2022) 300 persons had signed up. The goal is to reach 5,000.

What types of needs does this app cover? Massimiliano Petri, head of the program, explains to us: “In Italian cities, as an example, in Pisa, only 9% of citizens use mass transportation. They use the bicycle, but not much. Consequently, we are trying to introduce these systems in order to lessen the density of personal vehicles in the cities.”

Those using livable transportation gather points which equate to virtual money that is accepted in cooperating stores in the region.

Which are the friendliest cities in Europe for the bicycle? Total score: 280

1. Copenhagen, Denmark      216

2. Tallin, Estonia                     210 

3. Amsterdam, Netherlands  209

4. Helsinki, Finland              201

5. Oslo, Norway                       185 

6. Valencia, Italy                      173 

7. Luxembourg                        172 

8. Vilnius, Lithuania                171    

9. The Hague, Netherlands   168  

10. Geneva, Switzerland         165 

The scores take into account metrics, especially for tourists, who wish to use a bicycle at their destination, such as climate, pollution, the cost of renting a bicycle, safety measured as the number of deaths of bicyclists per population, regulations for safety, length of bicycle lanes per capita and bicycle repair shops per capita. Source: Cycle Cities Report 2021 – money.co.uk

Cynthia chose to redeem her points at a store with chocolates. Paola di Belo is the owner: “It is very easy for you to use the app, for both us and the customers. It is the municipality that immediately refunds the coupons that have been spent in our store.”