VeloFlow – Green wave for cyclists in Binz and Alt-Wiedikon

Cycling is popular in Zurich, but one of the biggest frustrations is waiting at red lights. The constant braking and restarting costs energy, slows down the journey and leads to a well-known safety problem: some cyclists run red lights because the temptation to drive through quickly is great. This significantly increases the potential for conflict with car traffic. VeloFlow wants to change this with one or more of the following approaches, which will be implemented depending on technical feasibility and cooperation with the City of Zurich: Approach 1: Smartphone app with speed recommendation A free app shows cyclists in real time whether they should drive slightly faster or slower in order to catch the green light at the next traffic light. The display is deliberately simple: arrow up (accelerate), arrow down (brake), tick (maintain speed) or pause symbol (this traffic light turns red, slow down). If you know that you won't catch the traffic light anyway, you no longer have any reason to risk the red light. The concept was already successfully tested in Utrecht (NL) in 2017 with the "Flo" system and cyclists reacted so positively that they missed the system on other routes. Approach 2: Smart traffic light communication (with urban infrastructure) In cooperation with the City of Zurich, the app can anonymously transmit the location of cyclists to intelligent traffic lights. The traffic light extends the green phase or switches to green early, similar to a digital button that is pressed much earlier. This concept was introduced in 's-Hertogenbosch (NL) with the "Schwung" app at all 50 traffic light locations in the city. Cyclists felt that the traffic lights were just for them, and several other Dutch cities adopted the system. Approach 3: Physical Green Wave without App (Infrastructure Variant) As the lowest-threshold variant, the traffic lights on a main cycle route in the neighbourhood can be synchronised in such a way that a green wave is automatically created at a speed of approx. 18 to 20 km/h, without an app, without a smartphone, for everyone. This principle is already established in Copenhagen on Nørrebrogade, where 30,000 cyclists pass through 2.5 km without a red light every day. In Bern, there has been a similar Green Wave for cyclists on the main route towards Wankdorf since 2016. The goal of all three approaches is the same: to make cycling in the neighbourhood faster, less stressful and more attractive, as a real alternative to the car, even on the way to work.

Flo: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/flo-your-guide-to-the-green-light/, Swing: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/get-a-green-light-quicker-with-schwung/, Green Wave Copenhagen, Nørrebrogade: https://www.visitdenmark.de/daenemark/reiseplanung/green-path-gdk1134940

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The main cycle routes in the Binz and Alt-Wiedikon districts. Main bike route to the main train station.