A new study from the European Union indicates that only the Dutch can outdo the Danes for having the most bicycle-oriented culture.
Nearly 24 percent of Danes polled said the bicycle was their preferred means of daily transport, while just over 13 percent indicated they preferred the bus, train or subway to get from place to place.
The results of the study should come as no surprise to Copenhageners or visitors in the nation’s capital: special lanes and traffic lights for bikes are a fixture on most roads, and crossing the street means looking out for both four- and two-wheeled traffic.
In addition, the International Cycling Union (UCI) officially named the city as the world’s first Bike City earlier this year.
Denmark is well above the EU average in its love for the two-wheeler. Of the union’s nearly 500 million residents, only 8.7 percent said that the bicycle would be their first choice for transport, while 20.6 percent prefer public transport.
In the Netherlands, a full 40 percent of the population prefer the bicycle over other means of transport. The automobile was found by the study to be the number one choice for transport in the EU.
