Although renewable energy is fashionable now in Ukraine, Kyiv residents will still rely on the internal combustion engine to get round for the foreseeable future.
Bicyclists who have navigated the dangers of Kyiv’s streets can testify to the hazardous realities of encountering motorists who don’t want bicyclists on the roads and pedestrians who don’t want them on the sidewalks.
Governments are simply not doing enough to encourage cycling — a clean alternative to the thousands of cars polluting Kyiv’s air and clogging its roads. After Vitali Klitschko was elected Kyiv mayor in 2014, he made improving cycling infrastructure one of his priorities. But, so far in 2017, seven cyclists have been killed in road incidents, compared to 14 deaths from 2014–2016.
Klitschko’s unfulfilled promise, consequently, elicits scorn amongst cyclists.
Keeping distance
Nikita Skorenko, a professional road cyclist with Ukraine-based Kolss Cycling Team, says the problems that cyclists face stem from “road rage” and the lack of a “cycling culture in Ukraine.”
“Drivers don’t understand cyclists; they don’t keep their distance. They should leave a meter and a half, but barely leave any at all. As a professional cyclist, I can handle my bike, which means it’s safer for me. Less so for amateurs and normal cyclists. So many of them decide not to ride,” he told the Kyiv Post.
The attitude of drivers aside, another problem is the density of traffic.
A transport model made for Kyiv in 2015 was based on 213 cars per 1,000 citizens; far less than London (345) and Moscow (297), but slightly more than New York (209). There are 1.2 million cars officially registered, but A+S, the company which produced the model, think there are in fact 639,000, of which 566,000 are regularly used.
Dmitry Bespalov, the director of A+S, believes there could now be 220 cars per 1,000 residents.
Air pollution is a consequence. The Central Geophysical Observatory recorded poor quality air over the summer in Kyiv and says that pollution has increased over the last year.
A lot of the car usage is, arguably, not necessary.
According to data from the Kyiv Cyclists Association, 42 percent of car journeys are less 5 kilometers, a distance easily covered by bike. Moreover, drivers could put their cars to better use. A+S worked out that each car in Kyiv carries on average 1.51 people.
Slow improvement
And yet, things are getting better.
Nikita Vognick, an administrator at the newly reopened Kyiv velodrome and an influential figure in its regeneration, told the Kyiv Post that four out of 12 of his colleagues cycle to work. It’s not that surprising for cycling aficionados, but he thinks enthusiasm is spreading.
He says that “since 2012 roads there are fewer potholes … drivers, not the majority, but some are noticing cyclists. A small minority still think cyclists should be on the sidewalk. But because of campaigns, fewer people are driving like arseholes. More people are cycling, or know people who cycle, so (as drivers) they’re more understanding.”
The Kyiv Cyclists Association agrees. Their surveys of cyclists in 2016 found that participation had increased 10 percent. The same was true in 2015 and they expect a similar increase this year.
Nonetheless, Vognick was critical of central and local government’s lack of investment into protecting cyclists.
“There’s zero state sponsorship for road cycling safety,” he said. Efforts to raise awareness of the risks facing cyclists are made by grassroots organizations, such as the “Roads for All” campaign, or the “Stop Killing Us” protest last week in front of Kyiv City Hall. Cyclists placed a white bike in front of the building in memory of the seven riders killed in the capital this year. Protesters called for more cycle paths and lanes and lower speed limits for cars.
Professional rider Nikita Skorenko thinks that the country needs to embrace cycling as a sport and spectacle before the bicycle becomes a popular means of transport. This is the case in Belgium, with a popular professional cycling team. Bikes now dominate the streets and there is a thriving amateur racing scene. A blend of private and public sector money is turning the United Kingdom into a cycling country.
Unfortunately Ukrainian sports bodies and private companies are apathetic.
Skorenko’s team is unlikely to race at the professional level next year after their main sponsor pulled out. The Ukrainian government has not stepped in with funding. Asked about the future of the sport in Ukraine, Skorenko replied: “It’s the end. There’s no support.”
“The cycling federation doesn’t help us develop,” he said. Help comes from team bike manufacturer Colnago. “But all the sponsors are foreign. Domestic companies aren’t interested.”
Spending wasted
Some of the government spending to promote cycling among children and bike paths appears to be frittered away by corruption or misuse.
The situation on the Dnipro River’s Trukhaniv Island is farcical. Cars encroach onto the supposedly pedestrian zone with tragic consequences. In 2016, a pedestrian was killed when struck by a car and a girl sustained serious injuries after a car knocked her off her bike.
Residents and some businesses are allowed to use cars on the island. But it appears that drivers without access permits bribe guards manning the barriers.
Nikita Vognick from the Kyiv Velodrome thinks that much of the land ownership on the island is illegal in the first place. “Corrupt guys grabbed the land,” he reckons. He regrets that “we’ve lost this place where even children could ride.”
Frustration is bubbling over.
Some activists have barricaded the entrance to block cars. In June, cyclists, runners and walkers participated in a protest to “make Trukhaniv safe.” One of their demands was for speed cameras to be put in place to enforce the 20 kilometer per hour limit for cars. Thus far, their please have fallen on deaf ears.
The Kyiv City Administration did not respond to requests for comment.
