Cycling in Prague
Cycling in Prague is a popular leisure activity and a not so common mode of transport within the capital city of the Czech Republic. However, levels of utility cyclists have been rising recently. In 2018, 2% of people commuted by bike in Prague. As of 2017, there were of protected cycle paths and routes in the city. Also, there are of bike lanes and of specially marked bus lanes that can be used by cyclists.
History
Prague was never considered as a bike-friendly city. There were no signs of any cycling infrastructure before WW1. In 1956, the first Copenhagen-style bicycle lanes appeared in Letňany on Letňanská street. The former bike lane is now used as a pedestrian walkway. Cycling infrastructure was usually not part of developing big housing panel house estates such as Jižní Město. The first modern bicycle path in Prague was built in 1986 in Stromovka park. Its intended use was recreational cycling.After the Velvet Revolution, there was substantial pressure to improve the infrastructure intended to be used by cars. Car traffic in the city doubled in the first five years after 1989. Popularity of leisure cycling also increased, the first city cycle routes were marked by the Czech Tourist Club. In 1993, the Council of Prague approved a plan of constructing 400 km of cycling routes in Prague until 2000. However, only less than half of the planned bicycle routes were completed in 2000. The first critical mass cycling in Prague was held in 1991 with around 80 participants. In 2007, a voluntary association in favor of pedestrians and cyclists, Auto*Mat, was established. Furthermore, there is the magazine called „Prahou na kole", translated as „Prague by Bike", which includes an online cycling map.
In 2022 Luko bike-friendly cities Global City Index, Prague ranked 73rd of total 90 analyzed metropolises around the world. It was next to Detroit, Istanbul or Cairo.