In recent developments, Milan is set to introduce “urban cycling streets,” a concept that has been part of Italy’s Road Code since 2020 but has yet to be implemented in the city. These streets are designed to prioritize cyclists, aiming to enhance the city’s cycling infrastructure, especially in areas where dedicated bike lanes are challenging to establish.
Understanding Urban Cycling Streets
Urban cycling streets are defined as single-lane roads with a speed limit of 30 km/h, intended for mixed traffic, including cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. The key feature distinguishing them from standard urban roads is the functional priority given to cyclists. This means that drivers are expected to adjust their behavior to accommodate cyclists, avoiding risky overtakes and maintaining speeds compatible with cycling. These streets remain open to all vehicles but are designed and regulated to make cycling the primary mode of transport.
Not Just a Simple 30 Zone
A common misconception is to equate urban cycling streets with 30 km/h zones. While both share the same speed limit, their objectives differ. A 30 km/h zone aims to moderate traffic and increase safety for all road users. In contrast, an urban cycling street places the bicycle at the center of the traffic hierarchy, legally obligating other drivers to respect cyclists’ priority. This approach is already established in many Northern European countries, where “fietsstraat” (bike streets) are used to connect bike lanes and urban routes without always resorting to separate infrastructures.
Challenges in Milan’s Implementation
Despite the legal framework existing since 2020, Milan has yet to implement any urban cycling streets. The primary obstacle is the specific signage required, which must be approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. Without the correct vertical and horizontal signage, a road cannot officially be classified as an urban cycling street, even if it shares similar characteristics. This requirement has slowed the adoption of the norm in many Italian cities. However, with the Möves plan, the Municipality of Milan has clearly expressed its intention to introduce this type of infrastructure, identifying it as a tool to encourage active mobility and improve the safety of cyclists.
A Light but Strategic Infrastructure
The main advantage of urban cycling streets is that they can be implemented without complex infrastructural interventions. They do not necessarily require the construction of new bike lanes or significant modifications to the roadway but focus on reorganizing road space through clear rules and a different hierarchy among users. This makes them particularly suitable for residential neighborhoods and low-traffic streets, where they can connect existing bike network segments and create continuous routes for daily commutes.
What Changes and Where They Could Be Implemented
The regulation has already changed once: compared to the 2020 text, bicycles no longer have automatic priority at intersections, but motorists must pay particular attention to cyclists and maintain, when possible, at least 1.5 meters of distance during overtaking. However, cyclists still have the possibility to occupy the center of the roadway, without being obliged to always travel on the right margin. In Milan, the first experiments could start from the service roads of Corso Sempione, Viale Certosa, Viale Fulvio Testi, Viale Campania, and Viale Molise, accompanied by traffic moderation interventions such as pinch points and chicanes, aiming to create safer streets without building new bike lanes.
A Challenge That Also Involves Road Culture
The introduction of urban cycling streets will also require a change in driving habits. In Italy, we are perhaps used to considering the bicycle as a vehicle to overtake as quickly as possible, while this model reverses the perspective: it is the motorist who must adapt their conduct to the rhythm of cycling mobility. It is an approach that can help make cities safer without eliminating car traffic but requires effective communication and controls to ensure that the new rules are respected.
If Milan manages to transform the objectives of the Möves plan into concrete interventions, urban cycling streets could become one of the most interesting tools to complete the city’s bike network. They will not replace bike lanes but can make daily routes for those who choose the bicycle as a means of transport more continuous, safe, and readable.