The list of Comuni Ciclabili awarded Fiab's yellow flag continues to grow. A total of 174 bike-friendly destinations to discover for a cycling holiday this summer.
There is the historic blue flag for seaside resorts, the green one for mountain destinations committed to sustainability, and then there is the yellow flag that – not everyone knows – flies over cycling-friendly towns. The idea of awarding recognition to bicycle-friendly local authorities was conceived by Fiab Federazione Italiana Ambiente e Bicicletta as many as five years ago, with the dual aim of nudging the more reluctant municipalities into adopting policies in favour of cycling mobility and of giving well-deserved prominence to those that have already put bike-friendly initiatives in place. In short, a healthy form of competition that, through the award of the flag, shines a spotlight on the topic of active mobility, highlighting the most welcoming destinations for those who get around on two wheels.
Many steps forward have been taken in recent years, even if never enough for those who work on sustainable mobility and are counting on two wheels to transform the face of cities. Even so, the yellow-flag figures are sending positive signals. Indeed, according to the latest assessment, which closed in July, the list of cycling-friendly towns is growing and in 2022 reaches 174 municipalities. Among these are 9 regional capitals (Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna, Florence, Bari, Ancona, L'Aquila, Trento), alongside a further 25 provincial capitals.
The assessment of each territory's degree of cyclability is expressed as a score ranging from one to five, indicated by the symbol of the "bike smile". The same symbol that appears on the yellow flag presented to each cycling-friendly municipality, together with an assessment that includes useful suggestions regarding actions to be taken.
"When we at Fiab thought of a form of recognition to attribute to the cyclability of territories, we were visionary and ambitious, drawing on our expertise as urban planners and our tireless dedication to cycling mobility," says Alessandro Tursi, president of Fiab. After five years the initiative has grown rapidly, but above all – as Tursi underlines – municipalities have understood and appreciated the federation's efforts to produce reliable assessments. "They have also understood the constructive and collaborative approach of providing suggestions and proposals suited to specific local realities. The greatest satisfaction is seeing how many local administrations have stepped up their efforts to improve year on year. We are always pleased to award additional bike smiles when scores exceed the various thresholds. The biggest challenge for the future of Fiab-Comuni Ciclabili is to live up to the work done so far and to honour the trust that an ever-growing number of municipalities place in Fiab."
Have you ever spent time in a destination with five "bike smiles"? No cars honking about, the air is clean and the atmosphere peaceful. It is not a mirage – it is what you find in the thirteen municipalities that have earned Fiab's five bike smiles, such as the island of Favignana. Those who have been there will remember the constant coming and going from the hire shops and the rows of bicycles (cheaper than scooters) parked right next to the beaches. There is no parking fee to pay and you rediscover the pleasure of moving freely, away from noise, traffic and pollution. Worth noting that this island is the only locality in Sicily included in the Comuni Ciclabili network.
The other 12 virtuous municipalities also deserve to be mentioned and, above all, explored by bike: the small town of Arborea in Sardinia (OR), Bolzano, Cavallino Treporti (VE), Cesena, Ferrara, Grado (GO), Merano, Pesaro, Ravenna, Reggio Emilia, Rimini and Schio (VI).
In the rankings, the regions leading the way for yellow flags are Veneto with 30 municipalities and Emilia Romagna with 29, followed by Abruzzo with 19 municipalities and by Lombardy, Marche and Puglia, each with 16 municipalities. From September, the process will reopen, with applications for the 2023 edition of Fiab-Comuni Ciclabili.