Hundreds of Cyclists Celebrated During the First Bicycle Festival in Zwolle
Picture: Fietsersbond
Hundreds of cyclists, including many parents with children, enjoyed the first Bicycle Festival on Saturday 25 June 2022 at the Stationsplein in Zwolle. The festival was organized by the Fietsersbond, thanks to the municipality of Zwolle, Cortina and NS. During the Bicycle Festival, the bicycle in all its facets takes center stage. At the Stationsplein in Zwolle, visitors could try out various bicycles, participate in workshops, activities and games. According to Fietsersbond director Esther van Garderen, this first edition is a great success. “For the Dutch, the bicycle is something ordinary, everyday, but our cycling culture is really special. And it's high time we started celebrating more. We did that in full in Zwolle, and next year we hope to do it again in another city.”
Sniffer bike
The Zwolle alderman Gerdien Rots was also present: “The bicycle and the cyclist will receive a lot of attention over the years. So it is very nice to see forms and novelties at this cycling festival. Zwolle is a cycling city and will remain so. It is a healthy and environmentally friendly means of transport, which I use a lot myself. We encourage people from Zwolle to use their bicycles more often and to leave the car behind.” The alderman asks for special attention for the Snuffelfiets project: “One of the projects that we are going to start as a municipality is the 'snuffelfiets' project. We ask residents of Zwolle who often cycle to equip their bicycles with a sensor, with which we can measure the air quality (anonymously). In this way we discover where we need to take measures together in the future.” All the necessary information can be found at www.zwolle.nl/snuffelfiets and Zwolle residents can already register. The sniffer bike project is part of the Bicycles and ITS (BITS) project, cofunded by the Interreg North Sea Region Programme. Approximately 250 citizens are planned to make user of the sensor during their daily bicycle trips.
Cortina and NS
The Bicycle Festival was made possible in part by Cortina. This well-known bicycle brand, part of the Zwolle company Kruitbosch, was also present with a sturdy stand: “As a real Zwolle bicycle brand, we couldn't stay behind at this beautiful first Bicycle Festival. We hope everyone celebrates cycling in June.”
The Bicycle Festival was held on the square in front of Zwolle station. A journey by train usually starts by bicycle. The final destination is often the station itself. NS wants to facilitate seamless travels for the travelers, and is therefore a partner of the Bicycle Festival.
This article is based on an article published in Fietsersbond Fietsflits, 30 June 2022