Approximately 3/4 of Europe's population live in urban areas. Over 30% of all kilometres run are kilometres run in rural areas. Further increase in congestion is expected and one will feel its results not only in particular cities but also on roads of the pan-European network. According to EU calculations approximately 80% of external transport costs in the rural areas result from congestion. Energy consumption connected with transport in cities is also increasing rapidly which is caused particularly by private cars and vehicles of different kinds used for commercial activity (consumption of 98% of energy in municipal transport). City traffic produces over 10% of total CO₂ emission in the area of EU.

Eco-development was officially accepted for putting into effect by politicians, including the Polish ones, during the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This conference was closed by adopting the AGENDA 21 document which resolved that all sectors of human activity should be based on eco-development. After this document, new documents of the UN, European Union, OECD, World Bank and Conference of Ministers of Transport of Baltic Countries were issued. According to the bodies eco-development can be achieved by:

• integrating area development and transport planning in order to reduce demand on transport,
• attempting to decrease transport needs and to shorten distances,
• promoting proecological attitudes in the field of transport such as reduction of car use,
• encouraging to use non-engine means of transport by establishing network of cycle and pedestrian routes
• controlling the existing model of consumption and production in order to reduce energy consumption and natural resources,
• basing investment decisions on complete analysis of costs taking into account environmental costs covered by users of transport system,
• developing and raising competitiveness of more environmentally friendly means of transport such as rail, combined transport, collective transport,
• developing municipal transport giving priority to collective transport services
• facilitating transfer of environment friendly transport technologies on the international, regional and subregional levels
• stimulating activities in collecting, analysing and exchanging information concerning impact of transport on environment and taking particularly into account measurement of pollution emission and database creation,
• introducing technological changes in vehicles and fuels in order to reduce contamination, noise and fuel consumption,
• developing computer systems supporting traffic management (telematics),
• implementing new communication methods

The first attempt to define eco-development in transport was made by J.G.A. Al in his speech delivered during the OECD conference in Berlin in1991. According to Al only such transport system conforms to eco-development which from generation to generation can function fully while people and goods are transported but materials, energy sources and environment owed to each generation are not appropriated. In order to meet the condition of the above definition Al points that collective transport services should have dominant role particularly at long distances and everyday trips. Revolutionary changes must take place in transport behaviours. The role of cars would have to be limited to rare trips or to trips to scattered places. Bicycles would become main means for short travels.

Problems of bicycle transport were many times discussed during numerous international VeloCity conferences (Basel 1995, Perth 1996, Barcelona 1997, Trondheim 1998, Graz/Maribor 1999) and VeloMondial (Montreal 1991, Amsterdam 2000). Among many problems one can distinguish 5 main issues:

• Transport, including traffic safety, collective transport,
• Spatial development planning,
• Health,
• Economy /industry, distribution, commuting to work, recreation/,
• Environment.

Taking into account rapid deterioration of the Region's inhabitants' quality of life caused among others by concentration of car traffic and the road system which is not adjusted to the new economic situation, the Silesian Union of Municipalities and Districts initiated the "Silesia by Bicycle" project in 1997. From the very beginning the originators of the project had the following purposes:

1. Preventing rapid deterioration of life conditions in municipalities caused by mass car transport,
2. Propagating bicycle use as a comfortable means of transport to work and school and for tourist, sight-seeing and recreational purposes.
3. Environmental and health protection by partial limitation of car traffic streams
4. Developing sense of national and regional identity, wide social education by establishing routes running along places and objects of high historic, cultural, landscape and tourist qualities.

The instrumental purpose of the project is to establish wide and functional Silesian Network of Cycle Routes.

The problem of cycling cannot be treated as a separate issue but as an integral element of the transport system. Favourable features such as proecological character and easy trips in municipalities at short distances (bicycle is the fastest means of transport in city at the distance of up to 5 km) show an important role of cycling in the transport system, particularly with reference to more and more popular transport policy of sustainable development. Cohesive and wisely planned network of cycle paths has real impact on improving safety on roads.

The Silesian Network of Cycle Routes will connect the existing and planned cycle routes in municipalities and districts and tourist cycle routes of our Region.

The cycle routes in municipalities will create municipal and suburban network which will run along the sections of the tourist network marked in the area of a district which services recreational trips of inhabitants in suburban zones.

Tourist routes - marked in a special way - will lead through attractive areas of the Region and places of recreational, tourist, sightseeing and historic values.

Bicycle trips across Poland and Europe are more and more popular form of tourism and active leisure. Well-prepared network of cycle routes together with hotels (accommodation), catering and other services (bicycle repair shops, shops with tourist equipment, small canteens and pubs, etc) will attract tourists to our Region, which will in turn give concrete economic benefits. It can also contribute to decrease in unemployment by creating new job places in tourist services.

• tourist cycle routes
• main cycle routes (of regional character)
• secondary cycle routes (of local character)
• municipal cycle routes
• international cycle routes (within the European Network of Cycle Routes "EuroVelo")
• collision places requiring special solution (intersections, roundabouts, pavements) made available for bicycles and pedestrians,
• bicycle infrastructure (road signs, parking lots, protection systems)

Such a network will enable systematic reduction of a number of car travels in crowded city centres which will result in lower air pollution and smaller area taken by cars in cities (in big cities people commuting to work by cars take as much as 90% of the city centre area).

Bicycle is the fastest means of transport in cities at the distance of up to 5 km (one can avoid traffic jams, take a cross cut and doesn't have to look for parking place). It is a good proposal for transport solution if sustainable development of municipalities is assumed.

Introduction of bicycle to transport system and giving a distinctive place to it in traffic organisation will definitely improve safety of all road users (according to the Police Headquarters in 1996 as many as 6,960 cyclists and motorcyclists were injured and 692 were killed).

The project covers the Voivodship of Silesia.

In the future these municipalities will become special cycle centres, e.g. due to its very attractive geographical position Bielsko can be a starting point for many interesting bicycle trips to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Planned connections of the regional network are:

The European Network of Cycle Routes EURO-VELO (specially planned routes are:

EUROVELO route no. 11: Athens - Skopje - Budapest - Kosice - Cracow - Warsaw - Vilnius - Riga - Tallinn - Helsinki - Nordkapp.

Promotion of the "Silesia by Bicycle"
The project realisation is accompanied by the wide promotional and marketing campaign. This campaign concerns both the very Project and the regional network of cycle routes, its sections and particular paths. The promotional and marketing campaign is run by the Union's Office and by the Promotion Teams acting within the structures of the offices of particular districts (Promotion Department, spokespersons).

1. TV, radio and press coverage devoted to propagation of the Project

2. Annual outdoor event for journalists: "A Day with the "By Bike across Silesia" Project)

3. Outdoor event for local government people: "Local Government Bicycle Holiday"

4. Local outdoor events - bicycle rallies".

5. Conferences, seminars and workshops.

6. Information about the project on the internet:

7. Publication of local guides to concrete routes in districts e.g. "By Bike in Katowice, "By Bike in Gliwice" etc. preceding publication of a guide to cycle routes in the Region (currently available are two guides: "Bicycle Odyssey 2001" and "Cycle Routes" of the south-west part of the Voivodship).

8. Promotional poster of the Project (the second edition is already available).

9. Informational leaflets about the Project.