A cycle superhighway is a cycle highway, where the commuters’ needs have been given the highest priority. The cycle superhighways in the Capitol Region of Denmark are a coherent network of cycle highways which provides a safe, smooth ride with fewer stops and increased safety with the aim to increase the number of commuters who bike 5-30 kilometers daily.

As a mode of transport, bicycles take up less space in traffic, come with zero CO2- emissions, and are a time efficient way to exercise as part of the daily commute. A complete network of cycle superhighways will decrease congestion, lower healthcare expenses and contribute to cleaner air and a better environment in the cities and municipalities of the Capital Region of Denmark.

A unique collaboration
Cycling offers huge benefits for the individual as well as for society, but it requires highly prioritized biking conditions if the bike is to succeed as a competitive alternative means of transportation.

The cycle superhighways exist because of the collaboration between the Capital Region and 30 municipalities working together to create a network of cycle superhighways that provide better conditions for bike commuters and encourage even more people to choose the bike.

To ensure a common plan on where and how to build the cycle superhighways the municipalities have agreed on a conceptual strategy defining the quality and criteria for a cycle superhighway.
The Cycle Superhighway Collaboration is coordinated by the Office for Cycle Superhighways, which facilitates the collaboration between the municipalities and the region. Each municipality is responsible for the planning, building, and financing of the routes. So far, however, all existing routes have been co-financed by the state.

The Office for Cycle Superhighways that facilitates the collaboration is funded by the municipalities and The Capital Region.

Definition of a cycle superhighway
A cycle superhighway is defined both by its location, as well as its physical qualities. The highways connect work, study and residential areas as well as public transportation hubs making it easy to combine a commute with public transport. The routes are marked by road signs as well as orange signage spots in the asphalt making wayfinding easier for commuters – they simply follow the orange C.

Since 2020 the bike commuters have access to nine cycle superhighways with more coming each year. The first route, Albertslundruten C99, opened in 2012 and the second route, Farumruten C95, followed in 2013. In 2016 Ishøjruten opened followed by five routes in 2017. In the fall of 2020 Farum-Allerødruten opened. In total over 60 routes have been planned in the region of Copenhagen with total a length of more than 850 kilometers of cycle superhighway.

Evaluations show that when a route is upgraded to cycle superhighway, the number of cyclists increase by 23 % in average. On Farumruten where the average commute is 14,7 km, there has been an increase in the number of cyclists by 68 % since the route became a cycle superhighway in 2013.

A socio-economic analysis of the cycle superhighways in the Capital Region of Denmark from 2018 shows that the investment in cycle infrastructure and cycle superhighways has many economic benefits. By investing in the network of 45 routes (the total network in 2018), the cycle superhighways are estimated to give a socio-economic surplus of 765 million euro – due in part to improved health, fewer days of sick leave and less time wasted in traffic jams.

Read more about the cycle superhighways

Member of the Cycling Embassy of Denmark since 2012