Throughout the Active Cities project, the city of Bergen, Norway, hopes to execute and expand cycling and walking strategies of the city and region. However, encouraging active mobility modes among the local population can be challenging, particularly during the cold and dark winter months experienced by the city.
Written by Nora Erland and Annbjørg Hauvik (Bergen Kommune)
Some of the barriers to walking in Bergen stem from areas with poor pedestrian infrastructure, combined with a lack of attractions or experiences to enjoy while walking in these zones. Additionally, snow and ice can create significant obstacles for pedestrians during winter months, making walking conditions hazardous and less appealing.
Yet, walking is still the most important mode of transport within Bergen's central areas. Therefore, it is important that the city's pedestrian system is accessible to everyone and provides safe access all year round. Public spaces should also be designed for versatile use and recreation for all groups, prioritising universal design and accessibility.
In the Walking Strategy of Bergen Municipality 2020-2030, pedestrians are prioritised over other transport groups. The Municipality aims to achieve a 30% walking share within 2030 by establishing walking in Bergen as a more attractive and safer transport option. The strategy outlines how a well-designed system for pedestrians should look and be used and maintained. Knowledge-sharing and communication campaigns are important additional aspects for developing and establishing an effective walking initiative.
Between Autumn 2024 and Spring 2026, the Bergen Kommune team will conduct a project aimed at promoting walking as a year-round mode of transport. The team will implement redesign measures that prioritise pedestrians in streets with mixed traffic, and ensure walking accessibility even during the winter period. The pilot will take places in Nordnes, an area located north-west of Bergen city centre.
As part of the project, the Bergen team will explore how simple measures can make certain locations more pedestrian-friendly.
Redesign of streets and public spaces
The team in Bergen recognise the need to develop ways to achieve pedestrian-friendly designs that encourage other road users to adapt, where the rigid adjusts to the soft. In other words, the team hope to encourage collaboration without displacing other groups of road users.
The importance of winter maintenance
The selected pilot area represents the densely-populated and busy city, creating the opportunity to investigate what is needed to ensure enhanced accessibility during winter. Multiple road owners, contractors, and thousands of local homeowners will work together to make it happen, with the Bergen team highlighting coordination and collaboration as the keys to success.
The team behind the project aim to have a special focus on pedestrian crossings, as well as bus stops and stairways.
Within the pilot activities, several important aspects will be considered:
- How can contract design with contractors contribute to better accessibility for pedestrians?
- How can contract follow-up ensure the desired outcome in the future?
- How can the team prioritise differently and more clearly to raise the standard of some important pedestrian connections?
- Is the team using the correct equipment in the most relevant locations?
- Are there limitations in the built environment that set guidelines and limitations on the way winter operations are carried out?
- Can winter operations coordination between public actors be improved?
- Can better results also be achieved on stretches of private land?
The pilot activities involve complex tasks that require collaboration between various stakeholders. For instance, the Bergen team have entered into a temporary operating agreement with the county council to take over the operation responsibility for the bus route in Nordnes, meaning there is now only one road owner responsible for winter operations in the pilot area during the winter. Together with the contractor, the team also has an extra focus on stairs, pedestrian crossings, intersections, and bus stops.
Through citizen participation, the team expects to gather valuable input on what it takes for people to choose walking. The participation includes focus groups, field interviews, gatherings with "city detectives" (organised by the Children's Cultural House), and pedestrian counts. Altogether, this provides Bergen Kommune with a user-oriented evaluation, which can be utilised effectively when scaling measures to other areas of the city.
What next for walking in Bergen?
The team at Bergen Kommune plans to send a questionnaire to neighbourhood associations focusing on residents' experiences with winter maintenance. Following this, an overall assessment of winter operations will be carried out, considering what worked effectively, and what did not. Th team will also begin to plan for the next winter season, with the main focus on supplementing the homeowner's duties.
During the project period, Bergen's team also plans to work on the redesign of at least two public commons in Nordnes, with a focus on shortening crossing distances and establishing safe walking zones. These are measures that will correspond well with input from residents. The overall ambition is to make the area a more pleasant place to walk without compromising accessibility for other road users.
At one of the locations, through traffic is prohibited, but the street is still frequently used for through driving. Measures will be investigated to make the pedestrian zone safer and more welcoming.
During the next winter season, the plan is to assist homeowners with winter maintenance along some important pedestrian routes. The aim of this activity is to explore if a better and more cohesive service can be achieved for the benefit of local pedestrians.
Homeowners have a responsibility when it comes to shoveling snow and spreading grit outside their entrances. In the pilot, Bergen Kommune want to explore how they can supplement their duty