Brno, Czech Republic
Pillar: Policy and Support
Indicator: Image of the Bicycle
Brno is Czechia’s second-largest city and capital of South Moravia, with over 400,000 residents. Since 2021, Brno has taken a systemic approach to growing everyday cycling and road safety: start early, make it accessible, and make it fun! The city’s Department of Transport provides a city-funded traffic-education program to primary schools and lower-secondary classes, delivered by municipal instructors and aligned with the school calendar.
In order to increase the uptake of safe bicycling, Brno goes beyond classroom learning. In addition to theory classes that are brought into schools, real-life scenarios are created in traffic playgrounds enabling children to put into practice their knowledge. Training takes place at two playgrounds, Komín/Pastviny (Absolon) and Riviéra Traffic Playground (Pisárky), each equipped with 25 bicycles, 10 scooters, and helmets. Bringing learning one step further into the streets, Brno funds “guided walks,” during which time children rehearse real crossings, implement their newly mastered rules of the road, and learn how to deal safely with traffic scenarios on their way to school. The result is a city-level program that treats safe walking, scooting, and bicycling as core skills for urban life rather than optional activities.
The flagship Riviéra Traffic Playground, opened in October 2015, offers an impressive 3,467 m² of training area and a 350 m bi-directional loop. It is one of the country’s largest purpose-built education sites, with indoor and outdoor areas, changeable signage, and a controllable signal network that lets instructors simulate real traffic scenarios. The Komín playground operates under a municipal order that reserves weekday mornings for organized school training in the spring and fall terms. The impact of these centers is seen in the numbers. At the launch day in 2021, the program drew 58 classes, around 1,300 students, all in the first week. Since 2022, 11,774 pupils have benefited from the program, showcasing just how strong the demand is for bicycle and traffic safety. Today, Brno has successfully built a program that fosters confident young bicyclists and pedestrians, and strengthens in turn the city’s bicycle friendliness, safety results, and long-term urban resilience.
