Wheeling around town

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The ‘Suits on Bikes’ ride is aimed at the promotion of sustainable urban transport and, in particular, the bicycle, as a means of getting to work. As the organisers of the event, our aim is to convince office workers to get on their bikes, rather than into a car or onto public transport, and to use pedal power to commute to and from their places of work. Among the reasons for them to do so is the excellent system of cycle lanes and paths created by the local authorities, which allows cycling to be done easily and safely cycle across the city. As was pointed out by the Zielone Mazowsze organisation, which provided the route leaders as well as the information content for the event, cycling through town has to be intuitive and easy, while a balanced and sustainable transportation system should also exist to give commuters access to various different modes of transport at each stage of their journey. Only then will travelling be both effective and have a minimal impact on the environment.

Another reason for getting on our bikes is that so many office buildings now have facilities for cyclists. And for this we have the buildings’ owners to thank. Right now it can be said that every new office development provides some space for cycling facilities. A good example is Skysawa, which once completed will offer extensive facilities to encourage people to cycle to work every day. Its developer, PHN, is planning for Skysawa to have not only showers and storage space for bicycles but also lifts large enough to transport them up to every floor in the building thus allowing people to bring their bikes into the office. Moreover, the building will feature a regular bicycle repair service. The location of the building is also convenient for cyclists coming to work, since it is surrounded by cycle paths. As a result it was the unsurprisingly chosen as a starting point for one of the group of cyclists taking part in ‘Suits on Bikes’.

Another starting point was at myhive Warsaw Spire. The building could certainly be described as revolutionary – and for two reasons. This was the development that began the transformation of this part of the Wola district, and the building has also revolutionised how commuting by bike is perceived in the city. Its owner, Immofinanz, even offers employees the use of its own fleet of bicycles at the foot of the building. Every day, the building’s tenants can use them free of charge. All they need is the building’s mobile app and the desire to do so. So it is hardly surprising that many do just this and that ‘Suits on Bikes’ turned out to be an opportunity to test out these myhive bikes. As a result of its efforts to encourage tenants and office workers to behave in a sustainable manner, Immofinanz is now seen not just as a company that only looks after its own business, but also as a partner in the creation of a people-friendly city.

The final starting point was at Portico Project Management’s headquarters on ul. Spokojna. Those who set off from there had the longest route to the finish line. However, there were no complaints about the distance, because everyone in this group was an experienced cyclist – such as the leader of the pack, Robert Pawlak, the CEO of Portico. He has even inspired us to make some changes to the ‘Suits on Bikes’ format and maybe to think of much longer routes for the more experienced, since for them a ride of few kilometres through the city is a mere stroll in the park. Because ‘Suits on Bikes’ is held not just for recreational but also for educational purposes, at various points along the routes around the city stops were made for discussions about the local cycling and public transport infrastructure in Warsaw. These were moderated by members of Zielone Mazowsze. The upshot of these and the later main discussion was that improvements to the cycling network help to drive positive change. In 2020 alone, Warsaw saw a 17 pct increase in cycle traffic, much of which is due to the increasingly common hybrid working system combined with the trend for flexible office hours resulting in an increase in such traffic outside the morning and evening rush hours. In other words, we are cycling more and at different times of the day.

But let’s not deceive ourselves: the weather plays a crucial role in whether we decide to go to work by bike. Both rain and heat can discourage us from taking to the saddle. And when our workplace has no bike shelters, no showers and no changing rooms, we are always going to choose the comfort of an air-conditioned car or bus. Let’s hope that those who took part in ‘Suits on Bikes’ will champion our cause and that soon every office in Warsaw will have facilities of some form – whether large or small – for cyclists. Eurobuild and Zielone Mazowsze will be always be available to provide free advice on this.

We sincerely wish to thank all the 80 people who joined us for an event that was both of social importance and a great pleasure to take part in. We are also very grateful to all our partners and sponsors, who helped us organise it. Together we can hopefully make the world a place that is more pleasant, healthier and safer.