Cycling in Pescara, the city that won the Urban Award

Within Eicma 2019, in Milan, the Urban Award was assigned to the most virtuous Italian cities in the field of sustainable mobility.

The first prize was awarded by Pescara, because this city has implemented a series of measures that have strongly encouraged the use of bicycles by its inhabitants, starting from the slogan “Moving better is living better”.

The Urban Award, conceived by Viaggi In Bici and promoted by the National Association of Italian Municipalities (Anci), Openjobmetis and the Iseni Y Nervi Foundation, aims to highlight the most virtuous towns, the projects conceived and put into practice by the administrations to transform cities in order to increase the environmental sustainability.

The award ceremony took place during the Eicma fair, on the occasion of the conference on “multimobility” approach, organized by BikeEconomy24, Bikeconomy Observatory and Embassy of Holland, and dedicated to the ways we will choose to move, in the future, in large urban centers.

Pescara won the Urban Award thanks to the following initiatives: the “Pesos” (Sustainable Pescara) project has promoted incentives for those who go to work by bicycle, such as the “bike trial” which provides employees of local companies 140 city bikes or folding bikes for free, both with assisted pedaling, to get to work.

Furthermore, there is the project of the “Ciclopolitana”, which aims to create a network of bike paths to increase cycling in Pescara.

To achieve them, 750,000 euros have been allocated in the three-year public works plan. These are tracks that will flank the car routes to get around the city by reconnecting to the 21 kilometers of already existing cycle paths. The Ciclopolitana should be completed in a year and a half.

It should also be noted that the Urban Award assigned the second prize to the town of Fiumicino (close to Rome) and the third prize to Grisignano di Zocco, in province of Vicenza.

Fiumicino offers 25 kilometers of cycle paths, 22 charging stations for electric vehicles, e-bike sharing charging stations, and has replaced over 90.000 urban light points with LED street lamps and photovoltaic panels on school roofs.

Grisignano was awarded for the construction of 8 kilometers of cycle paths, with an attached horse trail, within the Veneto region project “Green Tour Verde in Movimento”.

We also point out that Grisignano gives a contribution of 0,25 euros per kilometer for citizens who leave or arrive in Grisignano for work moving by bike, measures supported by a program dedicated to children with an education plan for healthy eating.

Finally, a special mention to the Urban Award for Bari for the decision to repay those go working by bike with 20 cents a kilometer.

A route to discover Pescara by bicycle

Pescara is a friendly city for cyclists, so we suggest you a ride on the pedals to discover this town in Abruzzo, starting from the historic center, through the green areas and to the seafront. The itinerary is 15 kilometers long and is very easy; it takes just a couple of hours to complete the entire route.

Pescara is the hometown Gabriele D’Annunzio, called the “Poet”, which always remained linked to the homeland. What better place to start then than the Birthplace of Gabriele D’Annunzio Museum?

From Corso Manthoné, in the heart of Pescara Vecchia, take the path that crosses the Pescara river on the Ennio Flaiano bridge and winds towards the historic center.

Enter the alleys, arriving at Piazza Salotto, in the heart of the city. Pedaling north on Via Castellammare Adriatico you leave the center, passing through the beautiful Villa Sabucchi park.

Proceed along the long tree-lined street, skirting the pinewood of Santa Filomena, which separates the road from the sea and is a nature reserve. Once near Montesilvano, at the gardens of Villa Verrocchio, turn right towards the sea, to follow the beautiful cycle path that runs along it.

The return route winds all the way south along the seafront, here you will find places of interest that are worth a visit, such as the Vittoria Colonna Modern Art Museum and the Cascella Ship. The itinerary ends at the winding Ponte del Mare, overlooking the ancient Roman port and its characteristic “trabocchi”, the old fishing machine typical of the coast of Abruzzo region.