The Danube Cycle Plans (DCP) project, a transnational initiative aimed at advancing cycling infrastructure, has witnessed remarkable success in its mission to create better conditions for cycling across multiple countries. Among the key contributors to this collective effort, the Romanian partners stand out for their outstanding achievement in establishing a National Cycle Coordination Center. Functioning under the Ministry of Development, Public Works, and Administration, this center plays a pivotal role in establishing a comprehensive cycling network in Romania, including the development and promotion of EuroVelo routes. In this interview, we asked Alina Niculescu and Cristina Lixandroiu from the National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism, to gain valuable insights into how their work contributed to making this vision a reality. 

July 24, 2023

1. How have the project results been used?

All the deliverables obtained by us in this project have already been handed to the interested parties and decision-makers, so they can start developing the specific, necessary and appropriate infrastructure for cycling and cycling tourism in Romania. For example, for the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration in Romania, the DCP project results were a considerable and very useful source of information, studies and researches, which they are currently using in order to develop the cycling infrastructure. At the same time, the Ministry used our deliverables in order to develop the "Study of the territorial distribution of cycling routes at the national level". Within this study an approximate 25 thousand kilometers of regional and local cycling routes were identified, which will complete the national routes identified by the DCP project. They have also successfully developed the first national eVelo platform and a smartphone app, named "Velo Romania.", where people can find information about cycle tourism in our country. 

2. Was the project's impact on policy making as expected?

Thanks to the Romanian project partners in the Danube Cycle Plans project, the cycling community achieved a monumental milestone with the successful approval of the Government Decision in March 2022. This groundbreaking decision, focused on the creation, marking, and homologation of cycling tourism routes, now completes Romania's national legal framework for establishing a comprehensive cycling tourism network. Central to this success were two key players, the National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism and Bike in Time—an external expert in the field of cycling and tourism. Their knowledge, and competencies together with the results obtained within the DCP project proved to be the driving force behind the achievement.

Thanks to the Romanian project partners in the Danube Cycle Plans project, the cycling community achieved a monumental milestone with the successful approval of the Government Decision in March 2022. This groundbreaking decision, focused on the creation, marking, and homologation of cycling tourism routes, now completes Romania's national legal framework for establishing a comprehensive cycling tourism network.

3. Have the project results influenced policy decisions or led to any changes in the field?

For example, our National Cycling Working Groups meetings increased the cooperation between the main stakeholders dealing with cycling at regional and national level - stakeholders who have already organized several regional and local working groups, in which they discuss the cycling issues in our country. In these working groups they use the information and deliverables provided by us, because in all the previously mentioned DCP events we made some clarifications related to the bicycle infrastructure standards, some clarifications on how to develop investments in bicycle infrastructure (depending on user and the implementation area), and we also presented them with some good practices and ideas for starting the investments in cycling infrastructure.

4. Was there any resistance or challenges in incorporating the project results into their work?

Fortunately, we did not encounter such obstacles. Our stakeholders appreciated the involvement of Romania in the DCP project and they considered it beneficial and a necessary project at national level. That’s why our deliverables were so well received.

5. How can future projects better support use of the results to drive positive change?

In our opinion it would be a good idea for future projects to concentrate on local and regional applications, enabling a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of the current bicycle route development in Romania, which lacks such analyses. In that way, the appropriate steps can then be decided regarding the implementation of the velo routes at local and regional level.

Alina Niculescu and Cristina Lixandroiu, the National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism in Romania. 

For more interviews with changemakers from the Danube region, go here.