BRINGA – Weather-Resilient, Circular and Smart Cycling Superhighways

Expected focus:
– Zero-emission mobility
– modal shift
– climate-resilient infrastructure
– circular construction solutions
– smart transport systems.

Project Vision
BRINGA aims to develop and demonstrate a new generation of weather-neutral, physically protected, circular and energy-self-sufficient cycling superhighways that enable year-round, daily commuting by bicycle, independent of weather conditions and road traffic risks. The project addresses one of the main barriers to mass cycling uptake in Europe: unpredictable weather, safety concerns, and lack of protected, high-quality infrastructure for everyday mobility.

Problem Statement
Despite continuous investment in cycling infrastructure, cycling remains highly seasonal and socially selective in most European regions.

Current bike lanes
• Are exposed to weather (rain, snow, wind, cold, air pollution),
• Are insufficiently separated from motorised traffic,
• Do not support predictable commuting at scale,
• Fail to trigger a substantial modal shift from private cars.
As a result, cycling has so far delivered limited impact on CO₂ reduction, congestion mitigation and public health, particularly in autumn and winter periods when emissions are highest.

Proposed Solution
BRINGA proposes a modular, enclosed or semi-enclosed cycling superhighway system that:
• Fully separates cyclists from motorised and pedestrian traffic,
• Neutralises weather impacts (covered, side-protected infrastructure),
• Is built largely from recycled and circular materials (waste concrete, recycled rubber, composite solutions),

• Integrates renewable energy generation (roof-mounted photovoltaics with storage),
• Includes smart and safety systems (lighting, sensors, cameras, digital traffic support),
• Is designed for prefabrication, rapid deployment and scalability across Europe.
The system combines the reliability of rail-like infrastructure with the flexibility of cycling, making daily bicycle commuting predictable, safe and attractive.

Key Innovation Dimensions
1. Climate-resilient cycling infrastructure enabling 24/7, all-season use
2. Circular construction technologies using recycled and secondary raw materials
3. Energy-positive infrastructure with integrated PV and storage
4. Industrialised, modular production enabling mass replication
5. Smart mobility integration (lighting, monitoring, digital services)
6. Urban and peri-urban adaptability, including reuse of disused rail corridors
Core R&D and Innovation Activities

The project will focus on the following research and development streams:
• Development of structural systems using recycled concrete, rubber, composites and hybrid solutions
• Optimisation of durability, safety and life-cycle performance
• Safe entry/exit solutions and intersections
• Regulatory and traffic-rule adaptation (EU and national contexts)
• Design of prefabricated elements suitable for serial production
• Factory-level pre-assembly of mechanical, electrical and safety systems
• Architectural and structural adaptations for urban centres, industrial zones and peri-urban areas
• Design variants for above-ground, semi-underground and underground deployment
• Rapid on-site installation methods
• Foundation and assembly solutions minimising disruption
Renewable Energy &  Smart Operation
• Smart control of lighting, safety and digital services
Prototyping & Testing
• Full-scale prototype construction
• Performance, safety, energy and user-experience testing

Expected Impacts
• Significant modal shift from private cars to cycling
• Measurable CO₂ and air-pollution reduction, especially in winter periods
• Improved road safety and reduced cyclist accidents
• Increased public health and preventive mobility benefits
• Creation of a new export-ready European infrastructure solution
• Contribution to EU Green Deal, Climate Law and Circular Economy Action  Plan objectives

Target Demonstration Environments
• Urban and metropolitan commuter corridors
• Industrial and employment hubs
• Public transport interchanges

• Reused or abandoned rail corridors
• High-density city districts with limited surface space