16 April, 2021

The sound of the streets is changing

Bikes have become an integral element of social transformation. Cities across the world are investing in new urban ecosystems, putting bikes at the center of mobility discussions and transportation improvements.

Change is brewing

In the last year, Europe’s cycling lane usage has grown from 11% to 48%. Berlin, Dublin and Paris have joined cities like Amsterdam who have invested in this sustainable transportation method. Additionally, the European Federation of Cyclists has shared that cities within its territory have incorporated more than 1000 kilometers of bike lanes in the past year.

The United States, for its part, is encouraging the use of bikes as an essential means of transportation. According to a recent study by Statista, 5% of working people in the U.S. were already using their bike to commute to work in 2019, and that number is only growing exponentially since then.

Taking over the streets

Bikes are becoming a regular element throughout the world’s streets, purifying ambient noise and turning it into a vital sound. With this in mind, Street Sounds was born, an Orbea initiative designed to support this small revolution around urban cycling.

Bikes are becoming a regular element throughout the world’s streets, purifying ambient noise and turning it into a vital sound.

the four finalists

Street Sounds is a call to action for people to reclaim the sounds of the streets, making them more accessible, usable and sustainable. At the beginning of 2021, we launched the Street Sounds campaign with the intention of finding real life sustainability initiatives with bikes as their fundamental pillars. You responded to our call and shared your initiatives with us. After reviewing all the submissions, we’ve narrowed it down to four finalists to support with bikes and exposure. Get to know our four changemakers.

Yosra Labidi (Berlin, Germany)

Yosra’s initiative aims to have cars and bikes coexist in the same space, questioning the real objectives of roads and championing for their transformation into “roads by and for people.” Yosra’s challenge seeks to include cyclists and bikes into driving education curriculum, creating a safer, more equal environment for cyclists.

Remi Barata (Besançon, France)

Remi is an in-home nurse who, in the midst of a pandemic, has used his bike to care for his patients, leaving the smallest possible carbon footprint during his commute. Remi’s challenge strives to demonstrate that sustainable transportation can be compatible with the majority of jobs and that commuting by bike isn’t so much a requirement for work as it is an individual and collective benefit.

Luc Huberty (Amay, Belgium)

Luc is a Belgian paratriathlete who currently works as a municipal rep in the education field. Luc’s main goal is to change youth’s mobility habits through education, as “the change in mentality regarding mobility habits starts from the ground up, from children to parents”.

Amaia Uriarte (Lausanne, Switzerland)

Amaia currently lives in Lausanne, a city that has set a goal to eliminate the circulation of all vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2030. Amaia is setting out to prove that bikes are an economic, healthy and social alternative to motorized vehicles. The country’s goal has caused great controversy, and Amaia is dedicated to capturing citizens’ feedback and opinions and promote the alternative use of bikes.

Each of the four finalists will receive a Vibe and will have until July 15 to turn their challenges into reality, using social media to share their progress. At the end of their challenge, we’ll announce the two winners who will go on to become our new Orbea urban ambassadors. Thank you so much for participating in our initiative and sharing your ideas about this global opportunity.

The urban movement has started, and the sound of the streets is changing.