Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI)

The Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI) helps cities around the world design streets that increase biking rates, revitalize neighborhoods, and promote the health and well-being of communities.

Successful cities need transportation systems that allow people to move safely, efficiently, and sustainably. Research consistently shows that providing cycling infrastructure brings social benefits that far outweigh its initial investment and that people who bike are healthier and happier. However, a significant barrier to cycling in many cities is the lack of safe bike infrastructure. BICI is designed to help city leaders meet the urgent need to build more connected and expansive cycling infrastructure that serves as many residents as possible.

In 2023, ten global cities received support from BICI to build innovative cycling infrastructure and sustainable mobility options for residents. Led in partnership with the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), in addition to funding to enact their proposals, each winning BICI city received technical assistance from GDCI on project development, cycling facility design, data collection, and resident engagement.

The 10 winning cities from the program’s first phase collectively represent more than 15 million residents. They include: Fortaleza, Brazil; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bogotá, Colombia; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; Mombasa, Kenya; Pimpri-Chinchwad, India; Quelimane, Mozambique; Tirana, Albania; and Wellington, New Zealand. These cities have delivered more than 200 miles of protected cycling infrastructure and have prevented an estimated 8,000 road crashes.

Building on this success, the next phase of BICI invites cities worldwide to apply for a two-phase program designed to accelerate the planning and implementation of world-class cycling projects. Twenty-five cities will be selected to participate in GDCI’s intensive capacity-building program, which will provide expert guidance, tools, and training to strengthen their proposals. After the initial round, 10 cities will advance to the second phase, where they will each receive $400,000 in funding and hands-on support from GDCI to bring their vision to life.

Applications will be accepted through September 14, 2026. To learn more about the competition, visit globaldesigningcities.org.