In Finland, the most recent government programme has provided much of the basis for national-level cycling objectives. The government programme^[1] aims to make Finland a “socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable society by 2030” (Finnish Government, 2019). Encouraging and enabling more people to cycle is one part of reaching such a goal, especially through the work of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Under Sanna Marin’s government programme (2019-2023), several key objectives indicate the role of the bicycle, and in the past two years, documents such as Finland’s new climate and energy strategy and the national transport system plan provide more detailed targets and mechanisms that help contribute to overarching national objectives concerning carbon neutrality, transport efficiency, and low-emission transport. However, a key point of departure for Finland’s cycling work comes from an earlier government initiative: the 2018 walking and cycling promotion programme (Kävelyn ja pyöräilyn edistämisohjelma) produced by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (LVM).

In 2019, the government programme under Sanna Marin was established, outlining seven strategic themes. Among these themes, there are three main objectives for which cycling plays a major role (Finnish Government, 2019). Firstly, under the strategic theme related to carbon neutrality and biodiversity, Objective 1 states that “Finland will achieve carbon neutrality by 2035” (Finnish Government, 2019, 35). The Climate Act was recently reformed to align with this objective, as were the revised climate and energy strategy and medium-term climate change policy plan. Secondly, the programme aims for “efficient transport infrastructure” under its “dynamic and thriving Finland” theme (Finnish Government, 2019, 118). This objective calls for improvements to basic infrastructure, traffic safety, and accessibility, as well as reduced emissions, and refers to the development of the 12-year National Transport System Plan and the traffic safety strategy. Within the same strategic theme, the programme aims for “low-emission transport” (Finnish Government, 2019, 123). The general framework of this objective is based on the 2018 walking and cycling promotion programme, but the objective also establishes the need for a roadmap for achieving fossil-free transport.

Modal share is one indicator of cycling success in Finland. The 2018 national programme for the promotion of walking and cycling set a clear objective to increase the number of trips made by walking and cycling by 30% by 2030 (Jääskeläinen, 2018).^[2] According to the programme report, walking and cycling has been slowly decreasing over recent decades—whereas walking and cycling represented 34% of all trips in Finland in 1998-1999, the share in 2010-2011 was around 30% and has remained around there since (Jääskeläinen, 2018). In 2021, walking accounted for 22% of trips in Finland, and cycling just 7% of trips, though this varies substantially based on municipality and trip distance (Traficom, 2023-a).^[3]

Overall, the walking and cycling programme stems from the notion that walking and cycling are favourable for both individuals and society because, as opposed to private vehicle traffic, they can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce noise pollution in cities, and improve both environmental and traffic safety. Furthermore, the programme suggests that walking and cycling are cost-effective ways for improving health and well-being and states that a combination of reduced traffic emissions, road fatalities, and public health improvement due to a 30% increase in walking and cycling could save Finnish society billions of euros (Jääskeläinen, 2018).The programme outlines three overarching goals: (1) enhance the requirements necessary for walking and cycling in Finland’s municipalities, (2) support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in traffic, and (3) promote public health (Jääskeläinen, 2018).

The target to increase the number of trips made by walking and cycling by 30% by 2030 replaces the previous target set out in the National Walking and Cycling Strategy 2020 (published in 2011) which aimed to increase the share of walking and cycling journeys by 20% by 2020 (Ministry of Transport and Communications, 2011).  In aiming to increase these sustainable transport journeys, the programme expects at least half of the increase in trips to replace passenger car trips, especially since car trips have been increasing even for journeys of just 1-2 kilometres (Jääskeläinen, 2018).

Following the carbon neutrality objective, Finland revised the Climate Act in 2022 to heighten the ambition of their neutrality goals. The climate policy reform sets the carbon neutrality goal for 2035 and identifies key milestone targets: 60% emission reductions by 2030, 80% by 2040, and 95% by 2050 (compared to 1990). The act is a direct response to EU climate policy.

The carbon neutrality objective also set the basis for updating both the national climate and energy strategy (Carbon neutral Finland 2035) and the medium-term climate change policy plan. Both of these were updated in 2022 and they have identified cycling as a key measure for the long-term achievement of the objective.

Finland’s latest climate and energy strategy highlights the roadmap’s fossil-free transport objectives while using the EU’s 2030 climate goals as a basis for their own national objectives. Such goals have also been replicated in Finland’s national Climate Act (in force since July 2022) which emphasizes the targets towards carbon neutrality by 2035. Prepared once every electoral term by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the role of the climate and energy strategy is to describe how Finland will achieve both national and EU climate goals.

These climate goals, such as achieving carbon neutrality by 2035 and significantly reducing GHG emissions 5 years prior (60% by 2030, compared to levels from 1990), has direct implications on the transport sector and sustainable transport modes like cycling. As transport by passenger car stagnates, the Finnish government suggests that people’s needs for sustainable transport modes will grow (Huttunen et al., 2022, 39). The strategy aims to improve energy efficiency in the transport system by “developing transport services, conditions for walking and cycling, as well as the energy efficiency of road transport” (Huttunen et al., 2022, 37). Such objectives are framed in by aiming to slow down the growth in passenger car transport sector while meeting a rising demand for sustainable mobility. The climate and energy strategy also highlights several co-benefits of cycling, for example, that increasing bicycle traffic while reducing car transport can reduce street dust emissions and noise pollution while increasing the population’s physical activity, thereby producing a variety of health benefits (Huttunen et al., 2022, 98). The strategy also considers the impacts of reducing transport emissions and increasing cycling on gender equality, stating that one of “the most neutral means of reducing transport emissions include increasing the proportion of cycling as a mode of transport” (Huttunen et al., 2022, 117).

Fourteen sectors in Finland, including the logistics and transport sector, have prepared unique low-carbon roadmaps which highlight how the country will achieve the goals set out in the Government Programme. Finland’s transport sector is responsible for around 20% of carbon emissions for the state and, according to the roadmap, “about half of the emissions [from Finnish logistics and transport] are from passenger traffic and the second biggest emission source is lorries” (Climate Roadmaps 2035, n.d.). To achieve the Climate and Energy Strategy’s goals and the Roadmap to Fossil-Free Transport aims of halving emissions from traffic by 2030, the logistics and transport sector roadmap highlights measures such as replacing old cars with electric cars, enabling public transport and sustainable modes of transport (such as cycling and walking) in cities, using renewable fuels, improving sustainable transport services, and increasing digitalisation and infrastructural investments within transport systems. The emphasis in the text is on electrification more so than transport modes offering sustainable alternatives to the car.

Under Finland’s Climate Change Act, a working group under the government is responsible for the development and implementation of climate change policy plans. These plans go hand in hand with the climate and energy strategy drawn up by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. They are directly informed by the goals of the Climate Change Act and articulate actions for the effort-sharing sectors (transport, buildings, agriculture, waste) to meet the overall climate goals. The Medium-term Climate Change Policy Plan, which was approved by the government and provided to Parliament in June 2022, generally aims to “halve emissions from the effort-sharing sector by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2035” (Ministry of the Environment, 2022), thereby echoing the Roadmap to fossil-free transport (2021). In terms of cycling, the plan refers to the investment programme for walking and cycling as a key part of reducing GHG emissions from the transport sector.

Under the “transport network development” strategic theme of the last government programme, Objective 1 states that “an overall picture of the transport infrastructure network will be formed and extensively assessed. The overall development will be laid down in the 12-year plan for the national transport system presented by the parliamentary working group” (Finnish Government, 2019). Required under the Act on the Transport System and Highways and produced by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the National Transport System Plan for 2021-2032 provides a vision, objectives, and an action plan for Finland’s transport system, including road networks, walking and cycling infrastructure, ports, and aviation.

The transport system plan describes three parallel objectives which together aim to mitigate climate change: accessibility, sustainability, and efficiency (Finnish Government, 2021).^[4] Cycling is implicated in all three of these objectives, particularly in the sustainability objective which aims to provide residents with greater opportunities to use sustainable modes of transport. And with regards to cycling, the plan states in its 2050 vision that “trips made on foot or by bicycle will have replaced those made by passenger car to a considerable extent, particularly in urban sub-regions” and “the shares of public transport, walking, cycling, and other sustainable modes of mobility will increase while GHG emissions from transport will decrease, contributing to the achievement of the climate target (Finnish Government, 2021, 34; 38).

Additionally, the national objective raises the concern of traffic safety in response to the European Union’s zero traffic fatalities by 2050 goal (Rekola et al., 2022). The Ministry of Transport and Communications’ most recent Traffic Safety Strategy 2022-2026 (2022) refers to the 2018 walking and cycling programme, noting the national aim of increasing the modal share of cycling while simultaneously ensuring that such trips contribute to the national vision of zero deaths or serious injuries from any mode of transport by 2050 (Rekola et al., 2022).

In 2019, Finland’s domestic transport emissions accounted for about one-fifth of all GHG emissions. About 94% of transport emissions are attributed specifically to road traffic, with passenger cars responsible for the majority of the emissions (Jääskeläinen, 2021, 10).  These numbers explain why the government has directed its attention towards making the transport sector fossil free in its Roadmap to Fossil-free Transport.

The drafting of such a roadmap is described under the low-emission transport objective (Objective 2), to be written “in accordance with the carbon neutrality target” (Finnish Government, 2019). The Ministry of Transport and Communication published the Roadmap to Fossil-free Transport in 2021, which aims to reduce GHG emissions from domestic transport. The roadmap sets a target of reducing domestic transport emissions by at least 50% between 2005 and 2030, with the ultimate goal of achieving a fossil-fuel free transport sector by 2045 (Jääskeläinen, 2021). This means a reduction from 12.5 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions from road transport (2005) to 6.25 million tonnes in 2030. However, as of 2019, CO₂ emissions from road transport was about 11 million tonnes, leaving a long way to go (Jääskeläinen, 2021).

The roadmap also identifies the objective that vehicle-kilometres attributed to passenger cars will not increase in the 2020s (Jääskeläinen, 2021, 30). Put in another way, this objective means that “growth of about 10% in the vehicle-kilometres of each sustainable transport mode in 2030” (Jääskeläinen, 2021, 30). While cars are still viewed as a necessity in rural areas of Finland, an increasingly urbanised population can make this possible.

The roadmap also highlights the objective that the current increase in vehicle-kilometres due to freight transport will slow down on the grounds of shifting towards more sustainable transport modes for goods delivery.

These transport goals run parallel to other cycling objectives; the roadmap names the promotion of walking, cycling, and public transport services as pathways for doing so, in addition to measures such as the digitalisation of logistics and strengthening legislation around electric fuels and biogas. One of the roadmap’s 24 procedures for reducing transport emissions explicitly identifies the continued investment in improving cycling conditions as a means for encouraging residents to choose the bicycle over the car.

Box 3. Summary of national cycling-related objectives in Finland

To address the various national objectives, the Finnish Government applies several mechanisms that work parallel to one another to achieve a greater impact. These mechanisms take on various forms—from financial and legal mechanisms to infrastructure and design-based mechanisms.

This objective is mainly documented in the Traffic Safety Strategy 2022-2026, which articulates a total of 103 measures, several of which directly identify the safety needs of cyclists. Each measure (toimenpide) has been identified as either a continuation of, development of, one-off, or new activity. And while the strategy identifies the responsible party/parties for each measure and criteria for assessing the measure’s success, the measures themselves do not always provide clear processes for carrying out the activity (Rekola et al., 2022).

Firstly, education is taken into account—cycling, as well as various forms of micro-mobility, are integrated into driver training courses, and the government aims to improve communication practices about road safety to ensure that road users of all types know the rules and guidelines for using and encountering different modes of transport (see Rekola et al., 2022, Measure 44). The intention of this measures is to increase the share of people using cycling as their mode of transport. 

Another key mechanism for improving bicycle safety comes down to road conditions. The Traffic Safety Strategy notes that both state and municipal road networks need to be maintained and made attractive in order to improve overall safety. This especially means taking into account accessibility in the winter months so that cyclists can manoeuvre through the streets regardless of the season. These measures aim to decrease cycling accidents that result in hospitalisation or death (see Rekola et al., 2022, Measure 63, Measure 72). The measure indicates an interest in making cycling conditions more attractive and barrier-free in the wintertime, but the strategy does not specify how this will be achieved (e.g., by describing specific methods or processes for clearing bicycle paths).

To increase bicycle safety, the safety strategy also states that municipalities, regional ELY centres,^[5] and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (Väylävirasto) are responsible for taking bicycle traffic (as well as walking) into account when planning traffic nodes and transport junctions. Infrastructure improvements at these multi-modal points of transition promote safer links among transport options (see Rekola et al., 2022, Measure 73).

Another mechanism for improving cycling safety regards cyclist behaviour. The Ministry of Transport and Communications (LVM), together with the Ministry of Justice (OM), is responsible for making an impact assessment to determine the blood alcohol limit for cycling and other forms of micro-mobility. This legal mechanism will be based on factors such as mobility type (e.g., normal bicycle versus electric bicycle) and determine the severity of punishment according to the potential for drunk cycling to cause harm (see Rekola et al., 2022, Measure 91).

Finally, a final mechanism related to the cycling safety objective is for the government to rethink driving speeds. Given that the risk of death increases exponentially for speeds above 30 km/hour, a change in maximum speed limits, especially around schools and day-care centres, may be a decisive matter for the life or death of more vulnerable street users, including cyclists and pedestrians (see Rekola et al., 2022).

In response to the 2018 national programme for walking and cycling, the Ministry of Transport and Communication established a national stakeholder forum as a soft mechanism for increasing walking and cycling trips by 2030. The purpose of the forum is to exchange information and experiences for taking effective measures in different regions and cities in Finland in order to accomplish the national programme objectives set forth in 2018 (Ministry of Transport and Communications, 2020). The latest forum gathering, arranged by the Ministry of Transport and Communication, Traficom, and the Transport Infrastructure Agency, took place digitally in May 2022 where department experts came together with traffic engineers, planning managers, and others to discuss the success of the walking and cycling promotion programme and how to better communicate about sustainable modes of transport across Finnish cities and regions (Ministry of Transport and Communications, 2022).

To accomplish the national programme’s goals of increasing cycling/walking trips by 30% (by 2030), the government established the Walking and Cycling Investment Programme (Kävely- ja pyöräilyinvestointiohjelma) through the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom). Since 2018, municipalities or groups of municipalities can apply to the state grant to receive funding for specific walking and cycling projects that help to reduce road emissions whilst increasing cycling and walking (Traficom, 2023-b). This could include improving bicycle parking, paving for walk/cycle paths, or other construction and infrastructure improvement work. For example, Espoo was granted EUR 345,000 in 2018 towards the development of the Western Tarvon Bridge (Läntinen Tarvonsilta)—a low-traffic bridge with two separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians (Aalto, 2020). Helsinki received over EUR 1.8 million in 2021 from the Walking and Cycling Investment Programme in 2021 to fund a segment of the Itäbaana—a cycling lane running parallel to a highway to enable better cycle commuting in the eastern part of Helsinki (City of Helsinki, 2022-c). Funding also goes to smaller projects, such as EUR 22,640 in funds provided to bicycle parking at a local high school in Kuopio in 2023.  Sixty-one projects were supported in 2022 alone with funding of around EUR 15.4 million.

According to the low-emission transport objective in the 2019 government programme, “EUR 41 million will be reserved for planning work and project promotion related to walking and cycling” from 2020 to 2022. This is considered one of several “quick measure[s] for reducing emissions and promoting a circular economy” along with drawing up quality standards for cycling paths, and promoting commuter cycling (Finnish Government, 2019, 124). By 2022, the Roadmap to Fossil-free Transport reported that the “state would direct [EUR] 30 million per year of funding for the investment programme for walking and cycling in 2022-2024” (Jääskeläinen, 2021, 32), with the subsidy levels after 2024 decided upon afterwards in accordance with the National Transport System Plan (also referred to as Traffic12). This indicates a significant increase in funding towards the cycling programme.

The Roadmap to Fossil-free Transport also notes that an additional minimum of EUR 10 million per year between 2022 and 2024 will be allocated specifically towards improving walking/cycling infrastructure on highways and at traffic nodes as a way to support increased cycling traffic and cycling tourism (Jääskeläinen, 2021). A further subsidy (beyond the investment programme and road network funding) is dedicated to road maintenance and repairs, including providing high-quality winter maintenance on cycling paths (Jääskeläinen, 2021).

In addition to the Walking and Cycling Investment Programme, state grants have also been awarded to various municipalities for walking and cycling promotional programmes since 2021 (Traficom, 2023-c). For example, the City of Vantaa received EUR 35,000 in 2021 to support their cycle traffic development programme (Vantaan Kaupungin Pyöräliikenteen Kehittämisohjelma 2021-2026),^[6] and in 2023, the City of Rauma will receive just over EUR 26,000 towards their program for promoting cycling, walking, and sustainable transport chains (City of Rauma, 2023). A total of 38 projects have been supported by this state funding, totalling around EUR 1 million in joint walking/cycling support.

In order for passenger car transport to stop growing in the future, the National Climate and Energy Strategy (2022) outlines several phases of the fossil-free transport roadmap that will be used to accomplish this. This includes providing subsidies for electric vehicles as well as for sustainable transport modes like cycling and walking. The government reserved EUR 113 million in the 2022 budget specifically for “promoting public transport, walking, and cycling” (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, 2022, 85), while an additional EUR 53 million is expected to be allocated for the promotion of sustainable transport between 2022 and 2024.

Another way in which the government seeks to increase cycling trips is through marketing, mobility planning, and service coordination. For example, the central government provides discretionary government grants of around EUR 1 million per year to local authorities as well as non-profit organisations (which will be increased to EUR 2.5 million in 2025) for managing mobility through sustainable mobility plans and parking strategies at the local level. Market-based parking costs for private vehicles in urban areas is another mechanism used to achieve this goal.

The walking and cycling promotion programme identified more than 30 key measures for achieving this major cycling/walking share increase. While the previously described investment programme is a key funding mechanism that has emerged from the programme, additional mechanisms range from developing infrastructure and land-use planning, influencing attitudes and mobility habits, and building cooperation among multiple actors. For example, municipalities and provinces (maakunnat) and the Ministry of the Environment (YM) will together determine how walking and cycling can be integrated into municipal construction regulations (including regulations for bicycle parking), and various agencies at the local and regional levels are tasked with considering how key public services (such as schools and healthcare centres) are located in places accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.

The walking and cycling promotion programme also emphasizes design-oriented mechanisms to encourage increased cycling, such as separating walking and bicycling paths, developing higher quality bicycle parking, and improving the quality and attractiveness of cycling transport corridors. This includes making sure that key cycling routes are well-marked. Another mechanism outlined by the national programme includes the development of infrastructure at residential buildings, educational institutions, and workplaces more functional for cyclists (and pedestrians) by improving bicycle parking and general accessibility. Cycling path maintenance is also mentioned as a mechanism to enable increased cycle users in Finland. This requires cooperation among the different road and street managers and establishing winter maintenance contracts. The programme document points to Oulu’s winter maintenance as a role model in this area. The programme is a government resolution, meaning that the government is committed to implementing them (Pyöräliitto, 2018). Furthermore, the national cycling and walking programme has generally shaped the work of local walking and cycling promotion programmes, such as that of Espoo, Jyväskylä, Lahti, Pyhtää, and many more (Pyöräilykuntien verkosto, n.d.).

To improve people’s likelihood of choosing the bike over the car, the National Transport System Plan highlights the importance of development work, like creating a dense urban structure. For urban sub-regions, maintenance, and development of cycling infrastructure and improving travel chains is key and made possible through public co-financing through the central government. To decrease vehicle-kilometres attributed to passenger cars (and freight transport), as outlined in the Roadmap to Fossil-free transport, the Finnish government suggests promoting sustainable transport (walking, cycling, public transport, and various mobility services) in cooperation with national and municipal actors. As noted in the National Transport System Plan as well, this includes developing a “dense and cohesive urban structure,” enabling easy “travel chains” (especially in comparison to passenger car use), and creating safe, smooth, attractive, and accessible walking and cycling routes (Jääskeläinen, 2021, 31). The roadmap also points to municipal walking and cycling projects that improve cycling path conditions (their accessibility, connectivity, and attractiveness) as crucial mechanisms for making an impact in decreasing car transport and increasing cycling.

There are also some taxation mechanisms that aim to increase cycling shares. For example, employee-benefit bikes have been made a tax-free benefit (up to EUR 1,200). Congestion charges are another mechanism simultaneously oriented towards decreasing car use in urban areas and supporting residents to take up cycling as the less expensive option instead. The National Climate and Energy Strategy also suggests targeting transport in urban areas and between cities as a way to enable a less car-centric mobility system. The idea here is to enable multi-modal transport services—connecting cycling infrastructure with public transport infrastructure, for example—to provide fewer obstacles and smoother transitions for residents to choose an alternative to a private vehicle.

A final important mechanism used in Finland is the land use, housing, and transportation agreement (or MAL agreement in Finnish). These agreements are made among State agencies (the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, etc.) and several municipalities with an aim to “coordinate the measures to develop community structures and the transport system so as to create the preconditions for a sufficient and diverse offering of plots and housing production, more compact urban structures, and a functional, safe, and sustainable transport system” (Ministry of the Environment, 2023, 39). According to a recent (2022) report from the Association of Finnish Municipalities, these agreements have effectively enabled cooperation among urban regions and the central government, with many of their objectives succeeding; however, further cooperation and larger investments are necessary to develop urban regions in the future (Mervi & Lönnqvist, 2022). Currently, MAL agreements have been signed in the urban regions of Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Kuopia, and Lahti (Ministry of the Environment, n.d.). As one area of the MAL agreement regards transport, the agreements can influence cycling. For example, Tampere accesses government funding to support cycling and walking in the Tampere region through their 2020-2023 MAL agreement. Beyond confirming state allocation of around EUR 830,000, the MAL agreement states that the Tampere region municipalities can apply for further co-funded aid for improving walking and cycling conditions within the municipal street network (City of Tampere, 2023).

Many of the mechanisms used to increase the share of cyclists while decreasing the share of passenger car users are also cited as a way to contribute to climate objectives in Finland. Financial and infrastructure mechanisms like cycle path maintenance (renovations and repairs) and congestion charges are cited as measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from road transport. Under Sanna Marin’s government programme, congestion charges have been implemented as a way to reduce traffic congestion, shorten travel times, and make the transport system smoother and safer. In addition to these, several other mechanisms are acknowledged as instruments for achieving these goals, with cycling as a key element.

The Medium-term Climate Change Policy Plan refers to improving the urban fabric as an underlying measure for reducing emissions in cities. Larger changes to the traffic system can enable sustainable transport on a larger scale. For example, zoning can be used to “create a foundation for improving the functionality and sustainability of the community structure,” and developing safe and well-maintained cycling networks that extend well across urban areas and connect to public transport nodes can help residents reduce their carbon footprint (Ministry of the Environment, 2022, 138). Developing smoother travel chains is also a key infrastructural mechanism for regions surrounding cities.

Providing substantial funding for infrastructure management and development projects are critical to enable residents to use cycling as a means for reducing emissions. The National Transport Plan notes that around EUR 5-10 million per year is set aside for road safety improvement projects, EUR 10 million has been designated towards promoting walking and cycling within the state road network, and EUR 2-5 million has been allocated for developing park-and-ride facilities within the state road network (Finnish Government, 2021, 57-58). Importantly, conducting such network improvements requires a high degree of coordination between state and municipal government.

Some emphasis has also been placed on implementing scrapping premiums as a way to support electrification. These efforts, as well as subsidising electric cars and providing clean energy infrastructure, are additional ways to reduce greenhouse gases by 2030 and are often cited alongside promoting cycling and walking. However, such efforts do not necessarily contribute to increased cycling, especially because they rely on maintaining road systems that prioritise or support passenger transport. Still, scrapping premiums can contribute if one uses the opportunity to replace their former car with an electric bicycle or a seasonal public transport ticket instead of using the premium towards a new electric car. Between 2020 and 2021, the state provided between EUR 1,000 and 2,000 as a scrapping premium towards an electric bicycle, and according to the 2018 walking and cycling programme, such campaigns should be repeated at different times in accordance with the fluctuations of the car market in Finland (Jääskeläinen, 2018, 26-27).

To increase cycling trips, Finland aims to direct demand towards sustainable transport. This requires “economic steering instruments and land use supporting sustainable transport” (Finnish Government, 2021, 93).

This is where Finland’s National Land Use Guidelines (informed by the Land Use and Building Act) come into play. Local authorities are charged with using land use planning to “promote low-carbon and resource-efficient community development and sustainable mobility” (Finnish Government, 2021, 93)

As stated in the 2018 walking and cycling programme, achieving national cycling objectives relies heavily on the cooperation among myriad actors working across different departments and levels of government. Developing and ensuring strong governance models and ways of working are therefore key to implementing the various mechanisms listed above, and agreeing on a common vision for the future of cycling is a must. The walking and cycling programme, setting up the overarching goal of increasing cycling trips by 30%, has provided the backbone for the various plans, financial proposals, and strategic actions over the past four to five years.

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and the Centres for Economic Development, Transport, and the Environment (ELY Centres) are the two key managing authorities when it comes to improving the state road network. Together, these parties are responsible for coordinating state road networks throughout the country and ensuring transport conditions (from road safety to highway management to public transport organisation) are suitable (Finnish Government, 2021). These actors also work closely with the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), who is responsible for evaluating the current state of the transport network and assessing transport development needs based on the networks’ users. From these three authorities, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency holds the responsibility of outlining an investment programme based on the National Transport System Plan and the infrastructure planning programme (for which they are also responsible). Such an investment programme entails not only major development projects but also smaller projects for improving state transport networks.

The central government plays a key role for promoting walking and cycling in terms of infrastructure since infrastructure and maintenance have “a significant impact on the attractiveness of walking and cycling and accessibility of routes” (Finnish Government, 2021, 63). To increase the modal share of walking and cycling, the central government is responsible for extending grants to local governments which can be used for street network projects that improve walking and cycling conditions. Furthermore, the central government is responsible for developing walking/cycling infrastructure within the state highway network with funds of EUR 10 million per year. Funding will also be reserved for state highway maintenance and repairs. Meanwhile local authorities hold the responsibility of developing programmes for promoting walking/cycling. This includes planning bike-sharing systems and working with the state to improve information regarding walking/cycling.

To enable smooth travel chain (e.g., via park-and-ride facilities as expressed in the National Transport System Plan), the central government (specifically the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency) plays a key role. This is mainly through directing funds towards development and management of park-and-ride infrastructure, though this takes place in cooperation with local authorities. Large urban sub-regions are targeted in this work, where park-and-ride facilities for bicycles will be enabled. This work helps to meet travel and transport service levels and more sustainable transport.

The Ministry of the Environment also plays a critical role by funding development projects related to land use and transport planning and promoting accessibility, specifically through so-called MAL agreements (land-use, housing, and transport agreements). Alongside this work, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Education and Culture work towards encouraging the population towards health-promoting activities, including walking and cycling.  

Meanwhile, at the local level, municipal authorities hold the responsibility of enabling safe local road networks, but they must work alongside state-level actors to provide smooth transitions between local and state roads. This is especially the case when it comes to ensuring traffic safety and maintenance of cycling paths. Municipalities and regions can seek fundings from various sources to support climate actions, including promoting cycling. Additionally non-governmental groups of relevance include the cycling association (Pyöräliitto), the Network of Cycling Councils (Pyöräilykuntien verkosto), and Liikenneturva, a volunteer organisation for traffic safety.

Importantly, and as highlighted in the walking and cycling programme, the most fruitful results are most likely to occur when planning and promotion involve strong horizontal alignment, with efforts not only from the transport sector, but also the environmental, health, and even sports sectors (Jääskeläinen, 2018).

In their categorisation of future walking and cycling scenarios for Finland, Kiviluoto et al. (2022) derive five potential scenarios for the country based on interviews with experts. The success of the scenario most in line with the national objectives—the so-called Era of Soft Modes scenario—is dependent on three key components: “(1) coordinated cross-sectoral cooperation, (2) strong political will supporting walking and cycling investments, and (3) vocal public support of soft modes and restricted car use” (Kiviluoto et al., 2022, p.10). Even while addressing these three components through various mechanisms, many experts suggest that car use will continue to permeate the culture, especially as technology (such as vehicle electrification) further enables the vehicle to appear more environmentally sustainable (Kiviluoto, 2022). In addition to cooperation within and among levels of government to enact cycle-friendly policies and invest in effective cycling infrastructure, the future of Finland’s mobility patterns will depend on the density of the urban structure as well as the degree to which individuals themselves are willing to accept, value, and adopt lifestyles that incorporate the bicycle.

¹ This report was written in spring 2023. In the April 2023 elections in Finland, the National Coalition Party led by Petteri Orpo earned the most votes, leading to a government transition. At the time of this report, the new government programme—formed by the coalition of the National Coalition Party, the Finns Party, the Swedish People’s Party of Finland, and the Christian Democrats—has not yet been established.

² The walking and cycling promotion programme objective to increase walking and cycling by 30% from 2018 until 2030 is referenced under the low-emission transport objective of the 2019 government programme.

³ The remainder of trips in Finland are represented by passenger car (61%), public transport (6%), and other (3%). At the sub-national level, the Helsinki region has the highest share of overall sustainable trips in Finland (52%--30% pedestrian traffic, 15% public transport, and 7% by bicycle), while the Oulu region has the highest share of trips made by bicycle (18%) of all Finnish regions; see Traficom (2023-a).

⁴ The objectives are further described as: “accessibility: the transport “accessibility: the transport system will ensure access to the whole of Finland and will respond to the needs of businesses, employment, and housing; sustainability: opportunities to choose more sustainable modes of mobility will improve—particularly in urban sub-regions; efficiency: the socio-economic efficiency of the transport system will improve” (see Finnish Government, 2021, 35).

⁵ ELY centres, also known as Centres for Economic Development, Transport, and the Environment, are centres of the national government that is responsible for regional development activities around business, transportation, and the environment (see https://www.ely-keskus.fi/en/web/ely-en/).

⁶ For more information about the City of Vantaa development programme, see  https://www.traficom.fi/sites/default/files/media/file/Vantaan%20py%C3%B6r%C3%A4liikenteen%20kehitt%C3%A4misohjelma.pdf