PRESOV (17 January 2016) - The development of cycling tourism and cycling transport in the Prešov Region is covered from the new year by the Regional Tourism Organization Northeast of Slovakia, which has created a cycling coordination centre CykloPO. The vision of the centre is to make the Prešov Region a successful cycling region.
The Cycling Coordination Centre CykloPO, established by the KOCR North-East of Slovakia, is a response to the acute need to coordinate all activities around cycling issues in the Prešov region. The Prešov Self-Governing Region supported the establishment and activities of the centre with the amount of 30 thousand Euro. KOCR Northeast of Slovakia through CykloPO will take over the performance of the agenda related to the development of cycling and cycling transport in the Prešov Region.
"The Prešov Region needs a plan for the comprehensive development of cycling tourism and coordination of activities in individual territories. For a long time, there has also been a lack of a place to which municipalities or organisations can turn when building cycle routes, planning them, marking existing routes, creating the necessary documents, submitting projects and many other activities.," Martin Janoško, director of the KOCR Northeast of Slovakia, introduced the centre's intention.
V. Štupáková and M. Janoško during the press conference where they presented the activities of CykloPO.
Viera Štupáková, who has been working on the issue for a long time, will be the KOCR cyclo-coordinator. She is a regional cycling coordinator for EuroVelo 11 in Slovakia, she is dedicated to project management, she is also known for the activities of the cycling association Kostitras. "The vision is to gradually create a cycling region from the Prešov Region, that will realise its full potential and meet the high quality standards that are customary in developed countries. We also need to review which cycle routes meet the standards and work to ensure that we only have good quality and interesting routes in the county," Štupáková said.
The main tasks of the centre include Coordination activities related to planning, implementation and maintenance cycling routes in the Prešov region, EuroVelo 11 strategic plan, consultation and advice in the planning and creation of cycle routes, modifications and additions to signs cycling routes and marketing activities including cycling Events. In the course of 2017, a website www.cyklopo.sk will be created to inform about what is currently happening in the region regarding cycle routes. The Centre also aims to communicate with cyclists, taking into account their needs and demands in the spirit of the slogan "cyclists to cyclists". "We are open to cooperation, we want to fill the cycle paths with satisfied cyclists who can give us feedback and share with us ideas for improvement. Of course, this is a long-term, gradual work," Štupáková added.
Infrastructure development in the field of cycling - a selection of activities:
Signage
CykloPO plans to add to the activities in the field of infrastructure development signage new cycling routes and adjustments/additions to cycle markings. A comprehensive audit of the area will show which routes will be signed/restored/discontinued. For example, the cycle route connecting RO Domaša and RO Zemplínska Šírava will receive new cycling signs in 2017. It will be a 40 km long section (Holčíkovce - Humenné - Porúbka) on existing third class roads with low traffic intensity. CykloPO has already initiated the solution of the section in the Košice region in the cadastre of the Vinné municipality. The final length of this motorway is 90 km, with sections with construction work planned in the area of water reservoirs - still at the project plan stage.
Cycle routes approved for implementation
In the area of implementation of new cycle routes, the largest cycling projects in the Prešov Region include the projects Kúpeľná cesta and Tatranský okruh, both approved for implementation. The Spa Route will run in the corridor Bardejovské Kúpele - Bardejov - Krynica - Muszyna - Piwniczna - Szczawnica - Červený Kláštor - Podolínec - Vyšné Ružbachy - Ľubovnianske kúpele - Plavnica - Čirč - Muszyna . Total length 231 km. Under the Interreg V-A Poland-Slovakia 2014-2020 programme, funding was approved for the implementation of new sections of cycle paths with a length of 30 km for an estimated amount of EUR 1.9 million. These will be sections such as Nová Ľubovňa - Ľubovnianske kúpele in the length of 3.7 km (also the route of EV 11), the town of Bardejov in the length of 1.2 km; Podolínec - Vyšné Ružbachy in the length of 2.2 km; Kamienka - Hniezdne in the length of 0.6 km. Additional tourist facilities are part of the construction of cycle routes - toilets, rest areas and other elements of small infrastructure.
Another approved project that addresses cycle routes is Tatra Circuit (Road around the Tatras) of 60 km in total amount of 6 million EUR (resources from Interreg PL/SK). On the Slovak side, the construction of cycling routes will continue from Ždiar in the direction of Tatranská Kotlina and Spišská Bela, then to Kežmarok. In addition, further sections of the Path around the Tatra Mountains will be built in Liptovský Mikuláš, Trstená and the section Hniezdne - Stará Ľubovňa in Slovakia. This means that the partners will complete and connect the individual sections of the Circular Route around the Tatras built in the previous period.
Planned cycle routes
A project to obtain funding for the implementation of the EuroVelo 11 section has been prepared Muszyna - Mníšek nad Popradom in length 25 km amounting to approximately EUR 1 million. In addition to new cycle paths, the project also includes the construction of two footbridges and other additional services for cyclists such as information points, simple tourist accommodation, showers, service points 24 and so on. The application has been submitted for Interreg PL/SK, the estimated date of the decision is in spring this year.
In addition, in the past period elaborated project documentationthat precede applications for grants for their implementation. A section of EuroVelo 11 is planned Veľký Šariš - Sabinov - Lipany - Krivany 39 km long. Documentation for the construction permit is currently being prepared.
The EuroVela section is at the stage of project documentation Prešov - Haniska - Kendice length of about 8 km and also cycle paths Svidník - along the dam of the Ladomírka river approximately 4 km long. The following routes applications will be submitted for co-financing through extra-budgetary sources.
As Matúš Goga, responsible for cycling transport at the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic, informed, there is also a project of connecting the High Tatras and the Slovak Paradise in the planning stage and also a cycling route leading from the Slovak border Vyšný Komárnik - Barwinek in the direction of Nižný Komárnik and Svidník. In both cases, the use of existing earthworks is involved, which implies a reduction in the costs of implementation and property-law settlement.
KOCR Northeast of Slovakia, which established CykloPO, has participated in previous years together with the member OOCRs in marking and modification of cycling routes in Horni Zemplin, in the Belianske Tatras, in the Levoča Hills, in the construction of a pumptrack in Bachledova dolina, singletracks in Bardejov and near Stara Ľubovňa. The creation of innovative and modern cycling elements is also part of the CykloPO plans. Information about CykloPO can be found on the website www.presovregion.travel.
More information: Cyclocoordinator of KOCR SVS - Viera Štupáková, contact: 0905 634 180 horeadole@gmail.com
Mgr. Barbora Čechová
marketing/PR KOCR Northeast of Slovakia
0907 401 832, 051/775 45 05 media@presovregion.travel, www.presovregion.travel
