We are proud to reveal the winners of the fourth annual edition of the ECF Awards! Since 2022, the ECF Awards have been recognising remarkable achievements in cycling and active mobility promotion. This year’s winners across all four categories were announced at our flagship conference Velo-city, hosted in Gdańsk, Poland, from 10-13 June. ECF CEO Jill Warren and ECF President Henk Swarttouw presented the winners with their awards in front of over 1300 Velo-citizens at the packed AMBEREXPO venue in Gdańsk.
The 2025 ECF Award winners are:
- The City of Poznań for the Cycling Infrastructure Award, sponsored by Arup
- iRAP for the Road Safety Award, sponsored by Geveko Markings
- The City of Stockholm for the Cycling Improvement Award, sponsored by Eco-counter
- UNEP, UN-Habitat and the World Health Organisation for the Best Active Mobility Initiative Award, sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
- The City of Gdańsk received a special recognition for its continuous efforts in improving and enabling cycling
ECF CEO Jill Warren said: “There are so many outstanding initiatives around the world that are making cycling more accessible as well as improving people’s health and lives, so it was not easy for our jury to select the winners. We congratulate this year’s winners and are delighted we can recognise them and celebrate their successes with the Velo-citizen community.”
ECF President Henk Swarttouw added: “Velo-city, where the global cycling community unites under one roof, is the perfect occasion to spotlight some remarkable achievements in cycling and active mobility promotion with our ECF Awards. We hope the awards inspire our community, spread innovative ideas, and share best practices that benefit many more people.”
On behalf of the ECF, Warren and Swarttouw extended their thanks to all sponsors for making the awards possible.
About the winners
The City of Poznań, Poland, for the Cycling Infrastructure Award
The City of Poznań inaugurated its new Berdychow Bridges in February this year. The bridges connect the Old Market Square with the green spaces along the Warta River, offering a beautifully designed route dedicated to both cyclists and pedestrians. The bridges span 165 metres over the Warta River and 117 metres over the Ulgi Canal, and feature integrated lighting as well as increased greenery, street lighting and signage in the surrounding area. More than 50,000 cycling trips – meaning more than 1,600 a day – were recorded in the first month alone, making the project a new mobility landmark for the city.
CycleRap by iRAP, for the Road Safety Award
The innovative CycleRAP tool by the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) assesses the safety of cycling infrastructure by analysing road features without requiring crash data. It has already been implemented in various locations worldwide, and its adaptability makes it valuable for diverse stakeholders aiming to improve road safety.
In São Paulo, Brazil, for example, over 1,115 images from a crowdsourced database were analysed and the results shared with road authorities, to help them prioritise investments, and with the local cycling association, assisting their advocacy for safer streets with powerful data. With global reach and a strong focus on protecting vulnerable groups – including schoolchildren – CycleRAP stands out as a flexible and effective solution for cycling safety.
The City of Stockholm, Sweden, for the Cycling Improvement Award
The City of Stockholm saw a remarkable 18% increase in bicycle traffic between 2023 and 2024, based on measurements from 19 sites. The growth reflects consistent, year-round increases and is underpinned by investments in cycling lanes, parking infrastructure, and winter maintenance. Notable initiatives include upgrading 90 km of regional routes and facilitating the Bike2Green project, a kilometre-based incentive scheme for daily commuting. The city’s long-term Regional Cycling Plan aims to double its cycling modal share to 20% by 2030.
UNEP, UN-Habitat and the World Health Organisation for the Best Active Mobility Initiative Award
In collaboration with UN Habitat and the WHO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) led the launch of the Pan African Action Plan for Active Mobility (PAAPAM) in November 2024. This initiative aims to transform mobility across Africa by prioritising the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorised transport users. UNEP played a central role in coordinating the development of PAAPAM, engaging over 1,300 stakeholders – including governments, NGOs, academia, and civil society – from across the continent.
From 2025 to 2027, UNEP and UN Habitat, leveraging its experience in urban planning and policy development, will support PAAPAM implementation in five countries: Kenya, Morocco, Cameroon, Ghana and Malawi. If further funding is secured, more countries will follow.
Special recognition: The City of Gdańsk, Poland
The City of Gdańsk received a special recognition for its long-standing and continuous efforts to promote everyday cycling and sustainable mobility. Gdańsk saw a 70% increase in bicycle traffic between 2017 and 2024, and has become a major hub in the EuroVelo network of long-distance cycle routes.
The next edition of the ECF Awards, marking their 5-year anniversary, will be held at Velo-city 2026 in Rimini, Italy, from 16-19 June 2026.
