From Friday, March 1, 2024, anyone who regularly travels to, from, or through Groningen can use the bike app Trappie. Trappie is an initiative of Groningen Bereikbaar and is intended to encourage motorists to use bicycles more often during Operation Ring South and leave their cars behind. Cycling is not only a healthy and fast alternative to driving during the roadworks; with Trappie, cyclists also earn points for charity.
With every bike ride to, from, and through the city of Groningen, participants collect points through Trappie that they can distribute among five selected charities. Groningen Bereikbaar converts the points into a donation to the charities. Together, they can raise up to €10,000. The selected charities are: ANWB Children's Bike Plan, Youth Fund for Sports and Culture, Lutje Geluk, Tree Planters, and Food Bank Groningen.
Participants can join individually or compete against each other for the most cycled kilometers in the community of, for example, their employer or sports club. Special challenges encourage them to cycle more often during the campaign. Even people who already cycle frequently can participate.
Operation Ring South
From September 2024, cars can drive on the new southern ring road. To make this possible, the new Julianaplein and the lowered position must first be connected to the existing roads. From Friday evening, March 22, to Monday morning, September 2, various directions will be closed, causing severe traffic disruptions for five months. If motorists continue to travel by car, traffic in the city will inevitably come to a standstill, and we expect hours-long traffic jams.
In addition to working from home, using public transport, and traveling via a P+R, cycling is often a good alternative, says Deputy Johan Hamster: "We all need to ensure that Groningen remains accessible during the operation. This app is a fun and creative way to get people on their bikes. And we're doing it for a good cause! I hope Trappie can persuade many motorists, for whom it's an option, to get on their bikes."
Joining Trappie
Trappie works through the Toogethr Cycles app. Participants can register for free at groningenbereikbaar.nl/trappie to join and then download the app. Companies, institutions, and other organizations can also request their own community here.
Source text and images: groningenbereikbaar.nl
