Cycling, sustainability and public health

The plan stipulates that it is the responsibility of politics, not the individual, to create opportunities to choose cheap and simple climate-smart alternatives, and that the transport system shall be developed so that car dependence decreases. Increased and safe cycling with regional planning for commuting between municipalities is precisely such a measure that gives both lower emissions and better health. The requirement is thus supported.

• politics creates sustainable alternativesdecisive»Det är politikens, och inte individens, ansvar att skapa möjligheter för människor att välja enkla och billiga klimatsmarta alternativ.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is the responsibility of politics, not the individual, to create opportunities for people to choose simple and cheap climate-smart alternatives.”
• reduced car dependence»så att bilberoendet minskar.« (party programme ↗)“so that car dependence decreases.”
• sustainable mobility throughout the country»För att såväl öka alla människors rörelsefrihet som för att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser så behöver även kollektivtrafiken byggas ut och göras billigare och mer tillgänglig i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“For both increasing all people's mobility and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, collective transport must also be expanded and made cheaper and more accessible throughout the country.”
• sustainability and public health»Vi ser ett hållbart liv som ett bättre liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We see a sustainable life as a better life.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme requires that transport systems be reorganized for more walking, cycling and public transport and that urban construction creates transport-efficient living environments. The election manifesto wants to make it possible to live and travel in a climate-friendly way and improve deductions for climate-smart commuting. Further measures for increased and safe cycling, including regional planning for cycle commuting between municipalities, lie directly in that direction, even though cycle planning is not mentioned in detail.

• more cycling and walking trafficdecisive»Transportsystemen ska läggas om för mer gång-, cykel- och kollektivtrafik och så att« (party programme ↗)“Transport systems shall be reorganized for more walking, cycling and public transport and so that”
• climate-friendly commuting»Gör det möjligt att leva och resa klimatvänligt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it possible to live and travel in a climate-friendly way.”
• transport-efficient community planning»framtidsinriktat stadsbyggande som skapar integrerade, variationsrika och transportsnåla« (party programme ↗)“forward-looking urban construction that creates integrated, diverse and transport-efficient”
• support climate-smart commuting»Ett nytt reseavdrag ska förbättra möjligheterna att få avdrag också för mer klimatsmarta resor, och med rättvisare landsbygdsprofil.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A new commuting deduction shall improve the opportunity to get deductions also for more climate-smart commuting, and with a fairer rural profile.”

The plan wants to promote walking, cycling and public transport and reduce car driving, with more and better cycle paths as an explicit means. The party programme also wants to expand walking and cycle paths between urban areas, which is precisely the inter-municipal cycle commuting the counter-proposal seeks. The climate and public health reasons are the same as the plan's own reasons for prioritizing cycling in urban areas.

• promote cycling before carsdecisive»minska bilåkandet i storstäderna och främja gång-, cykel- och kollektivtrafik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“reduce car driving in major cities and promote walking, cycling and public transport.”
• cycle paths between urban areas»av gång- och cykelvägar mellan tätorter på landsbygden.« (party programme ↗)“of walking and cycle paths between urban areas in the countryside.”
• more and better cycle paths»Med utbyggd tåg- och kollektivtrafik, bättre tågförbindelser till Europa, fler och bättre cykelvägar och billigare elbilar, kommer du både kunna pendla och upptäcka världen med omsorg om vår planet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“With expanded rail and public transport, better rail connections to Europe, more and better cycle paths and cheaper electric cars, you will be able to both commute and discover the world with care for our planet.”
• prioritize cycling in urban areas»väl utbyggd kollektivtrafik och gång- och cykeltrafik.« (party programme ↗)“well-developed public transport and walking and cycling.”

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The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan requires that cycling and public transport become smoother and more attractive, that it should be easy to go without a car and that access to cycle paths improves. Additional measures for increased and safe cycling, including planning that facilitates cycle commuting between municipalities, are therefore the plan's own line. The reasons about climate, reduced congestion and public health are found in the plan.

• more attractive cyclingdecisive»Utsläppsfria transporter, cyklar, elbilar och kollektivtrafik ska bli smidigare och attraktivare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Emission-free transport, bicycles, electric cars and public transport should become smoother and more attractive.”
• expanded cycle paths»Landsbygden behöver bättre vägar och bättre tillgång till cykelvägar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The countryside needs better roads and better access to cycle paths.”
• easy to choose not to drive»Det ska dessutom vara smidigt att välja bort bilen till förmån för tåg, buss, båt och cykel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should also be easy to choose not to use a car in favour of train, bus, boat and bicycle.”
• public health through movement»Idrotten, friluftslivets och kulturens betydelse för folkhälsan är odiskutabel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sport, outdoor recreation and culture's importance for public health is indisputable.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan sees cycling as an efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transport and requires continuous paths for pedestrian and cycling traffic both within and between settlements, which is precisely the inter-municipal planning the counter-proposal seeks. According to the plan, regions have responsibility for regional planning and public transport, which gives the regional level the task. The plan also wants to give freight traffic and public transport more space where congestion is a problem.

• continuous cycling pathsdecisive»Det behövs sammanhängande stråk för att underlätta gång- och cykeltrafik« (party programme ↗)“There is a need for continuous paths to facilitate pedestrian and cycling traffic”
• cycling benefits environment and health»Cykling är ett effektivt och miljövänligt transportslag för främst kortare resor.« (party programme ↗)“Cycling is an efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transport mainly for shorter journeys.”
• regional planning»regioner med ansvar för bland annat sjukvård, kollektivtrafik, näringslivsutveckling och regionplanering.« (party programme ↗)“regions with responsibility for among other things healthcare, public transport, business development and regional planning.”
• less room for private cars»I städer med trängsel- eller miljöproblem bör nyttotrafik och kollektivtrafik ges större utrymme« (party programme ↗)“In cities with congestion or environmental problems, freight traffic and public transport should be given more space”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The party programme notes that the advantages of a cycle-promoting infrastructure are several, including environmental and health benefits, and that alternatives to road transport should be developed, not least for commuting. This corresponds to the counter-proposal's reasons for reduced environmental impact, less congestion, and better public health. The plan also wants movement and health to be promoted and working-market regions to be widened, which supports regional planning for cycle commuting between municipalities.

• cycle-promoting infrastructuredecisive»Fördelarna med en cykelfrämjande infrastruktur är flera« (party programme ↗)“The advantages of cycle-promoting infrastructure are several”
• alternatives for commuting»Alternativen till vägtransporter ska utvecklas,« (party programme ↗)“Alternatives to road transport shall be developed,”
• promote movement and public health»Hälsa, motion och olika former av idrott ska främjas och stödjas av kommunerna.« (party programme ↗)“Health, movement and various forms of sport shall be promoted and supported by municipalities.”
• widened working-market regions»för ökat bostadsbyggande, utvidgade arbetsmarknadsregioner« (party programme ↗)“for increased housing construction, widened working-market regions”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan's transport policy concerns electrification, charging infrastructure, upgraded railways and repaired roads; cycling is not mentioned at all. The election manifesto is at the same time clear that the large needs within the justice system, defense and welfare require hard prioritization and that new reforms must be financed or fit within the surplus target, and the party programme emphasizes politics' task to prioritize and reject. Additional state cycling measures therefore lack support in the plan.

• hard priorities requireddecisive»De stora behoven inom rättsväsendet, försvaret och välfärden ställer stora krav på prioriteringar under åren som kommer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The large needs within the justice system, defense and welfare impose great demands on prioritization in the years to come.”
• financed reforms»Alla nya löften och reformer – som till exempel våra inkomstskattesänkningar – behöver finansieras eller rymmas inom överskottsmålet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All new commitments and reforms – such as our income tax cuts – need to be financed or fit within the surplus target.”
• electrification as transformation path»Vår politik syftar därför till att ställa om transportsektorn genom elektrifiering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our policy therefore aims to transform the transport sector through electrification.”
• prioritize and reject»Politiken har en viktig uppgift att prioritera och välja bort« (party programme ↗)“Politics has an important task to prioritize and reject”

The plan's transport policy proceeds from the principle that all modes of transport are needed and that policy shall not be built on utopias adapted to metropolitan residents, which speaks against specially highlighting cycle commuting in metropolitan regions. The plan is moreover critical of subsidies for e-bikes and other initiatives without evidence-based results and seeks to choose the measures that give the most environment per krona. The counter-proposal's requirement for further measures and regional planning for cycling thus receives no support in the plan. Cycling is not treated at all in the documents, so confidence is low.

• all transport modes neededdecisive»Sverigedemokraterna anser att samtliga transportslag, inklusive bil och flyg, är viktiga för att samhället ska fungera.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Sweden Democrats believe that all modes of transport, including car and air, are important for society to function.”
• not metropolitan-adapted policy»Politiken måste förhålla sig till människors faktiska villkor och inte bygga på utopier som enbart är anpassade för människor som bor i större städer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Policy must relate to people's actual conditions and not be built on utopias adapted only to people living in large cities.”
• criticism of bike subsidies»Subventioner av anställningar, elcyklar och lyxbilar sker precis som mångmiljardsatsningar i integrationsprojekt helt utan evidensbaserade resultat.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Subsidies for employment, e-bikes and luxury cars occur, just as multi-billion investments in integration projects, completely without evidence-based results.”
• most environmental benefit per krona»Sträva efter miljöeffektivitet och hitta de åtgärder som ger mest miljö per krona« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strive for environmental effectiveness and find the measures that give the most environmental benefit per krona”