Mombasa City has been named as one of the ten first-ever winners of the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI).

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced that Mombasa is among the winning global cities that would receive funding support of USD 400,000 (Ksh.5.6 million) to build innovative cycling infrastructure and sustainable mobility options for their residents.

The goal of BICI is to help cities design streets that increase biking rates, revitalize neighborhoods, and promote the health and well-being of their communities.

Led in partnership with the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), in addition to funding to enact their proposals, each winning BICI city will receive technical assistance from GDCI on project development, cycling facility design, data collection, and resident engagement.

Successful cities need transportation systems that allow people to move safely, efficiently, and sustainably. 

The 10 BICI winners are: Fortaleza, Brazil—winner of a $1 million prize—and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bogota, Colombia; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; Mombasa, Kenya; Pimpri-Chinchwad, India; Quelimane, Mozambique; Tirana, Albania; and Wellington, New Zealand, each of which will receive $400,000 in funding. 

The 10 winning BICI cities named during the World Bike Day on June 3 hail from 10 countries on five continents and collectively represent more than 15 million residents.

Winners were selected from 275 applications submitted between November 10, 2022, and February 3, 2023, from cities with over 100,000 residents.

Research consistently shows that providing cycling infrastructure brings social benefits that far outweigh its initial investment and that people who cycle are healthier and happier.

However, a significant barrier to cycling in many cities is the lack of safe cycling infrastructure.

BICI is designed to help city leaders meet the urgent need to build more connected and expansive cycling infrastructure that serves as many residents as possible.

“Fighting climate change goes hand-in-hand with giving people more transportation options,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City. 

Adding “These proposals to make cycling safer and more accessible will require robust technical assistance, and our team is glad to support the winners as they turn their ideas into action. The progress that these 10 cities make will help clean the air, protect the environment, and drive economic growth, too. We’re looking forward to seeing the results.”

On his part Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir welcomed the gesture.

"Thank you BloombergDotOrg for recognizing the potential of Mombasa city and I look forward to seeing this initiative work" said Nassir.

Critical mass Mombasa, a local cycling lobby group has been lobbying for safe cycling infrastructure in Mombasa.

Launched in 2014, the Global Designing Cities Initiative’s mission is to transform streets around the world, inspiring leaders, practitioners, and communities to imagine what’s possible when we design streets that put people first. GDCI’s work is informed by the strategies and international best practices captured in the Global Street Design Guide.  

Bloomberg Philanthropies will convene the 10 winning cities from June 26 through June 29, 2023, in London, providing an opportunity for those city leaders to meet, trade ideas with peers, begin their project planning, and learn from GDCI’s urban design experts.