Dviračių turizmo sistemos plėtojimo perspektyvos Lietuvoje

ENBicycle tourism became one of the most popular recreation activities in Central and West Europe. Lithuania also tries to make some attempts for upraising the development of its bicycle tourism system. A significant step was made by the Austrian and Lithuanian experts preparing a special PHARE project related to the development of bicycle routes and creation of a coherent tourism sign-posting system in 2002. The author’s experience obtained during implementation of this project is presented. The development of bicycle tourism must go on all levels of planning: international, national, regional and local, with a rational use of foreign and national experience and all possible types of bicycle routes (linear, circuit, zigzag). It is preferable to detach the bicycle route network from the main car roads, as well as to stimulate a special infrastructure for bicycle tourism accommodations. First proposals for bicycle tourism in Lithuania were made during the period 1965-1985 in recreation-planning documents. The linear transit bicycle rout network advanced by G. Daniulaitis was recommended. Another most complete version of the national bicycle route system including both linear transit and regional circuit routes was proposed by R. Šilagalis and R. Krupickas in 1981. The local bicycle route systems were actively planned for the Lithuanian national and regional parks or recreational districts. One of the shortcomings of the previous planning proposals was superposing the bicycle and hiking route networks in spite of the differences in their requirements. However, all these proposals leave behind the time, because the real conditions for such development were not matured in Lithuania yet. So, the recommended bicycle route networks were not realised, even is spite of governmental approvals. After obtaining independence the situation became more favourable for bicycle tourism development.Open boundaries, initiatives of governmental and municipal institutions, support by European Union, activity or Lithuanian cyclists’ community and Green movement created prerequisites for the renewal of bicycle tourism in Lithuania. The first proposal of this period was preparing a bicycle route network map in close collaboration with Kaliningrad district and Latvia. This bicycle route network version was presented by linear transit routes in the both directions - parallels and meridians, but it ignored the possibility of regional circuits, most preferable for cognitive tourism. Also, too many of the main car roads were included in this network, and the necessity of its correction is evident. The author has prepared and realised a new methodology for the planning of bicycle route network in Lithuania. Its inner structure is as follows: Main Principles: 1) cognitive recreation priority 2) presentation of the regions 3) harmonisation of linear transit and regional circuit routes 4) assurance of different options 5) integration of national and international markets Categories o f routs for development: 1) transit Eurovelo bicycle routes 2) long distance (300-500 km) national and regional linear routes 3) long distance (300-500 km) regional circuit routes 4) local (100-150 km) linear or circuit routes Process of networking: 1) analysis of existing proposals 2) localisation analysis of attractive sites and objects 3) preparation of the concept of a potential bicycle route network 4) prioritising the routes within the determined categories 5) design programming of the selected priority routes. Criteria and indices for valuation o f priority: A. Significance (by the presentation level) B. Potential of attractiveness (by the density of attended objects) C. Level of picturesqueness (by the percentage of sightseeing segments).D. Diversity of environment (by the balance of segments with different environment) E. Detachment (by the percentage of local forest and field roads) F. Quality of road cover (by the percentage of paved segments) G. Marketing potential (by the links to main tourism centres) H. Potential of hostelling and recreation (by the density of hotels and campsites) I. Investment potential (by the current and possible investment projects) J. Optimum length (by correspondence with recreation time limits). The proposed network of the bicycle routes in Lithuania is presented in a special cartoscheme (Fig. 1). Also, routes of development priority for foreign users were elucidated (Fig. 2) and a more detailed explication of them was prepared. Finally, a design programming the selected routs was proposed, including the following list of the programming tasks: 1) Daily distribution; 2) Determining of objects for attendance; 3) Analysis of the peculiarities of environment perception 4) Hostelling, recreation and technical accommodations; 5) Route cover maintenance; 6) Signposting and information system; 7) Tentative investments. The road maintenance system includes the main engineering works necessary to ensure the expected bicycle traffic. Three groups of road maintenance programs were determined: group A - maintenance of state or district level roads allotted for bicycles in the common stream, including the recommended types of engineering measures for road cover improvement and supervision; group В - measures for building and care of special bicycle paths; group C - measures for equipment and care of special bicycle zones on streets and car roads.