general aviation airport, operated by Aero Club Milano. Cycling The bicycle is becoming an increasingly important mode of transportation in Milan. Since 2008, the implementation of a city-wide network of bike paths has been initiated, to fight congestion and air pollution. During the COVID pandemic in 2019, 35 km of bike lanes have been realized on short notice, to relieve pressure on the subway occupation. The bike sharing systems BikeMi has been deployed in almost all the city and enjoys increasing popularity. Stationless commercial bike and scooter sharing systems are widely available. International relations Twin towns – sister cities Milan is twinned with: São Paulo, Brazil, since 1961 Chicago, United States, since 1962 Lyon, France, since 1967 Saint Petersburg, Russia, since 1967 Frankfurt, Germany, since 1969 Birmingham, United Kingdom, since 1974 Dakar, Senegal, since 1974 Shanghai, China, since 1979 Osaka, Japan, since 1981 Tel Aviv, Israel, since 1997 Bethlehem, Palestine, since 2000 Toronto, Canada, since 2003 Kraków, Poland, since 2003 Melbourne, Australia, since 2004 Daegu, South Korea, since 2015 The partnership with Saint Petersburg was suspended in 2012 (a decision taken by the city of Milan), because of the prohibition of the Russian government on "homosexual propaganda". However, it was later restored and as of 2022, St. Petersburg is still listed on Milan's official list of twin towns. Other relations Milan has the following collaborations: Algiers, Algeria Amsterdam, Netherlands Astana, Kazakhstan Bilbao, Spain Chengdu, China Copenhagen, Denmark Guangzhou, China Dubai, United Arab Emirates Moscow, Russia New York City, United States Saitama Prefecture, Japan Tegucigalpa, Honduras Tehran, Iran People Honorary citizens People awarded the honorary citizenship of Milan are: See also List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits Outline of Italy Outline of Milan Biscione References Bibliography External links 1st-millennium BC establishments in Italy Former capitals of Italy Populated places established in the 6th century BC