Skip to main content

Cycling data suggests rise in bike use in European cities

New figures from France, Italy and the UK demonstrate uptick in active travel
By Mike Woof February 16, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
Amsterdam led the way in making bikes an integral part of city life (© ITS International | Adam Hill)

The latest data from France shows an increase in cycling for mobility. There has been a 5% growth in bicycle use in France, according to a report by the association Vélos & Territoires. Both conventional bicycles and e-bikes figure in this increase in cycling, according to the data. The utilisation of bicycles increased 7% during the week and by 6% in urban use compared to 2022. New cycle lanes in Paris as well as restrictions on the use of private cars have further helped increase levels of cycling in France’s capital.

And according to data from Transport for London (TfL) cycling in the UK capital shows a 20% increase in cycling in 2023 compared to 2019. The Travel in London report shows a growth in cycling, following on from the rise during the Covid-19 pandemic. TfL says that while overall cycling numbers have climbed, there have been changes in the characteristics of these journeys. The average length of cycling trips has decreased, indicating a shift towards shorter, more localised travel. In addition, there is a higher proportion of off-peak travel compared to before the pandemic.

In Italy, meanwhile, further boosts for cycling are expected with the development of the Apulian aqueduct in Puglia, which will see a total 192km of cycle routes. The project is being managed by AQP, with financing of €35 million being provided by regional funds and NRRP funds. The new sections will deliver a cycle path on an aqueduct, forming part of the National Cycling Route No 11.

The growth in cycling will help in the reduction of transport emissions, particularly in large cities such as Paris and London. This will also help to boost public health and boost productivity. Amsterdam and Copenhagen have set the lead in encouraging cycling in urban Europe but are now being followed by other cities. However, questions remain over the safety of cyclists due to poor standards of driving. And the layout of many cycling facilities is also in question, with too many routes not meeting safety standards and clearly not having been designed by people who actually ride bicycles.

Related Content

  • Lyft, Uber have mixed impact on San Fran mobility
    May 14, 2018
    The extent to which ride-hailing has become a real force in the mobility landscape of San Francisco is great for consumers – but there are downsides, a report finds. Andrew Stone takes a look. Uber and Lyft, the two major ride-hailing platforms in San Francisco, are out-competing local cab firms in many ways - and are firmly established as a significant part of the daily mobility mix there, a recent study reveals. Researchers mined publicly-available data derived from the application programming interface
  • UITP highlights mass transit changes
    October 25, 2022
    Increasingly, public transport passengers will no longer need to carry a dedicated smartcard ticket to travel, as technology enables virtually any type of contactless payment system to take over the role.
  • London is Europe’s most congested city, says Inrix
    August 24, 2015
    The Inrix National Traffic Scorecard Annual Report 2014, which analyses and compares the status of traffic congestion in countries and major metropolitan areas worldwide, reveals that congestion levels rose in over half (53%) of European cities. As economies start to recover from the recession of 2007-2013 and employment levels begin to rise, congestion is increasing. Congestion in European cities decreased in the first and second quarters of 2014 when compared with the previous year, by four per cent pe
  • TfL launches app to aid social distancing
    August 25, 2020
    App provides accessibility information for disabled users, TfL says.