France: bicycle usage up in Ile-de-France in past 10 years

The number of bicycle trips in Ile-de-France, Paris, doubled to 650,000 trips between 2004 and 2014, according to the IAU, a local urbanisation think tank and policy adviser. Bicycles are used mainly for commuting to work and the average trip is 2km. In Paris, where bicycles were almost non-existent 15 years ago, they now make up 3% of trips in the city and 8% of work-home trips. But half of trips of less than 2km are still made in cars, the IAU noted. Despite an increase in bicycle usage, the number of
December 15, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The number of bicycle trips in Ile-de-France, Paris, doubled to 650,000 trips between 2004 and 2014, according to the IAU, a local urbanisation think tank and policy adviser.

Bicycles are used mainly for commuting to work and the average trip is 2km. In Paris, where bicycles were almost non-existent 15 years ago, they now make up 3% of trips in the city and 8% of work-home trips.

But half of trips of less than 2km are still made in cars, the IAU noted.

Despite an increase in bicycle usage, the number of accidents is stable, suggesting that it is safer to ride a bicycle now than a decade ago. The statistic also coincides with a police crackdown on drinking and driving.

The increase in bicycle usage also has come during the Velib bicycle rental scheme, launched in 2007. Velib – from velo for bicycle and  lib from liberty – has a fleet of 20,000 bikes and 1,800 rental stations around the city. Cyclists can pick up a bike from one of the stations and drop it back at any station they choose.

Related Content

  • Europe’s safer roads in the pandemic
    May 4, 2021
    Reduced traffic volumes meant that Europe’s roads became safer in the pandemic.
    Read More
  • Astec Industries CEO and president Ben Brock says stay focused and true to win
    July 8, 2016
    Core values, constant innovation and looking after the customer are the key drivers for Ben Brock, chief executive officer and president of Astec Industries. How does he keep his company ahead of the pack and what does he think that the future holds? if you ask Ben Brock to explain how his Astec Industries group has managed to do so well for so long, he doesn’t even pause for breath. “That’s easy, I thank the good doctor. He always told me: do good work and take care of the customer ... which is exactl
    Read More
  • Hybrid cars are safer because they are heavier claim
    May 14, 2012
    Passengers in hybrid-powered cars are about 25% less likely to be injured in a crash than those in their conventional-powered counterparts, according to research released by the Highway Loss Data Institute, which claims that the additional weight of the hybrid engine adds an extra layer of safety over similar, non-hybrid cars. Cars with hybrid engines typically weigh about 10% more than their conventionally-powered twins.
    Read More
  • Increased infrastructure spending
    February 22, 2012
    With economies booming in the BRIC countries and other regions, spending on infrastructure is at a high - Patrick Smith reports As economic crisis grips much of the world, many countries are still spending billions on infrastructure to improve transportation. While the USA and Europe struggle with debt problems (and this has affected much of the rest of the world) the development of highways, airport, ports and other infrastructure is gathering pace in other regions to boost economic developments.
    Read More

Highlighted Content