Skip to main content

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

  • Lidl by Lidl, more rental bikes in Berlin
    November 14, 2016
    German discount supermarket chain Lidl is to sponsor 3,500 new rental bicycles in Berlin. The bicycle system Lidl Bikes will be operated by DB Rent, a subsidiary of German railway provider Deutsche Bahn (DB), and be available from spring next year. DB Rent, which has been running rental bicycles for nearly 15 years, is operating around 10,000 bicycles in 50 German cities. The system of flexible borrowing will cover Berlin's S-Bahn commuter train region. But from the end of 2017 Lidl Bikes will face
  • China banks on the Belt and Road Initiative
    October 8, 2019
    Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, is capitalising on its well-established equipment and componentry manufacturing base as China’s global Belt and Road Initiative gathers momentum.
  • Fall in EU road fatalities
    May 10, 2012
    Latest statistics show road fatalities fell in the European Union by 11% in 2010 compared with the previous year. Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Spain, Luxembourg, Sweden, France and Slovenia have all made reductions of more than 50% in the number of deaths on their roads since 2001, says the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). The organisation’s 2011 PIN [Road Safety Performance Index] Awards went to Sweden and Lithuania recognising their particular efforts in reducing road deaths.
  • High marks for road marking solutions
    December 3, 2013
    A novel solution based on a leading road marking manufacturer’s proven marking technology is keeping elderly residents safe in a French residential development. Guy Woodford reports on this and other major road marking products and their applications By 2050, it is estimated that 45% of European Union citizens will be over 60. Many authorities have been working to develop and implement safety standards that will ensure enhanced mobility for their local elderly population. As part of their implementation,