2 Billion Euros for the Bike Plan

The government is set to announce this Friday an ambitious bike and mobility plan aimed at developing the practice of cycling across France.

Between 2023 and 2027, the authorities plan to unlock a budget of 2 billion euros to develop not only infrastructure but also support for cycling. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced at the end of 2022 a preliminary allocation of 250 million euros for 2023. According to consistent reports from France Inter and AFP, this amount will be allocated again each year until 2027, bringing the total to 1.25 billion euros, to which will be added 750,000 euros in subsidies for the purchase of a new bike and possibly a refurbished used bike, which would be a significant novelty.

The development of new urban bike lanes will naturally be the most visible part of this plan, but off-road cycling will not be neglected, with the acceleration of the deployment of cycle routes. In total, the secure lanes reserved for cyclists should reach 80,000 km by 2027, with the goal of reaching 100,000 km by 2030. For comparison, the national motorway network currently covers 12,379 km of highways. There will be more cycle paths and improved signage, including the installation of traffic lights specifically adapted to the different cycling speeds, which differ significantly from those used for motor vehicles and pedestrians.

Finally, the younger generations who will ultimately benefit from these developments will receive comprehensive training in cycling for children aged 6 to 11. In 2022, 2,000,000 children received the “Know How to Ride a Bike” training. This number should be increased to 800,000 by 2027 and expanded to other soft mobilities such as scooters, ensuring that all our young ones learn to circulate safely.

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