Bicycles Becoming Increasingly Popular in France
This page is translated from the original post "Le vélo de plus en plus populaire en France" in French.
- 04/06/2022 14:00
According to the bicycle traffic barometer in France by Vélo & Territoires, cycling participation continues to grow with a +13% increase in 2022 compared to 2021.
With remote work becoming less mandatory, the return to normal life after two years of Covid-19 and multiple lockdowns, is cycling maintaining its positive momentum? Yes, responds Vélo & territoires in its latest June barometer, which uses data from nearly 300 passage counters across France.
+13% in one year
In the first six months of 2022, the association reveals that usage increased by 13% compared to 2021. It’s normal, one might say, considering the growth in electric bicycle sales in France.
The average passage curve per counter is unquestionably staying above that of 2019. However, there is an exception when winter briefly made its appearance on April 1st with a few snowflakes and temperatures close to 0°C. Precisely, the subsequent milder spring likely boosted cycling activity, which even increased during school holidays.
The barometer even details data by environment type. Notably, there was a significant increase in urban areas, at +17%. Conversely, cycling remained stagnant in rural areas and slightly declined in peri-urban zones. This explains why passage counts increase more on weekdays (+18%) than on weekends (+1%).
Cycling booms in Grenoble and Paris
The Vélo & Territoires barometer also provides an overview of passage counts in major metropolitan areas and their trends. While the raw passage values per counter are hard to interpret, noticeable differences in growth are observed.
Thus, in Chambéry and Lyon, counters show only a 15% and 12% increase compared to 2021. Conversely, Grenoble exhibits a cycling increase of +46%. Let’s be cautious, as these calculations are based on only three counters, compared to 51 in Lyon, for example.
But to understand whether bikes are truly gaining space in public areas, we must compare current figures with those of 2019. In this game, the capital stands out as a leader, with +78% over three years. The city of Annecy is not far behind with +74%, based on four counters. Dunkirk also performs well with +42% in 2022 compared to 2019, as does Grenoble with +42%.
Also read: Electric bikes: we ride much more than muscular bikes!
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