Abandoned Bicycle Plan: Heartbreaking for Cyclists and the Economy

The Cycling Plan that was meant to secure and develop cycling practices in France is now under threat, leaving hundreds of projects on hold

Elisabeth Borne promised in 2023 a Cycling Plan of two billion euros until 2027. But the 2025 budget has drastically scaled back these ambitions. And the funds allocated for 2024, frozen at the time of the parliament’s dissolution, are still blocked. Only 100 million euros, insufficient to launch new projects, are included in next year’s budget.

Projects halted and communities in difficulty

Because in 2023, when Elisabeth Borne presented the Cycling Plan, two-wheelers were riding high. The plan is an initial response to environmental, health, and economic challenges. And the development of infrastructure as well as incentives to cycle are concrete implementations of this response.

But the new government budget of Barnier threatens this momentum. The end of purchase subsidies, notably for electric bikes or cargo bikes, will discourage many users who were willing to change their mobility mode. Moreover, the cycling industry in France employs no fewer than 50,000 people, and this shift risks eliminating many jobs.

The dissolution of parliament has also frozen over 400 cycling infrastructure projects. Without state aid, many municipalities might abandon these initiatives, increasing the insecurity for cyclists.

A setback with multiple consequences

Beyond economic impacts, the abandonment of the Cycling Plan raises safety concerns. The number of cyclist fatalities on roads increased by 20% between 2019 and 2023. A statistic that illustrates the danger cyclists claim to feel on French roads. The tragic incident involving a driver who ran over a 27-year-old cyclist, Paul Varry, in downtown Paris exemplifies this. Organizations are calling on the government to reconsider its approach to prevent complete disengagement by communities and to meet European expectations in sustainable mobility.

The budget debates continue in Parliament. It remains to be seen whether the government will make a move to save this plan, which could transform mobility and the environment in France.

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