France Will Spend €2 Billion To Double Bike Lanes, Expand Cycling

The French government announced a €2 billion plan to expand cycling infrastructure as part of a broader effort to encourage people to ditch their cars.

The money will be deployed through 2027 with the goal of doubling the nation’s bike lane networks. The government sees the effort to boost bicycle use as part of its broader effort to fight climate change.

“Today, half of our trips by car are less than 5km,” Transport Minister Clement Beaune said in a tweet. “That’s immense potential for bikes. With the Plan Velo, we’re mobilizing €2 billion to accelerate the deployment of bikes everywhere in France.

“The state’s bicycle effort is unprecedented and massive,” he added.

Currently, France has 50,000 km of bike lanes. The government wants to increase that to 80,000 by 2027, and 100,000 by 2030, according to Reuters.

During the pandemic, cities such as Paris massively expanded bike lanes to discourage the use of cars in the city center. Paris at times has been one of the most polluted cities in the world.

In the wake of those programs, the French government is going to focus much of the new spending on large cities in territories outside of Paris as well as rural areas.

However, the Plan Velo extends beyond just building bike lanes.

The new bike plan also includes €500 million for subsidies to help more people purchase and maintain bikes. Money will also be allocated to create more areas for parking bikes as well as bike training for 850,000 younger school children, according to Reuters.

The government is also considering updates to traffic rules and designs to encourage bicycling.

For instance, according to the Plan Velo, the government might put footrests on the side of the road so riders don’t have to dismount when stopped at a traffic light. They may also change the timing of traffic green lights for cyclists to allow them to start riding before cars start moving.

Government workers may also get financial incentives to ride bikes to work.

There will also be financial support to help French companies build and sell more than 1.4 million bikes annually over the next four years. The government is planning reforms that make it easier for French manufacturers to reduce the need to import bike parts so more bikes can be produced in France.

In addition, the government wants to encourage more cycling tourism, which saw a surge of interest during the pandemic as travelers sought outdoor experiences that offered a slower pace.

Cycling organizations applauded the comprehensive plan.

“This visionary initiative will not only transform the way our citizens commute and live but also make France a global leader in promoting cycling infrastructure and culture,” said Olivier Schneider, president of the Fédération française des usagers de la bicyclette (FUB).

But FUB officials also said the plan was just a start. France would need to be even more aggressive in boosting bicycle use if it wants to meet its climate change goals, according to the Fédération française des usagers de la bicyclette (FUB).

“The Plan Vélo’s recipe for success will be based on 3 pillars: investing, facilitating, educating,” FUB said in a tweet. “Today’s announcements breathe new life into the actors, but the Government will have to roll up its sleeves for action to meet the climate, health, and social challenges.”