The practice of cycling “takes off” since the deconfinement according to the first data collected by Vélo & territory. This association notes an increase in the number of bicycles in the city, in the suburbs or in the countryside. Update on these figures which show that the trend born of the strikes of December 2019 – January 2020 is accelerating.
- A significant increase in cycling has been recorded since deconfinement
- This trend concerns trips in the city but also in the countryside
- Mild weather probably favored the choice of this means of transport
The bicycle emblem of deconfinement? Its practice progresses every year in France and if the years 2018 and 2019 were good years, 2020 also promises to be an even better vintage since the association of local authorities Vélo & Territoires notes an “end of confinement” effect. In his “Bicycle attendance and deconfinement bulletin” published on May 20, it presents first results which are very encouraging for pedal lovers. This study records at the national level a 44% increase in the number of bicycle crossings compared to the weekly average between January 1 and March 17, 2020. “This is a very good result given the strong increase in cycling at the start of the year, caused in particular by major strikes in public transport.“analyzes the association.
A return to the cycle paths due to the return of spring? If the weather undeniably has an effect on the desire to pedal, the weather for the first days of deconfinement was similar to the days of the same period of 2019 but still recorded an 11% increase in the number of cyclists.
New behaviors
An increase in cycling – between the average of the first months before confinement and the first week after confinement – reaches 11% on weekdays and 151% on weekends! “The cyclists were very numerous for this first deconfined weekend which recorded twice as many visitors as at the same period in 2019“, assures this study.
A bike tour which has gradually become more and more frequent over the days of this first week of deconfinement according to this bulletin. Vélo & territoire believes that this can be explained by “school reopenings with variable geometry from May 12 and capricious weather at the start of the week”.
In the city, they observe the erasure of the use of the bicycle in rush hours for journeys more spread out during the day. An evolution that they explain to “meet the needs of physical distancing”. Encouraging results for advocates of soft mobility. But it is still too early to see if this is a post-lockdown effect or a lasting change in behavior.
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