Change in bicycle use in France 2019-2020, by city size

Cycling is becoming trendier. Although the progression of bicycle use between 2019 and 2020 in France largely depended on the size of the city, the expansion was positive in all categories. For medium-sized cities, between 20,000 and 50,000 and those with more than one million inhabitants, a very sharp increase in bicycle use ranging from 17 and 31 percent was observed. This trend even increased to 33 and 57 percent, respectively, during non-containment periods.

COVID-19, a springboard for cycling?

The COVID-19 epidemic has led to the implementation of social distancing measures in France and the bicycle is a means of transport that responds to these new constraints. Naturally, it is in cities where the population density is higher (such as Paris) that the most spectacular increase in bicycle use in France is taking place. Overall, it is in urban areas where cycling is making the most progress, with a 31 percent increase in 2020 (excluding the confinement period).
Aware of this new craze and of the health issues at stake, the French government has released 50 euros in 2020 for each citizen to help get his or her bicycle back into working order. This state participation is not unique to France. That same year, many European countries such as Finland raised public funds to invest in cycling.

Facilities for cycling in France

The development of cycling in France requires new infrastructures to accommodate this new mass of cyclists. Even if this trend is national, investment depends on local authorities and cities. A city's policy and the choice of local elected officials will then have an influence on the implementation of infrastructure adapted to the practice. The conditions for cycling therefore vary from one French city to another. For example, the availability of bicycle paths per inhabitant in 2017 was seven times higher in Strasbourg than in Nice. Opinion polls on bicycle use also vary greatly from one city to another. Among French cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants, Strasbourg, again, was named the most bike-friendly city in France. On the contrary, cycling conditions in Marseille are very poor, according to the inhabitants who find the safety conditions for cycling, as well as the comfort and the possibilities of parking bikes to be insufficient.