If you are a bike hater, refrain from reading this article. Today I have come to celebrate that Barcelona is a city where you can get around by bike. As I have explained on different occasions, I lived in Madrid for six years and a few months ago I returned to live in Barcelona. During that time, every time I came to the city I was pleasantly surprised by the increase in bike use and the safe lanes that were being built. I felt that the change was evident and that we were increasingly resembling a European city, where the bike is a real transport option. Unfortunately, that was not the perception I had in Madrid, where I did not see a firm commitment to bikes or bike lanes. If you walk around the city, you will see that the number of people you find riding bikes compared to Barcelona is completely different.
Yes, we are still light years away from being Amsterdam, Oslo, Luxembourg, or Helsinki. Of course, the Catalan capital still has a long way to go. Many more bike lanes and much more safety for cyclists are needed. However, I believe we must recognize that the change compared to a few years ago is noticeable. In 2023, there were 318,609 trips by bicycle and personal mobility vehicles (PMV) in the city, registering a 7% increase compared to 2022. If we look at the figures for bike trips in 2015 ---there are no PMV data---, we see that it was 121,839. Currently, Barcelona has 263 km of bike lanes and a cyclable network of 1,195 km, which also includes 786 km of 30 km/h streets and 146 km of streets with inverted priority.
The advantages of bike use for the health of citizens are scientific evidence. Not recognizing it would be denialist. That is why it is necessary for the city to continue expanding and improving bike lanes to be on par with leading European cities. Our health is at stake.