How to Achieve France’s Cycling Mode Share Target
The study’s focus is how to achieve France’s cycling mode share target.
The country’s aim is to increase cycling’s share of commutes under 5km from:
- 5% currently to
- 12% by 2030 and
- 15% by 2050
Introduction
The Introduction to the study says that unsafe conditions are a primary disincentive to cycling.
France has committed to invest €2 billion in active mobility infrastructure between 2023 and 2027. This is expected to increase the national bike network by 60%, to a total of 100,000km.
This makes it imperative to quantify the effect of the additional bike lanes and cycle parking spaces on bicycle commuting rates.
Results
Adding Cycle Lanes
In high-density areas, adding cycle lanes in the area where someone works has a bigger effect than adding them where the person lives.
Conversely, adding cycle lanes where a person lives has a bigger impact in low-density areas.
Adding Cycle Parking
Increasing cycle parking provision by one place per 100 inhabitants increases the probability of cycle commuting by:
- 5% where parking is added at the home location and
- 1% where parking is added at the work location
Focusing only on high-density cities, the effect of adding the same amount of cycle parking is 3% more commuting whether the space is added at home or at work.
Other Factors
The more educated people are, the higher the likelihood of cycle commuting. They may work in city centres and live nearby, and they may have higher environmental awareness than the less well-educated.
Average population age and car ownership in a given area also affect propensity to cycle. Part-time workers have a 10% higher probability of cycling to work than full-time workers.
Achieving France’s Cycling Target
The researchers’ simulation found that to achieve France’s cycling targets requires:
- more than doubling the length of cycle lanes or
- increasing the number of parking spaces 17 times
However, where the infrastructure is added affects the outcome.
If cycle lanes are added in high-density areas, doubling the length of cycle lanes will achieve the 12% target.
To achieve the same effect in medium density areas would mean multiplying cycle lane provision by 5, and in low density areas by 23.
The most effective method of reaching 12% is to add cycle lanes and cycle parking spaces simultaneously; then doubling both is sufficient.
‘High-quality, protected cycling infrastructure demonstrably leads to substantial, rapid, and sustained increases in cycling demand.
Infrastructure is not the sole driver of cycling but there should be other supportive policies that constrain car usage and make cycling rewarding’.