Here is how the practice of cycling has exploded in Toulouse and in the agglomeration in recent years
By Gabriel Kenedi
Published on
To affirm it also corresponds to pushing an open door: cycling is booming for several years at Toulouse and in the agglomeration.
The second report of Observatory of the cycling master plan , produced by the Toulouse Metropolitan Area Planning and Development Agency (AUAT), highlighted in figures and with precise data, this strong increase in cycling. Practice, budgets, share of bike riders, development of facilities, accidentology, thefts… Here is what to remember.
#1. The practice of cycling in full swing
While Jean-Luc Moudenc recently indicated that the Metropolis was breastfeeding “step up a gear” in terms of cycling, the number of users is exploding in Toulouse and the conurbation. Over a period between 2016 and 2021, “the increase in the number of cyclists amounts to 77%”, recalled two weeks ago the mayor of Toulouse. Where does this number come from? Of the 33 manual counting points selected by the Toulouse Métropole services to monitor the development of the practice.
“In 2021, compared to previous counting campaigns, measured cycling practice is increasing at practically all counting points. In September 2021, there is an average of 434 cyclists per hour over the whole day, i.e. an increase of +77% over 5 years“, writes the AUAT in its second edition of the Observatory of the cycling master plan.
For automatic metering points (two meters are installed in Toulouse), the trend is also on the rise. The Port Saint-Etienne meter indicates that in 2021, all directions combined, the annual average is 2,120 bicycles per day, i.e. an evolution of +17% compared to 2019. As for the one displayed in Matabiau, it has an average of 2170 bikes per day, i.e. an evolution of +42% between 2020 and 2021!
#2. What are the most popular routes?
What are the most popular routes by bike ? “Significant volumes of cyclists are observed at several points on the canal belt, right bank, and on its counterpart on the left bank along the Allées Charles de Fitte. Rue de Metz, rue Pargaminières, avenue de Muret and avenue Etienne Billières remain axes experienced by cyclists, more than in previous years (…). The dynamics are similar on the counting points further from the city center”, add the authors of the report.
As for the analysis of data from users of the Geo Bike application (which makes it possible to keep track of the journeys made and to follow the activity statistics), it makes it possible to push back the known axes further: the Canal du Midi and the Lateral canal, the Saint-Michel bridge, the Jules-Guesde and Charles-de-Fitte alleys, the rue de Metz, the cycle path along the eastern ring road, or even the cycle paths along the Garonne. In total, users of this application traveled 499,000 kilometers in 2021 (+100% compared to 2020).
#3. Home-to-work travel
The figure is a little dated, but it is interesting to note. While the “cycling enthusiasts” always seemed to be more numerous, the cycling modal part amounted to 9.1% for commuting in 2018 (this was 8.1% in 2017). These data come from the 2019 INSEE population census, and should be updated.
Since then, the bike has undoubtedly gained points compared to the car….
#4. What budget for the development of the bicycle?
In 2021, the budget allocated to cyclical policy (€27.9 million) is up from the previous year.
“The increase is partly due to the fact that in 2020, the year was penalized by the impact of the health crisis”, specify the authors of the report. Moreover, if we compare with previous years, we realize that the budgets ultimately remain fairly stable. If there has been an explosion of practice, then there is no explosion of the budget allocated to the development of the bicycle.
The cumulative budgets of the communities in favor of the urban cycling policy amount to:
- In 2018, 27,597 million euros, or 26.3 euros per inhabitant.
- In 2019, 27.642 million euros, or 26.3 euros per inhabitant.
- In 2020, 23.135 million euros, or €22 per inhabitant.
- In 2021, 27,902 million euros, or 26.6 euros per inhabitant.
#5. Increased cycling facilities
If the share of cyclists jumps in Toulouse and in the agglomeration, what about cycling facilities. In 2021, the AUAT has evolved 1686 km of existing cycling facilities in totali.e. +338 kilometers compared to 2020, in the territories of Toulouse Métropole, Muretain Agglo, Sicoval and Grand Ouest Toulouse.
“260 kilometers of facilities (…) corresponding to the Réseau Express Vélo are already cycleable (+49 km compared to 2020) but do not currently meet REV standards”, it is specified.
Details also that on the territory of Toulouse Métropole, the cycle length has increased from 887 km in 2016 to 970 km in 2021an increase of 92 kilometers in five years.
In detail, there are a large number of different facilities: cycle paths, cycle lanes, lanes shared with buses, greenways, service roads, etc.
Here are the details of the existing facilities in 2021:
#6. Parking: falling attendance in some bicycle parking lots
Cyclists know it: it is not always easy to park your bike in Toulouse! In terms of parking, Toulouse and its agglomeration have 2,287 spaces in regulated bicycle parking lots.
To be completed with 11,624 on-street parking spaces which have been put in place (+823 places compared to 2020) in the territory of Toulouse Métropole. The Sicoval has 810, while the Muretain has 432 dedicated bicycle parking spaces.
Paradox: the use of bicycle parking lots with regulated access located in Tisséo interchange hubs is experiencing a slight recovery compared to 2020 but the levels of use remain, for certain structures, below the levels of 2019.
“In 2021, all bicycle parking lots stagnated at the same level as those of 2020 with the exception of Balma, which saw its attendance increase by +76%”, indicates the AUAT in its report, which adds: “Since 2017 , 2/3 of the total use of Tisséo bicycle parking lots comes from the Borderouge, Ramonville and Paul Sabatier University car parks”.
#seven. Accidents: 66 in 2021
This is a brake on the development of cycling: the fear of having an accident or having your bike stolen.
For accidents, they are down slightly. “In 2021, on account 66 accidents involving a cyclist ” on the territory. Among his accidents, 73% involve a car, which is by far the number enemy of cyclists in town. It should be remembered that these accidents resulted in 27 hospitalizations and 3 deaths in 2021 in the agglomeration. In total, there have been 395 accidents involving bicycles over the past 5 years.
#8. Flights: increase in the city center
Regarding thefts, “the number of stolen bicycles has been stable since 2019, it is around 2,900 declared flights per year“. These figures are valid for the communes of Toulouse, Blagnac, Colomiers and Tournefeuille. On the other hand, “the number of stolen VAE (electrically assisted bicycles) has increased from 11% to 22% of the total number of bicycles stolen between 2019 and 2021”, notes the AUAT. Who further specifies: “Of all the thefts of bicycles recalled, a third were stolen from a private space (home, private places, etc.).
In detail, the city center of Toulouse is the sector where there are most bikes stolen: 1069 in 2021. A figure on the rise, with a sharp rise for the Saint-Aubin and Compans sectors. On the other hand, in the suburbs, but also in Tournefeuille, Colomiers and Blagnac, the number of recalled bicycle thefts is down compared to 2020 (-33% in Colomiers, -27% in Tournefeuille and -60% in Blagnac).
#9. VéloToulouse: slightly fewer places than before
With its 2600 self-service bicycles, VéloToulouse is a key player in cycling in the Pink City. The service has also held up well against the arrival of new players (such as Indigo Weel, which closed at the end of 2021). However, we observe a slow erosion of the use of these bicycles which arrived in the Pink City in 2007.
“There were 3.5 million rentals in 2021, an increase of 500,000 rentals compared to 2020,” notes the AUAT in its report. This is less than the 4.1 million annual rentals that occurred in 2018, a record year over the past five years. As a reminder, the service will soon be modernized since Toulouse residents could benefit from VAE in the 287 Vélotoulouse stations. A big revolution in perspective!
#ten. Purchasing aids
To promote the development of cycling for as many people as possible, several financial aids exist. This aid is means-tested.
At the regional level, 2,225 people provided assistance for the purchase of a bicycle set up by the Occitanie Region between 2020 and 2021, i.e. 0.21% of the population. At the scale of Toulouse Métropole, 1877 aid for the purchase of a bicycle were awarded, i.e. a total of 400,000 euros. Two thirds of the aid was used to buy an electrically assisted bicycle and almost a third for a classic bicycle. Only 7% of aid concerns the purchase of a cargo bike.
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