success confirmed with the shortage of gasoline, adaptations to come
Many workers fell back on soft modes during the fuel shortage. Example: the self-service bicycle service in Toulouse has been very popular, and it will be reinforced by 2024.
The VélôToulouse, these self-service bicycles, have been a real success for a few weeks. So much so that during the gasoline shortage, some terminals were taken over, resulting in some regular users without a bike. In the other direction, some no longer find a place to drop off their two-wheelers in the city center. During this period, usage figures soared.
“We have seen a nice increase in the last three weeks” notes Maxime Boyer, deputy mayor of Toulouse in charge of bicycles. “The fuel crisis has had a positive impact on cycling“. The municipality has seen a 9% increase in VéloToulouse annual subscriptions compared to the same period in 2021. More users also means adapting services.
VélôToulouse is currently managed by JCDecaux. But the contract is about to expire. “The call for tenders to establish a new contract is underway“says Maxime Boyer. It could be JCDecaux or another service provider. And the winner will have to take into account the growing ambitions of the municipality. “We want to build 117 new terminals, including 75 in peripheral municipalities by September 2024“explains Maxime Boyer. With, at the center of the project, the electric bicycle, which could make up 50 to 75% of new two-wheelers.
The goal of this future operation is assumed: decongest the city center “without the bicycle becoming an enemy of the car“Assures Maxime Boyer. Especially since there are more and more people who live in Toulouse every year. For this bike transition insurance, there is still work to be done. “We need to invest more in bike lanes“recognizes Maxime Boyer. At the same time, the municipality is criticized: the group of elected environmentalists often points to the lack of safety of cycle paths.
Alongside its rental service, the municipality has installed five “Cycloparks”: secure bicycle parking spaces located in Indigo car parks. By early 2023, there will be six more.