In a global context marked by the erosion of rights, a means of transport like the bicycle has become, more than ever, an ideological symbol. Consequently, political polarization directly impacts decisions regarding sustainable mobility. The 2023 municipal elections marked a turning point in many cities: the arrival of new governments has influenced the management of bike lanes, often citing arguments of safety or freedom to move around by car. We have seen this in Castelldefels, Palma, Elche, Valladolid, and Logroño, and Lisbon has drawn attention for impounding bicycles parked in public spaces. At the same time, in Barcelona, ​​the socialist government of Jaume Collboni has maintained the infrastructure but reduced the push for new traffic-calming measures. In Girona, however, the dynamic is different. It has become established in the last decade as the cycling capital of southern Europe, and businesses linked to the sector have multiplied almost fivefold. If at the beginning of 2014 there were only eight cycling shops In the city, there are currently 41. The bicycle has also become an economic and tourist engine: if in Barcelonaexpanded He lives in a rented apartment costing over 2,000 euros and drinks specialty coffees costing 5 euros; in Girona he is accompanied by a high-end road or gravel bike and equipment worth over 4,000 euros.

It has maintained the same annual fee since its inception in 2009. But its service has grown steadily. Nearly 6,000 people use it in a city of just over 100,000 inhabitants, a 15% increase each year. And it costs no more than the annual maintenance of a bus line, €300,000, with a staff of nine. We're talking about Girona's public bicycle service, Girocleta, which was created sixteen years ago following the Bicing model and has become a successful model of sustainable mobility in mid-sized cities by adhering to two very clear principles: being inexpensive, above all, and having very limited and sustained growth, with an average of one or two new stations each year to avoid overcrowding.

Bicycles are no longer attracting new users. According to a study by the RACC (National Commission for the Promotion of Bicycles) released this Tuesday, the number of cyclists in Barcelona and its access points to the metropolitan area has decreased by 6% in one year, representing a "stagnation" in the expansion of this form of sustainable mobility in the Catalan capital, despite measures to encourage it. The study concludes that although bicycles occupy 16% of road space in Barcelona, only 7% of the population uses them. The case of the Via Augusta bike lane is especially significant: 21% of the space is designated for bicycles, but only 1.5% of users ride on it.

For years, the Catalan Railways (FGC) has been committed to promoting modal interchange when using public transport, facilitating the combined use of different modes of transport on a single journey.

In the middle of Girona's egg yolk, facing the Café Le Bistrot esplanade and the Sant Martí steps, in one of the most romantic and idyllic corners of the city, a spectacular new bicycle shop has just opened. It occupies the two floors of the former Odeon Hall and Theatre, a legendary establishment of leisure and culture in Girona since the 19th century, closed more than ten years ago, which was in a state of disrepair and has now been completely restored after 4 years of work. The new premises, conceived as a kind of boutique of select articles with a multidisciplinary space of sofas and a cafeteria, aims to become a new international attraction for cycling enthusiasts, in a city that has long It has established itself as the world epicenter of cyclingThe owner and developer of the renovation—which cost around €2 million in private capital—is Girona businessman Miquel Casals, and the new tenant is the Velodrom Group, one of the city's leading cycling brands.

She is the first person in the world to hold a specific chair on cycling at a university, in Ghent. Meredith Glaser (California, 1982) holds a PhD in urban planning from the University of Amsterdam, a city where she has lived for the past fifteen years, and is director of the Urban Cycling Institute. "I grew up with the car as the king of transport, and arriving here shook my world: I've never had a car again," she says. This researcher and expert in cycling planning advises the Flemish government and affirms that it is necessary to "redistribute street space." A few days ago, she gave a talk, in collaboration with the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), to promote bicycle use in "greater Barcelona."

Over the years and with experience, managing my large family has become easier. Comparing my parenting style with that of other parents, I think I give less importance to things.

65% of people who cycle in Barcelona claim to feel vulnerable when doing so around the city, and this is a significant increase from the 55% who felt it in 2019, despite the fact that we must also take into account that more and more residents are switching to bicycles (41% have been using this means of transport regularly for under two years) and that they increasingly share spaces with personal mobility vehicles such as electric scooters. In addition, nine out of ten cyclists say that they cannot make their entire journey along safe routes. These are two of the most striking conclusions of the fourth survey on bicycle mobility conducted by RACC. The study, which has surveyed 800 bicycle users and has analysed their habits and opinions, concludes that cyclists demand more and better connections between bike lanes and more facilities to enter and leave the city from other towns.

Nine children and two teachers. Thus began the first bike bus in Catalonia, in February 2020 in Vic. And since then the practice of cycling together to school in large groups through the middle of the road has been spreading to other towns and cities and is now experiencing a real boom this 2022. Canvis en Cadena, an initiative inspired by that first project in Vic to share information with everyone who wants to promote bike buses, now estimates that there are 17 municipalities and a total of about 700 children (and many accompanying family members) who take part. The lines are multiplying week after week at a rate that means that each new line no longer makes the news.