Metropolitan cycling accelerates with more lanes, new passes and extended hours

The Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) has just given a new boost to active mobility in the metropolitan area. Specifically, it has done so with the approval of two new grant programs, totaling €3.38 million. The grants, intended for metropolitan municipalities, are to be used for planning and building bike lanes linked to Bicivia, the extensive cycling network that connects the entire metropolis with over 550 km of planned routes, as well as for improving pedestrian routes, especially access to public transport. In figures, of the approved funds, €2.38 million will be allocated to creating new cycling routes and €1 million to initiatives that promote walking.

Today, the metropolitan bike lane network is 67% complete and is structured around nine main axes: four vertical, following the courses of the Llobregat and Besòs rivers, and five horizontal, four of which run along the coastline and one through the Vallès area. "This new call for proposals will allow us to complete the remaining sections and strengthen safe and comfortable cycling, as well as the connection between municipalities, transport hubs, and industrial parks," says Elisabet Latorre, Councilor for Sustainable Mobility of the AMB (Barcelona Metropolitan Area).

To date, the AMB (Barcelona Metropolitan Area) has already launched three grant programs in 2016, 2017, and 2021, allocating €3.56 million to the creation of 48 kilometers of bike lanes and a joint investment of €10.05 million between the AMB and local councils. As with the new program, priority was given to projects linked to the Bicivia network, designed to connect the entire Barcelona metropolitan area directly and safely.

A key component of this network is the Bicibox. These are secure parking facilities for bicycles and scooters, designed to facilitate intermodality and promote sustainable mobility. With the addition of Santa Coloma de Gramenet this October, the service is now available in 31 metropolitan municipalities and continues to grow rapidly: in 2024 it broke its record with over 382,000 uses. Currently, it has more than 200 modules, 11 large-capacity parking facilities, and over 3,000 spaces, as well as more than 25,000 registered users and an average of 40,000 uses per month.

The improvements of the AMBicio

To complement this commitment to new infrastructure and more active mobility, the AMB is also promoting improvements to the metropolitan public bicycle service, AMBici. For example, a daily pass has been implemented, available since July, offering three options – 1, 2, or 3 days – at a price of 5, 9, and 12 euros respectively, with unlimited trips of up to 30 minutes. This pass is designed for occasional users, such as visitors or people who use bicycles mainly on weekends or for leisure.

In addition, since August, AMBici users have been able to use the metropolitan bike-sharing system from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. every day of the year, including weekdays, Saturdays, and holidays. Until now, the service closed at midnight, so this extension represents a significant leap in service coverage. This decision directly responds to the sustained increase in demand during nighttime hours. In fact, the 11:00 p.m. to midnight period now registers more usage than the early morning hours (5:00-6:00 a.m.), a change in habits that has highlighted the need to offer a more extensive service. This is also confirmed by a survey conducted in July 2024: half of the users stated they would use AMBici more if the hours were extended on weekends and holidays, and 40% stated they would also do so on weekdays.

The period from 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. will remain reserved for essential maintenance and service reorganization tasks. With this extended schedule, the AMB aims to strengthen AMBici as a sustainable, practical, and safe mobility option, even at night, responding to growing demand and promoting more accessible and comfortable travel for all citizens.

More than 380,000 uses per year: the keys to the success of Bicibox

• What are they?

Bicibox is a metropolitan secure parking service for bicycles and scooters, designed to promote intermodality and facilitate sustainable travel in the Barcelona metropolitan area.

• How many are there and how many people use them?

The service already has more than 25,000 users, almost 40,000 monthly uses and an annual record of more than 382,000 uses in 2024.

• Where are they?

With the addition of Santa Coloma de Gramanet this October, Bicibox bike-sharing stations are now available in 31 metropolitan municipalities. Bicibox stations are offered in street-level modules with 7 or 14 spaces, in large-capacity parking facilities near train stations, in spaces located within metro concourses, and in municipal premises at street level. Five new large-capacity parking facilities are currently under construction.

• What capacity do they have?

They currently have more than 200 modules, 11 large capacity parking lots and more than 3,000 parking spaces in total.

• What advantages do they offer?

Given the indefinite ban on electric scooters and personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) on public transport, Biciboxes become a key alternative for parking them at stations and stops and maintaining intermodality.

Likewise, promoting the combination of bicycles and public transport is "a key challenge" to make the bicycle a common means of transport and to ensure that more and more citizens see it as a real alternative, according to Elisabet Latorre, Councilor for Sustainable Mobility of the AMB.

She started using the AMBici in January of that year and it's been part of her daily routine ever since. She explains that she uses it "every day, both to go to work and to get back home," and that the combination is ideal because she has "a station right next to my house and another one near my work." Sometimes she also uses it to go to Barcelona: she transfers at Palau Reial, where she switches to a Bicing bike, because she has a combined pass for both services. "It's fantastic and very convenient," she concludes.

A user of the AMBici since day one, he says he chooses it because "it saves time, and in the end, that's the most important thing." He works in Esplugues and usually commutes by bicycle, but when he needs to travel to Barcelona, he connects with the metro. "I leave my bike at Collblanc and take the L5," he explains. Despite acknowledging that he has several public transport options available, he emphasizes that with the AMBici, he always gets to his destinations faster.

An architect and user since February, he values the AMBici bike-sharing system for its functionality. He notes that he usually takes the bus to work, but that "for the return trip, the bike is much better." He explains that the buses drop him off at the Consell Comarcal, which is about 12 minutes from his house, while there's an AMBici station right next door. He emphasizes that he chose it for its convenience and ease of use.

He recalls that when the service first launched, he and his friends used it "to go for a spin and hang out around the neighborhood." However, over time, he's integrated it as his regular mode of transport for getting to work, the gym, or class. He says that sometimes he cycles all the way to the last stop on the border with Barcelona and transfers to the metro there. He emphasizes its reliability and simplicity. "Generally, I have no complaints," he says.

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The figures of an increasingly bikeable metropolis

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