Extended cycling services point to a promising 2021 in Bordeaux

Despite a batch of bad surprises, 2020 did deliver some good news on the topic of cycling in Bordeaux Metropole.

The Metropolitan House of Alternative Mobility (la Maison Métropolitaine des Mobilités Alternatives – MAMMA), which has offered a free bike loan service since 2003, has experienced a record-breaking number of loans.

Last year, the MAMMA oversaw approximately 4,000 loans, equaling about 240 per month. As shown in the graph below, these numbers represent an increase of 16 % from to 2019 and 28 % from to 2018.

Bordeaux Métropole has committed to encouraging these numbers by investing in its bicycle fleet. This year, a 70% increase in ‘classic’ bikes and 134% increase in e-bikes is expected.

Soon, a total of 2,700 classic and 400 e-bikes will be available to residents. Through the ‘Cycling emergency plan’ (see previous article), 1,000 of the classic bikes are dedicated via special loan to students.

These actions are accompanied by the development of possibilities for bicycle parking. In February 2021, Bordeaux Métropole launched its new parking service ‘Vélobox’ (bicycle box) designed for district inhabitants.

These secure modules offer five bicycle parking places. Each subscriber is able to access one parking place in one assigned bicycle box for the price of €30 per year.

The MAMMA will manage the thirty Vélobox, which are soon to be installed over three cities within the metropole. Bordeaux Métropole will be implementing this service widely in the coming years. See a video presentation on the intiative here.