Supporting Cycling Takes More Than Just Bike Lanes

In a webinar hosted by Cycling Industries Europe (CIE), bike industry leaders discussed the barriers to higher adoption of cycling that are present in the “last 50 meters” of a trip.

As William Thorpe explains in an article for Cities Today, this includes a lack of infrastructure such as secure bike parking and e-bike chargers, which can make a trip easier and safer for riders. “While charging solutions dominated, LumiGuide made the case that better data and visibility can ease pressure on city planners. The Dutch firm has installed AI-powered bicycle parking detection systems in Utrecht, Paris and Amsterdam, including the latter’s new 7,000-bike underwater garage.”

An Italian company explained how they used financial incentives to nudge people to bike more often. According to Pin Bike CCO Riccardo Meo Evoli, “We’ve seen 10 percent modal shifts in some cities, and the behaviour sticks.”

Thorpe concludes, “Despite different solutions, the panellists were unified on two points: that interoperability and collaboration are key, and that policymakers should stop thinking in silos. As e-bike uptake accelerates, the panellists argued, planning must go beyond lanes and extend into secure parking, charging access, and digital integration across MaaS platforms.”