The first “Cycling and walking” interministerial committee was held on May 5, 2023, by French Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, to establish a real cycling culture.

Source: French Government

In the pursuit of ensuring all citizens have an eco-friendly transportation option, France recognises the importance of incorporating cycling and walking. The enthusiasm for this is evident, with a notable surge of 52% in the use of bicycle routes since 2017.

The “Cycling and Walking Plan 2023-2027” sees the State investing 2 billion euros. “We will work with local authorities and hope that, alongside them, we will be able to invest 6 billion euros over the period,” said Élisabeth Borne.

The plan targets three lines of action to make cycling and walking integral to the lifestyles of all French people:

• Encouraging cycling from an early age.
• Promote cycling as an alternative to conventional modes of transport.
• Develop an economic and industrial cycle sector.

1. Make cycling accessible to everyone, from an early age

Objective: 850,000 children to be taught to ride a bicycle each year.

Since 2019, 200,000 children have been trained by the “Know How to Ride a Bike” program.

2. Make cycling and walking an alternative to private cars and public transport

Objective: reach 80,000 km in 2027, and 100,000 km in 2030, of secure cycling facilities, including cycle lanes.

250 million euros will be dedicated each year to accelerating the development of cycling facilities in France.

By the end of 2022, 57,000 km of secure cycle facilities will be deployed across the country.

3. Make cycling an economic lever by supporting French players in the sector

Objective: the assembly of 1.4 million bicycles in France by 2027, and 2 million in 2030. To facilitate this, a call for projects will be launched in 2030.

This new plan aims to promote innovation and structure a complete economic sector around the bicycle, from assembly to recycling.