For the first time, there are now more bikes in traffic than motor vehicles in the City of London area of the UK capital city, with shared bikes significantly boosting the figures.
The data comes from the City of London Corporation’s most recent summer traffic survey, conducted on Thursday 3 July 2025, and published ahead of a meeting of the City’s Planning and Transport Committee. The committee’s latest report shows 44% more people cycling and 22% more walking and wheeling, compared to 2023.
The City has undertaken traffic surveys since 1999, and states in the latest publication, “Overall, growth in cycling has been sustained over time, with notable increases in recent years, while motor vehicle volumes have continued to trend downward. By summer 2025, cycling volumes slightly exceeded motor vehicle volumes at these sites, indicating a significant shift towards active travel.”
The chart detailing the trajectories of motor vehicle and cycle traffic in the City starkly demonstrates the general shift in travel behaviour from four wheels to two in the period since 1999.
The recorded cycle types are further broken down into four categories; here it is clear to see that the use of dockless hire bikes, from private operators such as Lime, has taken a substantial leap, surging to a total of 52,000 in 2025 compared to 23,100 in 2024. Cargo bikes are also significantly increasing their share of the mix, rising to 5,000 in 2025 from 2,100 in 2024. The public Santander hire bike scheme, managed by Transport for London, also saw a rise to 11,800, from 7,700 in 2024. Only private bikes saw a drop in use from 2024, to 100,900 compared to 106,500.
The Transport and Planning Committee report includes some detail on cargo bike grants and cargo bike share scheme, which is in the second year of a three-year delivery programme in partnership with the Zero Emissions Network.
“Through this network, cargo bike grants were given to four City of London businesses this year to support sustainable operations. A new public cargo bike share scheme was launched in November 2025. The bike is located on Fann Street and available for hire by residents and businesses. The Shakespeare pub looks after the bike and ensures the battery is fully charged. In the first four months, there have been 48 bookings, 114 hours of ride time and 360km travelled.”
Across Europe, bike-share schemes run by private operators – which predominantly feature e-bikes – saw stronger growth in 2025 than public systems, according to the latest European Shared Mobility Review published by micromobility enablement company Fluctuo.
This is the first time that Fluctuo’s annual report has distinguished between private and public fleets; previously it had focused on the differences between station-based and dockless systems. Fluctuo states that this change “better reflects how the market actually operates.” The data in the report explores a variety of approaches to shared mobility in different countries.
The numbers compared
Private bike share schemes reached a total fleet size in 2025 of 147,000, a rise of 9% on 2024, while ridership saw a substantial leap to 124,000 – a rise of 51%. Although public bike systems saw a fleet size reduction of 9%, the fleet remains much larger at 238,000 vehicles, though the ridership growth was much smaller at 5% to 239 million trips.
The ridership growth achievement in the private schemes comes through improved efficiency; the metric for trips per vehicle per day (TVD) rose from 1.7 to 2.3 for private shared bikes in 2025.
When it comes to fleet electrification, private operators’ shared bike fleets have an e-bike share of 90%, compared to public fleets where the e-bike share is 26%. Interestingly, the TVD figures for public fleets show that their e-bikes have a TVD score of 4.6, compared to 2.1 for non-electric bikes.
Influential factors
Julien Chamussy, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Fluctuo, gave his insights to Zag Daily into the status of both private and public bike-share systems, and how factors including politics and finance play their part.
“Private operators have significantly improved their operational efficiency through better deployment strategies and pricing models tailored to frequent users, including subscriptions and ride passes.” He also added that both segments had gained strong momentum in 2025, noting that the public systems’ fleet size reduction can be partly attributed to downsizing of various schemes.
The different approaches of the two strongest performing cities, London and Paris, were also examined. London remains Europe’s largest private shared-bike market, while in Paris, three operators were awarded four-year contracts, and saw their fees rise from €600,000 to €4 million annually across the three. Chamussy observed that the design and choice of individual cities’ shared-bike models comes down to politics and finance:
“Some cities want full control over the service and are willing to subsidise operations accordingly. Others prefer to rely on private operators, accepting lower levels of control over service management in exchange for reduced public spending and in some cases even generating revenues through concession fees charged to operators.”
Challenges for public systems
Chamussy sees electrification as one of the key challenges for public bike-share systems in the near future, citing the low fleet share yet high TVD of e-bikes in public fleets. “Electrification therefore represents a major opportunity to drive ridership growth and improve user adoption,” and added that the investment required for fleet electrification could encourage more cities to seek public-private partnerships.
The region of Flanders in Belgium has provided the data for an in-depth report into the combination of factors that enable the successful implementation of shared bike systems, when considered at the regional level (encompassing multiple municipalities, cities and even rural areas), rather than solely in city centres.
The report, published by Fietsberaad Vlaanders in collaboration with The New Drive, analyses the critical success factors which determine how a regional shared bike program becomes an essential ingredient in a regional mobility network. The report focuses specifically on shared bike systems which have been rolled out at Belgium’s regional transport level, which consists of multiple municipalities, cities and rural areas.
The report authors state that the report provides project managers of shared bike systems with the tools to optimise their systems, with the impact of political and policy decisions taken into account.
Highlighted factors on the road to success include:
Affordability (price level, subscription model, plus any targeted discounts)
Accessibility (aligning with mobility centres and hubs such as train stations)
Availability (sufficient bikes and sufficient locations)
Usability (the quality and ease-of-use of the bikes)
Reliability (efficient redistribution methods and processes, bug-free and up-to-date digital system for users)
Awareness (effective marketing and promotion)
Comprehensibility (clear pricing, logical locations and allowable usage areas)
The report states that, “the bike-sharing system has proven its added value in the urban and regional mobility landscape. To take the next step – where the shared bike is not just an option, but the first and most logical choice for the ‘last mile’ and beyond – a coordinated and decisive approach is needed. The future of regional shared mobility lies in uniformity, seamless integration, and smart collaboration.”
Shared mobility provider and LEVA-EU member Lime is drawing on its experience of operating in worldwide cities during large-scale events, as the Winter Olympics come to Milan. Its aim is to enable smooth travel across the city for both residents and visitors, while helping reduce congestion around venues and transport hubs.
Milan is home to a variety of Lime shared vehicles, with the latest generation of LimeBike added in May 2025, alongside e-scooters, fourth-generation e-bikes and e-bikes with child seats. Lime has not confirmed whether the fleet size will be increased during the Winter Olympics, but has outlined a number of measures being taken to ensure smooth operations and availability of vehicles during the event:
Increasing the number of bike mechanics in its Milan warehouse by 30%, enabling swift repairs and vehicle turnaround.
Doubling the number of in-field operators who manage on-street maintenance, minor repairs in parking areas, user safety checks, and active fleet management and redistribution.
In preparation for the event in Milan, Lime has used its experience during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, where 3.4 million trips on 15,000 of its bikes were taken. Speaking to Zag Daily, Matteo Cioffi, Lime’s Regional General Manager for EU Central, said, “our approach builds on lessons from previous large scale events with operational readiness, fleet availability and street support adjusted to local conditions and travel patterns rather than headline fleet numbers. In Paris, we observed clear patterns showing that shared micromobility complements public transport during major events, particularly for short trips around venues and between transport hubs and final destinations”
During the recent North American Bikeshare & Scootershare Association (NABSA) conference in Montreal, a discussion panel titled “Wheels of Change: a Decade of Shared Micromobility Innovation” reflected on the developments in North America’s bike-sharing sector over the last ten years.
The panel, moderated by Mark Roberts of Lyft, consisted of the heads of five shared-bike systems from the US, Canada and Mexico – in Montreal, Boston, Washington, D.C., New York and Guadalajara. Each of the systems have been in operation for over a decade in those cities, and the panellists were able to share insights on a variety of successful initiatives that have allowed uptake to flourish.
Standout innovation successes
Montreal’s BIXI encourages staff to contribute ideas that can be transformed into operational realities, including solutions such as user-accessible cargo trailers, and catering to Canada’s climate with winter-ready bikes. A notable project was the Carrefour BIXI initiative, mobile service hubs which brought fleet maintenance to the network, speeding up repairs and reducing logistical load.
Back in 2011, Washington’s Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) system rolled out solar-powered modular stations, which allowed for easier, more flexible and cost-effective expansion into different streetscapes. As a result, ridership leapt from 50,000 to over 1 million trips in the space of one year, and CaBi has grown steadily ever since.
Modularity was also key in New York where Citi Bike has seen speedy and adaptive growth, with modular station designs allowing expansion into lower-density areas, while still balancing accessibility. Citi Bike General Manger, Patrick Knoth, said, “Ridership more than doubled in low-density areas, where Citi Bike is increasingly used as a first and last mile option. Whether they live downtown or in outer neighborhoods, people genuinely love biking.”
Citi Bike also has seen growth through the introduction of in-dock e-bike charging, enabling them to streamline operations and reduce emissions, through fewer logistics-van miles and increased availability of bikes.
Over the course of ten-plus years, the e-bike has become a significant aspect of shared-use bike fleets, and has been transformative to the long-standing systems represented in the NABSA discussion. Roberts said, “When 69% of members choose e-bikes when given the option, it’s clear they’re not just popular. They’re changing who rides, how often and how far.”
How infrastructure and policy allow for transformation
The Boston Bluebikes system is municipally owned and spans 13 jurisdictions, and serves as a demonstration of the positive combination of governance and infrastructure. Louisa Gag, City of Boston Transportation Planner, said, “It’s very obvious – when you have a bike share station next to a cycle path, it increases ridership.”
Washington, New York and Montreal all have deployed targeted cycling infrastructure programmes, which have helped to boost bikeshare uptake, demonstrating how the reclamation of road space for cycling enables shared micromobility to flourish.
Guadalajara’s Mi Bici system is fully subsidised, and integrated with the city’s public trasnport network, and also highlights the value of infrastructure investment – the network has grown from 65km in 2014, to over 330km in 2025, and the system has recorded over 34 million rides to date.
Reflecting on the five city systems represented on the panel, Roberts stated, “These systems account for a third of all micromobility trips in North America and the growth isn’t slowing down. That kind of momentum shows how central bike share has become to urban transport.”
The UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) recently led a delegation on a study tour to Paris to gain an understanding of how the city has successfully implemented active travel infrastructure over recent years, particularly in preparation for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and how it plans to sustain cycling growth.
The delegation, consisting of APPGCW members plus local councillors, policy makers and representatives of various active travel campaign groups, travelled to Paris by Eurostar and undertook a cycle tour of the city on arrival, using Lime shared e-bikes. The cycle tour allowed the delegation to explore various examples of Paris’s reallocation of space for active travel, ahead of a meeting with local councillor Florent Giry, who shared details of the city’s cycling strategy and how it had rapidly implemented segregated cycle routes.
The group also met at the French Parliament with Catherine Hervieu MP, alongside representatives of the Paris cycling advocacy organisation Paris en Selle, of national active travel Réseau Vélo et Marche (Cycling and Walking Network), and other policymakers working to promote active travel on a national level.
Fabian Hamilton MP, Chair of the APPGCW, said: “This visit has shown us what’s possible when political will and investment align behind active travel. Paris has made extraordinary progress in just a few years, creating more space for those walking, wheeling and cycling. The trip was invaluable in learning more about what is possible, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the political spectrum to bring this knowledge into our work on the APPG.”
In Paris, the majority of the 18,000 shared e-bike fleet is provided by LEVA-EU member Segway, with different models deployed by two of the three operators, offering a choice for riders of varying ages, physical abilities, and for diverse trip purposes.
Operators Dott, Voi and Lime were selected to provide the French capital’s shared e-bike services for a four-year term from 1 October 2025, providing the city with key public micromobility options, following the ban of shared e-scooters in 2023. Segway has worked closely with both Dott and Voi on developing specific e-bike models tailored to the Paris streets and its riders, and spoke to Zag Daily about the partnerships.
A collaborative approach
The Paris e-bike fleets of both Dott and Voi are provided by Segway, and the models are the result of extensive cooperative design and R&D between Segway as vehicle solution provider, and the individual operating companies.
Nicolas Gorse, Chief Business Officer at Dott, says: “The vehicle is absolutely central to the quality of service we deliver, and hence our profitability. The right design can extend vehicle lifespan, reduce maintenance needs, and optimise efficiency. All of these factors have a direct impact on our bottom line, so we place a strong emphasis on the vehicles we select and the partners we work with.”
The Dott model which has been deployed on Paris streets is the Urban B200, which underwent months of testing in the city, enabling Segway and Dott to launch an e-bike tailored to local riding behaviour and rider habits.
Gorse added, “We’re particularly grateful that we had the opportunity to co-develop the Urban B200 to this extent and to fully tailor it to the needs of our users. Working in true collaboration with providers is a real chance for our industry to raise the bar and deliver better experiences for riders.”
Durability and reliability are key
Zack Yan, Vice General Manager of the Commercial Mobility Business Division at Segway, spoke of the learnings from the company’s past operations in Paris. “It became evident that vehicle features must go beyond delivering good rides – they must endure long usage, require minimal maintenance, support swappable components, and be efficiently serviceable.”
The Urban B200 used by Dott is equipped with a 918Wh battery, providing up to 120 km of range per charge. Gorse highlighted that, from an operator’s point of view, important attributes such as long-lasting batteries, a strong frame, minimised maintenance and comfortable features are “all contributing to a lower total cost of ownership. In a city like Paris, where demand is high and reliability is key, durability, longer battery range and improved energy efficiency translates into higher fleet availability, more rides per vehicle, better “end of ride” feedback from users and better unit economics.”
Operator Voi has chosen the Urban A200P model, which has also been specifically tailored with Segway. Durable features include a swappable IPX7 waterproof battery, puncture-free tyres, and a wheel locking system for enhanced theft protection. For user convenience, features include a multifunctional dashboard and wireless phone charging, while the Urban B200 carries user-friendly features such as a torque sensor providing smooth pedalling, phone holders, and versatile open-design baskets.
Tried and tested
The most recent deployment in Paris is not Segway’s first activity in the city. During the 2024 Olympic Games, Dott rolled out a fleet of 15,000 e-bikes, all supplied by Segway. Over the course of the sporting event, over one million rides were recorded. Yan says, “Paris runs one of the largest shared micromobility operations in Europe,” says Yan. “With millions of residents and tourists, the city offers unmatched visibility and usage levels, making it a strategic showcase market for e-bike providers.”
Segway also has also gained solid experience from Oslo, where it provides 67% of the fleet of 16,000 e-scooters through operators Voi and Ryde. Yan says, “Powering a large fleet in Oslo means constantly optimising for operational efficiency: easy maintenance, long battery life, and minimising service disruptions.”
It has implemented a robust feedback system, enabling it to tackle operators’ pain points and to fine-tune vehicle engineering, service support and operations in a proactive and timely manner.
Versatility of approach
Yan spoke of Segway’s strategy in offering multiple products for single locations. “By offering a diversified product portfolio within a single city, we’re empowering operators to better serve a broader spectrum of users – riders of different ages, physical abilities, and trip purposes.”
Reflecting on Paris as an e-bike only city when it comes to shared mobility, he highlighted the significance of its approach to sustainable mobility elsewhere. “From a broader perspective, Paris provides a real-world proving ground for what a high-volume, e-bike-first city looks like. The insights gained here not only benefit our deployments in Paris, but also inform our global e-bike strategy – strengthening our position as a go-to vehicle solution provider for cities prioritising sustainable, bike-centric mobility.”
Sustainable mobility organisation Mobiel 21 was commissioned by the City of Leuven, Belgium, to analyse the barriers which people face in accessing mobility options such as shared bicycles, and to prepare a set of recommendations for dismantling those barriers.
Shared mobility is gaining popularity in the Flanders region, with bicycles, cargo bikes and scooters among the vehicles available, however research has shown that accessibility could be improved. Those on lower incomes, the elderly and residents from migrant background communities use shared mobility less. Mobiel 21 highlights that shared mobility can act as a useful tool particularly for such vulnerable groups, providing access to a means of transport to work, school and other daily activities, without the high costs associated with purchasing, insurance, and maintenance.
Launch of the Leuven pilot project
The City of Leuven set up a pilot project, in collaboration with Mobiel 21 and shared transport providers VELO vzw and Cambio, with the aim of better understanding existing barriers residents experience in accessing shared mobility options. Between March 2024 and March 2025, temporary shared transport points were set up in three Leuven community centres, which actively serve neighbourhoods that are home to people in vulnerable groups.
Residents were able to use a mix of shared mobility transport modes for a period of four months at each of the community centres – traditional bikes, electric bikes, electric cargo bikes, and a car. Participation was free of charge, in an effort to make the project as accessible as possible.
Research during the project consisted of interviews with participants, and a focus group with community workers based at the three centres. The interviews explored with participants any barriers they experienced when using the shared vehicles, and their thoughts on shared mobility as a solution to their needs. The focus group discussed shared mobility, inclusion and mobility poverty. The community workers forming the focus group were the first point of contact for the project’s participants, assisting with registration and sign-ups with the sharing scheme providers, and gaining insights into local residents’ mobility needs.
Identified barriers
A range of barriers which can influence the use of shared mobility were identified by the research. With the pilot project being free of charge for participants, other factors than financial were highlighted:
Knowledge: Many residents did not really know what shared mobility entails.
Digital and practical skills: Using an app, or riding an electric bicycle or cargo bike does not come naturally to everyone.
How the sharing system works: Registration and making reservations can cause stress.
The sharing mindset: The contrast between “owning” to “shared-use” takes some getting used to.
Location and design of the sharing point: Proximity and recognisability of sharing points are crucial to attract users.
Cost: Even if rides are affordable, many people still feel financial stress, such as high entry fees, or a fear of fines.
Recommendations for inclusive shared mobility
Mobiel 21 drew up seven distinct recommendations which can act as a reference point to policymakers and shared mobility service providers in making shared schemes better tailored to the real-world requirements of vulnerable communities:
Communicate broadly, in clear language
Focus on personal guidance
Arrange practice sessions with the vehicles
Choose a familiar location and an offer tailored to the neighborhood
Simplify the registration process
Provide alternative methods to digital access
Ensure an affordable and balanced pricing model
Based on the research results, the interviews, and the focus groups with the community workers, general recommendations can be made to make shared mobility more inclusive and better tailored to the wishes and needs of vulnerable population groups.
The Insight document prepared by Mobiel 21 on the project can be downloaded here, in Dutch.
A new study has shown that the substantial positive benefits of Europe’s bike sharing sector include an annual saving of 46,000 tonnes of CO2, a reduction of 760,000 hours of traffic congestion, and the creation of 6,000 jobs. An annual value of €305 million has been attributed to the benefits, alongside a significant contribution to environmental, public and economic health.
The research, carried out by EY, aims to quantify both the economic and social returns on investment into bike-sharing schemes in 150 cities across the European Union, the UK, Switzerland and Norway. The combined fleet size is 438,000 shared bicycles, enabling millions of trips for users to connect with work, education and public transportation.
Key annual highlights of bike-sharing benefits
46,000 tonnes of CO2 and 200 tonnes of harmful air pollutants saved
Active mobility helps prevent 1,000 chronic diseases, leading to €40 million of healthcare savings
760,000 hours of productivity saved thanks to reduced traffic congestion, valued at €30 million
6,000 full-time equivalent jobs created in roles supporting the bike-sharing sector, both practical (e.g. mechanic, logistics) and in HQ environments (e.g. customer service, marketing)
Mobility expenses for users reduced by up to 90% compared with cars
Current 10% annual return on investment: €1 spent generates €1.10 in positive external outcomes
Projected factors for further growth
The study also looks to the future, forecasting that with continued investment and expansion, by 2030 a further 224,000 tonnes of CO2 can be saved, over 4,200 chronic diseases prevented, and almost 13,000 jobs created. This is calculated to a €1 billion annual benefit – or, put another way, a 75% return on public spending investment.
This forecasted growth would depend on four conditions being met:
Growing demand due to urbanisation
Regulatory support and network expansion
Electrification of fleets
Integration with public transport networks and systems
Nick Brown, CEO of bike-share operator services provider Velogik UK, acted as Study Project Lead on the research, and spoke of the report’s significance for Europe’s transport systems, and cities in general.
“The first step is simple but crucial – recognise cycling as a form of transport, not just recreation. It deserves the same strategic investment and policy attention as roads, rail, or public transport. If governments start treating bike share and cycling infrastructure as part of the transport ecosystem, then funding follows and so do results.
“Cities have always felt that bike share delivers social and environmental benefits – but until now, they haven’t been able to prove it in financial terms. That’s what’s been missing: a way to demonstrate the true success of bike share schemes through hard data and credible economic modelling.
“Thanks to this study, we now have a methodology that does exactly that – it quantifies the benefits in euros and ROI. Once decision-makers can see those numbers, the case for investment becomes undeniable.”
The EY study was commissioned by EIT Urban Mobility and CIE, and can be downloaded here.
