It has 268 kilometers and 3.8% of its population already moves by bicycle (includes scooters); It has 225 and 4.9% of cycling displacements; , 205 and 9% pedal mobility. He states that it has 759 kilometers, but urban cyclists are only 0.7% (all are municipal data except mobility in Seville,). What fails? An analysis of El País shows that the latest figures are swollen and that most are poor quality infrastructures, in the periphery, landslides or that end in the middle of nowhere. As if someone built a bridge that is cut in half and complains after no one uses it.
The difference with the other Spanish cities is abysmal: there they have a protected network and connected throughout the urban area with which they have multiplied their cyclists, just as it happens, or. There are more: the Madrid City Council has been committed since 2008 to make cyclist routes in many of its great avenues and, in 2021, – which crosses the city from north to south – and is breaking it. Raising all these roads would cost less than covering a small stretch of the M-30 in sales ,.
The image of the cycling infrastructure of the four great Spanish cities leaves no doubt: three of them have opted to create a bike lanes mesh through the center, so that the bicycle travels are more attractive to traffic and the jams – also also in Zaragoza (155 km and 2.9% of cyclists) and in medium -sized cities such as Vitoria (143 km and 20% of cycles). The fourth, Madrid, creates very few tours and most go through the periphery, relegating the bike to walks on weekends instead of a daily mobility.
The commitment to sustainable mobility is repeated throughout the continent. “Bike displacements approach or exceed 5% in the main European cities, and their mayors usually announce new measures every year,” explains David Lois, professor of social psychology at UNED and a researcher on mobility in. “London has an irregular ambition, but has created cycling highways and bike trips are already 4.5% of the total; Paris, which has built many lanes, elevates the 11%figure, and both are larger than Madrid. Meanwhile, in Copenhagen they reach 27% and in Amsterdam, 34%. Madrid is ridiculous, ”he continues.
one of the world references in urban cycling, explains by mail: “There are few large cities in Europe that have completely neglected the basic concept of designing a city for bicycles like Madrid. People do not pedal there due to the lack of protected bike lanes that separate bicycles from cars and pedestrians. With those infrastructure, the bike becomes a reliable means of transport and people use it. ” This was done by his city, he says.
That is impossible in Madrid where, in general, those who go by bike must share the huge urban highways – up to six lanes in the direction – – many breach the limits. A situation that deterrent to pedaling ,. Lois explains: “A 2024 study on Valencia analyzes the growth of its protected cycling network from 2018 to 2022 and concludes that this cycling network has doubled the number of people pedaling, especially women. In the streets where there are new bike lanes, the number of men pedaling increased 3.5 times, while in women the increase was eight times, which shows that the bike lanes decrease the gender gap. ”
The few cycling infrastructure that run through the center of Madrid are, in general, insecure, they do not connect with anything, they end up in the midst of traffic or everything at once. Several infamous examples: The Gran Vía bike lanes or Atocha Street are two tiny narrow sections in which pedaling are encased between cars and buses that end up in a uphill attest of vehicles; They only have a meaning, the return is between cars.
The absurd infrastructure of the Paseo de las Delicias runs on the left – where the vehicles are more run – has no separation with cars – which usually park in the second row – is only painted on the ground and ends in the middle a five -lane urban highway. “It is very dangerous,” Almeida himself said, whose team designed him. The bike lane of Toledo Street also ends among the traffic. Meanwhile, the bike side of Serrano Street is very close, it is full of turns and potholes and, not distinguishing, generates many conflicts with pedestrians.
Worse is the Bike lane of La Castellana, which the City Council promised to end in 2023: it has only built a small part, which does not link to the exchanger of the Plaza de Castilla or with other lanes, and that it also takes most of the time cut in half due to the works of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. There is no alternative itinerary: cyclists must get out and circulate through the six lanes of the Castilian, caught of cars at full speed. “No one occurs that a road ends on a wall or a wall, but with the bike lanes that type of paths are made,” says Lois. The Consistory defends that it does not end it because few people use it.
The rest go for the periphery, but the numbers are difficult to believe: in 2018 the City Council estimated that there were 140 kilometers and now considers that they are already 759, although they are not seen anywhere. “It is not credible. The municipal team makes creative accounting with the bike lanes, includes dirt roads in the country house or in the parks, which other cities do not count, ”Fernando García adventure, which for several years was – an honorary title to boost cycling mobility. In addition, when a bike lane makes double sense duplicate the kilometers counted, something that other cities do.
Colville-Andersen Tercia: “That most bike lanes are on the periphery is a sign that engineers consider the bicycle as a nuisance and have the wrong perception that they are only for fun on weekends, not to move large amounts of people through the city, as is the case throughout Europe.”
“A poor and disconnected network”
The current Madrid network “is very poor, is disconnected and does not cover the territory,” says Miguel Andrés, spokesman for, the main bike association of the capital. “As long as there is no safe and connected cyclist network, the bike will never be a mobility alternative. You have to make bike lanes protected in the large avenues, as the City Council committed, ”he continues. Lois adds: “The network does not link the center with the periphery, so potential users do not perceive that it is safe, or comfortable, or a good mobility alternative.”
The 2008 Cycling Mobility Plan (PDMC), prepared by the Gallardón (PP) team, by the main avenues of the capital (about 50 per year). It was never done. In 2018, the Municipal Government of Carmena and estimated that making that network would cost about 86 million euros-less of the 87.8 that will cost to cover a small section of the M-30. With the arrival of Almeida (PP) he stayed again in a drawer.
“The continuous breaches of the City Council of its own plans denote the low municipal intention to modify the modal distribution in the city, maintaining a road structure that induces car trips to very high economic and social costs while penalizing bicycle displacements,” says Lois. An example: recently renovated Princesa Street, where the PDMC foresees a bike lane, but it was not built because “it didn’t fit.” , while cyclists suffer the same jam as polluting cars.
In recent weeks there are problems with Bicimad, municipal public bicycles. “The wheels have been flat for the use, the drawing has been completely gone. With the rain, there are many falls. We already know three recent cases of serious accidents because of this situation, a woman has fallen and the femur has departed, a man has also left the femur and a third woman has left the ankle, ”says Paco Segura, from Ecologists in Action.
And he continues: “Given the difficulties in Madrid, where there are almost no infrastructure, which now fell to the stigma that it is a dangerous means of transport would mean a tremendous setback in the use of the bike, which is already quite marginal.” The Consistory responds: “The tires do not lose properties after the disappearance of the rolling band. They are changed within the parameters indicated by the manufacturer. ” And he claims that the current municipal team has taken Bicimad to the 21 districts, with 30% more uses in 2024 than the previous year.
