Like any major city, Bordeaux Metropolitan Area is faced with traffic congestion and a growing number of journeys year on year – currently 4 million per day. The challenge is to decongest the metropolis and decarbonise travel, given that 80% of journeys in the metropolitan area are less than 10km.
According to TomTom’s 2023 traffic data, Bordeaux was the second most congested city in France after Paris.
The Réseau Vélo Express or 'ReVE,' is the express bike network. Extended by 60% from the existing cycle network, it involves an additional 250km of bike paths with 14 dedicated routes planned. The ReVE aims to encourage shifts from private cars to cycling. Already, cycling has increased by 124% in the Bordeaux metropolis between 2009-2023. A €150 million investment from the municipality, the network provides cyclists with fast, easy-to-reach, safe, and seamless routes. Other services are also offered along the routes such as secure parking, lighting, cycle service areas, and dedicated signage.
And efforts are paying off, as cycling numbers are on the rise. In Bordeaux and the surrounding cities, they are seeing around 2,000-3,000 cyclists per day. On some main corridor routes where people commute, the numbers have risen to 7,000 per day.
What were the key drivers supporting the implementation?
- Political: To reduce the number of cars on the road and promote healthier and green mobility, the city has been developing integrated cycling infrastructure. Between 2010 and 2021, the cycling network in the metropolitan area almost doubled in size (from 750km to just under 1,500km). And currently the Mobility Master Plan (2020-2030) aims to achieve a modal share for bicycles of 18% by 2030, compared with 8% in 2022.
- Funding: Back in 2017, Bordeaux launched a cycling plan to improve infrastructure and spend €70 million on making Bordeaux a top cycling city in France.
- Design: Through adapting the urban design regulations, clear planning standards have been applied and reworked for the local needs to encourage sustainable mobility choices. The four metre wide, bi-directional segregated tracks allow for users with various needs to travel comfortably, for example cargo bikes and bikes for logistics. Facilities around the tracks are available, such as bicycle pumps, repair equipment, and benches. By providing high-quality services, users are more confident to cycle as they are separated from car traffic and have plenty of space to cycle alongside each other.
- Stakeholder engagement: Understanding the problem of active mobility applies at a metropolitan level. That’s why Bordeaux addressed barriers on various levels through collaboration with stakeholders. Cycling associations, local residents, transport operators, and 28 surrounding cities have all been involved in designing and developing the ReVE network plans.
And what were the challenges and barriers?
- Political: Maintaining political will for such large-scale infrastructure projects is a challenge. But with the 2026 municipal elections coming, a big part of the electoral programme is to show the completion of the cycling network.
- Design: When it came to redesigning the modal prioritisation, the city used streets where it was possible to build sufficient cycling infrastructure. This is difficult in the city centre where space is scarce. There, the issue is choosing priority in streets where both bus and bikes lanes are needed, with shared space used as a last resort. Efforts to encourage multimodal habits have been addressed by connecting rural and urban areas and stations, as well as integrating infrastructure with future tram and Bus Rapid Transit developments. Such coordination means that users can cycle for the first/last-mile of their public transport journey, connecting them seamlessly to their destinations.
- Stakeholder engagement: Convincing other surrounding cities about the importance of a connected, coherent cycling network has been a challenge. Traditionally, each city has developed the cycling infrastructure in their own way, and showing the importance and changing opinions is time consuming.
Potential for replication
- Adapt to the local context with stakeholder engagement: Apply planning standards and adapt where possible using the outcomes from public consultation, collaboration and participation of representative associations.
- A clear identity and design:Visual identity and marketing is key for user experience and buy-in. Do not reinvent the wheel, take inspiration and learn from other cities. Taking inspiration from the likes of Copenhagen, Strasbourg, and Flanders has helped Bordeaux to build their identity, notably the distinctive elements: The “ReVE” name, which translates to “dream” in English; an orange line, which allows you to follow each line of the network from end to end; the naming of each route with a number and the reminder of this number at each intersection; Providing repair equipment every 2km along the routes.
- A clear wayfinding system in different formats: Including marker signs to remind you of the terminus of the line and an intermediate destination, and a totem allowing you to visualise the points of interest on each line and to locate yourself.
- Governance/setting clear roles: Build a team that leads and coordinates the different actors. The city authority leads with the vision, and they collaborate with colleagues from surrounding cities, firstly emphasising the value of such a large-scale infrastructure project, and then coordinating on each city’s needs across the metropolitan area.
- Incremental development: What is special about a project like the ReVe is the ability to collaborate with other colleagues who are already developing parts of the network in order to avoid disconnected infrastructure, and rather bring cohesion and synergy. In the coming years, Bordeaux will expand the network between several cities. The plan from 2024-25 is to build connections between cities, utilising the coloured lines to expand to other destinations.
Lessons learned and recommendations
- Political support from the highest levels in the city administration, and support from partner companies is crucial for successful collaboration. This ensures alignment of goals and commitment to the project's success.
- Effective communication is essential. Establishing designated points of contact and maintaining open channels of communication with partners helps streamline project implementation and resolve issues promptly.
- Flexibility is another key lesson. Continuously updating plans and being open to new technologies and approaches is vital for long-term success.
- Engaging with the community and addressing their concerns transparently can significantly enhance public support for energy initiatives, fostering a cooperative environment for implementing sustainable solutions.
“If you don’t construct the line altogether, then you miss the connection. Both infrastructurally and from the user-perspective it feels disconnected. Speaking in ‘lines’ has been more effective to convince stakeholders to push ahead as they can envision the development as a whole.”
- Project Manager, Bordeaux City Council
https://traveltomorrow.com/bordeaux-to-add-almost-300-km-of-cycling-paths-to-its-network-by-2030/