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Seville’s transformation

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The Spanish city of Seville is an example if any proof is needed that if you build a cycle infrastructure, people will get on their bikes and cycle.

From a very basic starting point in 2006, the city has built a full cycle track system that has seen the number of cyclists rise from 6,000 to 600,000 in four years. Seville’s local metropolitan authority estimates that that 6.6% of all journeys in the city are now made by bikes.

Under The Steering Plan for Bicycles (2007-2010), Seville has constructed 120 kilometres of segregated cycle tracks, up from the no cycle tracks at all.

A public bicycle hire system has also been created in that time. Called Sevivi, and based on Paris’ bike hire system, there are over 2,500 bicycles available which can be collected from 250 points over the city.

The rapid transformation of Seville to a city with a now ingrained cycle culture must become the point of reference to show that if investment is made than cities can become cycle friendly. So if Seville can do it, everybody can do it.

Seville will host the annual international cycling planning conference Velo City organised by the European Cyclists Federation next year in March. More information on the conference can be found here.