Emilia-Romagna has always been known for its citizens’ extensive use of bicycles as a means of transport. Despite this, it seems that the region is willing to demonstrate that it is possible to continue to improve on the sustainable mobility front and, in particular, on cycling: in 2023, the number of cyclists in the regional capital, Bologna, increased by 8 per cent compared to the previous year.

The percentage is calculated on the average hourly weekday flows at the 24 locations that have been surveyed for a number of years. Around 20,000 total passages were recorded in the four peak hours of the morning and afternoon, with an hourly average of almost 5,000. If one then considers the 10 ‘historical’ locations, the increase is even close to 80% (+79.6%), with a total of 2,870 in 2023.

On the other hand, after the boom in 2022, the bicycle ring road remains stable (with some stations showing a slight increase and others a slight decrease), while the stations showing the greatest increase between 2022 and 2023 are those in the suburbs and off the boulevards.

‘The use of the bicycle as a means of getting around and travelling to places of study and work in particular,’ explained councillor Valentina Orioli, ‘continues to increase steadily over the years. More and more Bolognese are taking to the roads on two wheels and asking to be able to do so safely. With the implementation of the Bicipolitana to complete Bologna’s bicycle network, we are accompanying this growth process’.

The municipal administration carries out periodic survey campaigns to monitor the evolution of bicycle use over time. In recent years, an increasing number of survey stations have been used to investigate a wider geography.

The full analysis is available by clicking here.

Source: TTS Italy