Spain moves up a gear on promoting cycling

Cycling can be encouraged in many tourist areas in Spain, like here in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Image: Saro17/Getty Images via ETX Daily Up

For many avid cyclists, their preferred mode of transport should be seen as a priority for politicians and as an essential mobility solution for the future. And the message now seems to be hitting home. Spain, for example, is preparing to implement a strategy to promote cycling at national level.

The idea is to promote cycling for its positive benefits, starting of course with mobility, but also for health, leisure and sport. Indeed, the priority is to promote a healthier lifestyle through cycling. People in Spain will therefore be encouraged to practice cycling for their own wellbeing, for their day-to-day health. In order to achieve these objectives, a dedicated plan foresees more than a hundred concrete actions.

The Spanish government also wants to take advantage of the potential for bicycle tourism in its regions with high tourism potential. A central office will be created to coordinate all of these actions.

One of the first measures unveiled is to improve bike-rail intermodality, creating safer access to stations and bike parking. Public rail companies, for example, are promising a dedicated space for bicycles in their new trains, as well as a first trial of secure bicycle parking at Madrid-Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station, one of the largest in the country. JB

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