Madrid's Bike Network Will Get a Major Expansion in 2016

In 2016, Madrid could finally get the cycle network it needs. Last week, the city announced a major plan to crisscross the Spanish capital with 33 new cycle paths. Costing €40 million ($44 million), the new network is due to be completed before the end of next year, a period that will also see the extension of Madrid’s bike-share scheme to a new zone south of the city center.

Proposed as part of the first city budget from the administration of Mayor Manuela Carmena, elected in June, the bike plan is a welcome change for the city. At present, less than 1 percent of all city journeys are being made by bike, while seasonal pollution levels have become so high that Madrid has tried to level off the worst peaks with car restrictions, free public transit, and alternate driving days. If Madrileños are going to get cleaner air and safer streets, some cars in the city clearly need to get off the roads. Making cycling easier won’t work as the sole tool for that objective, of course, but it’s still an important part of the package.