The renewed bicimad network aims to consolidate the use of bicycles in Madrid, achieving a modal shift towards more sustainable modes of transport. It prioritises this type of active and healthy mobility, improving the environmental quality of the urban space and the health of the population, and contributes to reducing the use of private cars.
Bicimad’s transformation and expansion involves, on the one hand, the replacement of the current bicimad fleet and technology in order to improve user experience and increase the use of bicycles in the city, making it more attractive. The new fleet includes advances that include preventing vandalism, having a more manageable, ergonomic and robust bicycle as well as station overflow, (ending journeys at a full station by placing the bicycle next to it), free-floating (without the need for a station) or making intermediate stops. The new stations will also have an innovative design to adapt to different needs (they are modular and can be made smaller or larger), enabling them to withstand vandalism, corrosion, exposure to the elements and the passage of time.
In addition, bicimad is integrated into MPass, the single account system associated with all EMT Madrid services (bus, parking, bicimad and bicycle parking) where there is no need to pre-charge the current coin purse: by associating a means of payment, the user will be charged for the journeys made or the passes bought.
Moreover, the service ia already extended to cover the entire city of Madrid, reaching the capital’s 21 districts. The system will grow to more than 600 stations and 7,500 bicycles throughout the city, which means that there will be more than double the number of bicycles and stations than there are at present.
This technological expansion and transformation will have a maximum funding of €40,738,680.8 from NextGenerationEU funds.