Barcelona to expand shared bike fleet by 50 percent

Barcelona will increase the size of its Bicing public bike-sharing scheme by 50 percent, expanding the Bicing fleet from 8,000 to 12,000 bicycles under the city’s next operating contract. The expansion, announced by Mayor Jaume Collboni, will be included in the new contract to be tendered this autumn, with the enlarged service due to enter operation once the current contract expires at the end of 2028.

The expansion will also include new docking stations, further increasing the reach of a system. Collboni said the decision reflects the growing popularity of the service and the city’s ambition to strengthen cycling as part of its transport system.

“Bicing is a service that has been a huge success and is under enormous demand. We have to strengthen it,” he said.

The mayor also linked the expansion to broader investment in cycling infrastructure, noting that Barcelona has continued to extend its bike-lane network while increasing the availability of public bicycles. The larger fleet is intended to accommodate rising demand and improve access to shared cycling across more neighbourhoods.

Foto de Mony Misheal en Unsplash