In a press release, the Autolib’ Vélib’ Métropole Union welcomed the success of the giant temporary stations deployed around the Olympic sites. In total, during the Olympic Games period, 4.5 million journeys were made.
Significant resources had been deployed. If the figures are to be believed, the efforts to make cycling one of the preferred means of transport in Paris during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have paid off.
In a press release sent this Tuesday, September 10, the Autolib’ Vélib’ Métropole Union (SAVM) indicated that two million trips were made during the Paralympic Games in Paris.
The success of giant stations
If the Vélib’ have been so popular, it is in particular thanks to the deployment of ten giant temporary stations installed near the Olympic sites. They have made it possible “to avoid congestion in the surrounding stations and to ensure that all viewers of the Games have the possibility of parking at Vélib'”, indicates the union.
During the Paralympic fortnight, more than 13,000 journeys were made “to or from” these stations each day. In addition to the giant stations, the classic ones also played their part: the union estimates the number of journeys linked to the Paralympic Games at 50,000.
In addition to the increased parking spaces, the number of bicycles has also been significantly increased in Paris for the two months of competition: 20,000.
Permanent deployments of temporary stations?
With this success, the Vélib’ management union is looking to the future. From now on, in the streets of the capital or in the suburbs, the large temporary stations could become permanent during major events. This is in any case the wish of the Autolib’ Vélib’ Métropole Union.
“As a legacy of these Games, we hope that the organizers of major events will now have the reflex to contact us to set up giant stations,” said Sylvain Raifaud, president of the Autolib’ Vélib’ Métropole Union in the press release.
The objective: “to continue the momentum created by these first 100% cycling Games in history.”
Beyond the Paralympic fortnight, “over the two Olympic periods”, 4.5 million trips were made in total on Vélib’. 214,000 are directly linked to the 2024 Olympic Games, including 54,000 to or from giant stations.
Martin Regley Journalist
