The Collectif Vélos en ville and all the bicycle associations in the city of Marseille organized the Fête du Vélo in the Marseille city with the support of the City and the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolis. At 9:30 a.m., people from Marseillais left different areas of the city by bike to converge on the Quai de la Fraternité at the Old Port for a meeting at 10 a.m. After 30 minutes of gathering, the departure of around a hundred cyclists, young and old, for the parade towards Avenue du Prado took place to the resounding sound of cyclists’ horns.
The day was divided into three main moments: the convergences, to join the Bike Festival from different districts of Marseille, and even from Aubagne. Then, the big bicycle parade starting from the Old Port passing through the Corniche Kennedy, the David ending at the Prado where a portion of the avenue was closed from Castellane to Boulevard Périer to accommodate activities throughout the day.
In the area reserved for the Bike Festival on the Prado, activities were planned for adults and children accompanied by electronic music. On the program, a pump track (moguls and turns course), two pedal kart circuits, polo-bike demonstrations and an introductory bike course for children. For the little ones, activities were available: a giant chess game, wooden games, chalk drawing, demonstrations of special bicycles.
A committed party
This celebration was an opportunity to recall the fight of associations for the development of active mobility in Marseille but also in favor of the ecological transition, notably with the presentation of the Mobility Fresco and the Climate Fresco. “ A true urban highway, Avenue du Prado is particularly noisy and stressful for cyclists and pedestrians: for one day, and while awaiting its transformation, the Prado has been entirely returned to active mobility. » underlines the Collective Bikes in the City.
“ Avenue du Prado is very important for us and very symbolic, because I think everyone remembers the very short-lived coronapist that there was on this Prado and we are fighting with Anne [Meilhac, adjointe à la mairie du 6e et 8e arrondissement] every day so that we can have more cycle paths in Marseille and in particular on this avenue du Prado which is very wide » explains Audrey Gatian, deputy mayor in charge of city policy and mobility.
Learn more:
> The big convergence towards the 2024 Bike Festival is Sunday in Marseille!
> [En vue] Christophe Monnier takes the handlebars of the Collectif Vélos en Ville
