Expanding Madrid’s extensive cycling network
Two wheeled vehicles are gaining ground in the urban mobility landscape. Madrid City Council opening two more cycle lanes this month with the idea of continuing to promote the use of this active mode of transport.
Additional cycling lanes (Source: City of Madrid)
The vision of is to create an intricate interconnected network, which will lead to the Castellana cycle lane, the backbone of cycling mobility in the city. These new infrastructures will add six new kilometres to Madrid's cycling network. The longest will run along Avenida de la Gavia (Villa de Vallecas district), a one-way cycle lane stretching 3.4 kilometres from Calle Real de Arganda to Avenida del Mayorazgo. Its design allows it to link up with the cycle lanes located on these two streets and with the Parque de La Gavia.
The other lane will be located on Avenida de las Trece Rosas along 2.5 kilometres from Avenida de Daroca to Parque de La Elipa (Ciudad Lineal), a road that will connect with the Anillo Ciclista.
In less than two years since 2019, the city has added 21.36 kilometres of cycle lanes, routes that give continuity to other pre-existing ones, according to the City Council. In the summer of 2020, 12 kilometres were enabled through six cycle lanes located on Avenida de Burgos (2 km), Paseo de las Delicias (1.75 km), Ribera del Sena-Vía Dublín (1.5 km), Méndez Álvaro (1.75 km), Paseo Camoens-Ruperto Chapí (1.35 km) and Avenida Daroca - Largo Caballero - Avenida de Arcentales (4 km). The one on Avenida de Burgos joins the Anillo Ciclista and the cycle lane on Calle Castillo de Candanchú in Tablas, to create a north-south axis from the northern extensions. The one on Paseo de las Delicias links the Madrid Río cycle path and the cycle lane on Paseo de la Chopera with the future cycle lane on Paseo de la Castellana.
Entire Madrid Cycling Network (Source: City of Madrid)
The cycle lane on Calle Ribera del Sena-Vía Dublín links the Anillo Ciclista and cycle lanes in the Madrid area with the cycle lanes in Valdebebas. The Méndez Álvaro lane connects with the Retama street lane to the city centre and future Paseo de la Castellana cycle lane. The Paseo Camoens-Ruperto Chapí lane connects, on the one hand, the existing cycle lane at Puente de los Franceses, which in turn connects with Madrid Rio and the Anillo Ciclista, and, on the other, the existing cycle lane at Pintor Rosales and the Bulevares axis.
Finally, the Avenida Daroca - Largo Caballero - Avda. Arcentales corresponds to the East-West cycle route linking the Anillo Ciclista at Wanda with Sol.
The city continues to work on an ever growing and interconnected network of cycling lanes to render active mobility more attractive and competitive with other modes of transport.