Tartu Smart Bike Share Ranks Among Europe's Best
Tartu City Government Press Release
/ According to a data-driven study by Cycling Industries Europe, residents of Tartu are the fourth most active users of bike-sharing services in Europe.
The report titled "Shared Ambition" provides an overview of the future of the European bicycle industry and its impact on the environment and society. Based on data analysis from bike-sharing services across 148 European cities, the report identifies the most successful cycling cities and the reasons behind their success. The study also includes data from winter period. The number of bike sharing trips per capita in Tartu places the city among the major cycling cities, setting an example for others looking to enhance bike sharing systems in their cities.
Tartu's Deputy Mayor Raimond Tamm stated that the report offers data-driven confirmation that Tartu is indeed a cycling city with significant potential to further develop its cycling culture. "Bike Smart Bike Share is undoubtedly one of Tartu's greatest success stories, bringing more and more people onto bicycles. It’s noteworthy that Tartu is the only Nordic city at the top of the table. Certainly, there are days when cycling in Tartu is not very comfortable due to weather conditions, but biking is indeed possible year-round."
According to the CIE report, the most important indicator is the number of bike sharing trips per 1,000 residents. In 2023, Paris and Antwerp topped this chart with 36.9 and 36.1 trips per day per 1,000 residents, respectively. Ljubljana holds the third position, Tartu is fourth, and Toulouse is fifth. In Tartu, there are an average of 20.4 bike sharing trips per day per 1,000 residents. In 2023, Tartu bike sharing recorded a total of 706,000 trips, with 90% of them on electric bikes. In total, nearly 2 million kilometers were covered throughout the year.
The study's authors pointed out that a sufficient number of rental bikes is essential for creating a successful bike sharing system, ensuring adequate service availability across the city. While a larger number of bikes does not guarantee increased usage, a clear correlation exists between these indicators. Of the ten cities with the highest bike usage (number of trips per day per 1,000 residents), nine managed to provide at least 50 rental bikes per 10,000 residents. Tartu Smart Bike Share offers nearly 80 bikes per 10,000 residents, ranking ninth in this metric.
In addition to the size of the bike fleet, several other factors are highlighted that can enhance bike usage. Recommendations include promoting cycling culture, maintaining affordable pricing policies, and developing good cycling infrastructure.
Data are also presented by country, with Estonia ranking third. Only France and Belgium have more bike-sharing trips per 1,000 residents. However, the study's authors note that the impact of Antwerp, Paris, and Tartu on the overall national data is disproportionately large. In Estonia, data were sourced from Tartu and Tallinn. Tartu's bike sharing data were used in the study for the first time, and therefore, no comparison can be made with 2022 results. The authors emphasize that Tartu's rise in the bike usage frequency table is significant given the city's small size—only seven cities have a smaller population than Tartu.
Cycling Industries Europe (CIE), the organization behind the study, aims to develop cycling transport at the European level. The first "Shared Ambition" report was created in 2023, and this year's version has expanded the number of cities included in the analysis and refined the data. The report aims to foster collaboration between the cycling industry, policymakers, and other stakeholders to achieve goals in promoting cycling transport and ensuring sustainability.
Last changed 24.10.2024
