Paris is preparing to integrate 3000 new Vélib’ this winter, to expand a hundred of existing stations and to establish temporary locations during the Olympic Games. Sylvain Raifaud, President of the Autolib’ and Vélib’ Métropole Union, announced a significant plan to improve the bike offer in Paris. Due to the increasing demand, with a deficit of 2000 bikes in October, 3,000 new Vélib’ will be deployed this winter, increasing the fleet by 20% to over 21,000 bikes.
Soon more than 21,000 bikes
Temporary stations will be set up near the event sites this summer, offering seven stations in Paris and three in the Île-de-France region. Similar to those of the Rugby World Cup, they will be equipped with agents for minor repairs on site. The sites concerned include the new Arena located at Porte de La Chapelle, the Yves-du-Manoir stadium in Colombes, the Arena de la Défense, and the Stade de France.
Multiple sites involved
The development also results in the expansion of a hundred stations inside Paris, mainly in the busy areas. The first work will be started in central neighborhoods with 15 expanded stations by spring.
However, there are challenges, including the need to ensure the maintenance of this expanded fleet. Since Smovengo’s arrival in 2018, subscribers and the elected administrators of SAVM have complained about the condition of the bikes. The Smovengo service is overexploited, with nearly 400,000 subscribers for less than 19,000 bikes deployed. Improving maintenance is a crucial element for the success of this significant expansion of Vélib’ offer in Paris.
