Cycling as a resilient and healthy mode of transport has received a lot of attention in media and politics during the last weeks. The first available data from several European countries clearly shows that citizens have recognised these benefits also in their everyday mobility behaviour during and after the COVID-19 crisis: In Germany, cycling was the most important mode of transport besides walking at a certain point in April, and in France, cycling levels after the lockdown have increased by 27% compared to 2019. In many European cities, this switch to cycling has been facilitated by ad-hoc infrastructural and other measures put in place since April, which ECF has collected in a dedicated database.

During the last few weeks, cycling and its benefits in terms of resilience and public health have been the topic of numerous articles in the most important newspapers all around the globe. After intensive lobbying activities by ECF and its partners in the cycling industry, the European Commission also announced plans to include substantial financial measures for cycling in its EU-wide recovery plan. The first data collected during and after the various lockdowns in EU countries now shows that citizens also massively switch to cycling.

In Germany, cycling was even the most used mode of transport besides walking on 12^th April: According to a study by market research institute Gfk together with the mobility data start-up Motiontag reported in national weekly Der Spiegel, Germans spent 14 minutes on their bicycle on this day, but only 12 minutes in their car. Before the lockdown, the average daily cycling time was only around 2.5 minutes. Even in May, when many restrictions were already being lifted, cycling levels remained much higher than before the crisis especially during weekends, but also during weekdays.

A similar picture emerges from data collected centrally by French EuroVelo coordinator Vélo & Territoires from a nation-wide system of automated bike counters. According to the latest report, cycling in France has increased by 27% after the end of the lockdown on 11 May, compared to the same period in 2019. Here as well, the increase is especially high during weekends, with 49%. However, there is also an increase of 21% during weekdays in urban areas, showing that cycling is gaining ground for utilitarian as well as for leisure purposes.

This data shows that the many infrastructural and other ad-hoc measures that cities, regions, and national governments have put in place and which ECF collects in its dedicated database clearly respond to a demand from citizens, and that now is the time for advocates, planners, and decision-makers to convince them to keep cycling also in the months and years to come.