General feeling, safety, comfort, efforts of the municipality, parking and bicycle services,… Rare are the municipalities of the Basque Country which obtain the average in only one of these categories, according to the last barometer of the FUB (Federation of bicycle users). It asked 26 questions on these themes to those who use the bike on a daily basis, and derived an overall score, allowing the cities to be classified on a scale from A+ (excellent cycling climate) to G (very unfavourable). Only cities with more than 50 responses were ranked, i.e. nine cities.
And the results are not glorious: Anglet and Ciboure are classified E, “rather unfavorable”; Biarritz, Boucau and St Jean de Luz have F, “unfavourable”; and Ascain has G, “very unfavorable”… The best ranked, Hendaye, Urrugne and Bayonne get away with D, “moderately favorable”.
Biarritz lagging behind, Saint-Pierre-d’Irube voluntary
And even in these cities, pedaling can be perilous. “I go to my work every day from Ustaritz to Bayonne, on the banks of the Adour”says Michael. “As long as I follow the Nive, there are no problems. On the other hand, from Aviron Bayonnais, there is a succession of crossings which are not secure. I have already had two accidents, including one that could have caused me some pretty serious consequences.”
“The services of certain cities are starting to realize this”notes Johan Romero, of the Txirrind’Ola association, a member of the FUB, who notes the improvement in Bayonne, classified F two years ago. “We have been able to see real progress over the past two years, even if there are still black spots, in particular the Pont-Saint-Esprit in Bayonne for example. But we have cities that are progressing much less quickly… In Biarritz, there is no track, strictly speaking. It’s complicated to have to feel safe when you have a track that is 30 meters long, which stops 20 meters to leave parking for cars and then who resumes.”
Boucau, despite European funding, is doing anything… Hasparren is showing good will, but what they are preparing will not be terrible – Johan Romero, from the Txirrind’Ola association
The town halls ask for time: that of Biarritz promises that a bicycle plan is being deployed, when the mobility assistant at the town hall of Bayonne, Loïc Corrété, affirms that the mobility union is setting up a network for cyclists between the different municipalities of the Basque Country conurbation. “What is complicated is the connection between the cities”laments Johan Romero. “We have cities that are starting to get started, even small towns like Saint-Pierre-d’Irube, which is very voluntary.