From Hotel to History - Touring Barcelona by Bicycle

Boasting the second largest population of any other city in Spain, Barcelona is certainly not an exemplary city when it comes to reducing environmental impact. However, Barcelona does have a number of programs already in place and others that are on the way which aim to reduce the amount of pollution for which this popular tourist destination is responsible. A fairly efficient public transportation is just one way Barcelona city managers hope to cut back on unnecessary pollution. Another more controversial effort that is being made is with their efforts to become a more bike-friendly city.

Barcelona city has promoted the usage of bicycles throughout the city in a couple different ways. First off, bike lanes have been put in place in some of the main sections of the city. Separate bike lanes have historically proven to encourage bike usage simply because riders feel a little more safe being separated from the regular flow of cars and buses in the streets. In addition to bike lanes, a number of solutions for bike storage have also been proposed and implemented to address peoples’ fear of getting a bike stolen or not being able to find a parking space when they arrive at their destination.

In 2007, Barcelona also implemented a fairly controversial bike-sharing program available to all residents. This program again was after other similar programs in other cities throughout Europe. The program works like this; registered riders can pick up a bike at any of several hundred bike stations and ride for up to 30-minutes without a charge. When the rider arrives at his or her destination, the bike needs to be returned at any other bike station. Thus far, the program has been fairly successful. A few quirks in with the availability of bikes are being dealt with but overall, the program seems to be working.

Unfortunately, the bike-share program is not currently available to tourists but the city’s other efforts to become more bike-friendly are starting to effect tourists, too. Several bike tour and bike rental companies offer tourists a cheap alternative to public transportation. Since Barcelona has become fairly bicycle-friendly, many tourists find that bicycle tours and rentals are a safe and fun way to explore the city, especially in the late summer months. Guided tours typically provide visitors with everything they need for a brief 3 hour tour. Many of these tours cover several attractions in just a short amount of time, leaving time at each attraction for a quick break and chance to take photos.

Bike rental services are also becoming more popular in some of the more popular hotels in Barcelona. Typically, guests can arrange for a bicycle, gear and tour map from the concierge. This is often the most convenient way for tourists to see the city as they can leave directly from their hotel.

As with any public service project, the success or failure of Barcelona’s bike programs will be guided by the public’s reaction and utilization of the program. For now, it looks like the positive response will drive the government to expand its greening efforts and hopefully encourage other cities to follow suit.