Denmark is known for its investments in cycling and for its high levels of take-up, which has led to a vibrant cycling culture and high modal cycling shares. This achievement is mainly visible in Danish cities, while rural areas are lagging behind due to the longer distances that most journeys cover and the fact that there is less bicycle-specific infrastructure available.

A pilot project in nine villages in the territory of the Aalborg municipality is investigating to what extent bicycle sharing services in rural areas could increase the take up of cycling and other sustainable mobility modes. In October 2023, an electric bicycle sharing service started in the villages of Ajstrup and Tylstrup, which was due to last for eight months. Residents can book electric city bikes, mountain bikes or cargo bikes online, for a day, a week, or for up to two weeks. The charges for using the bicycles are used to ensure that the bikes are properly maintained. Users only need to ensure that the batteries are recharged.

The villages concerned are home to many people who work in Aalborg, who experience congestion during peak hours on their trip to work. The e-bikes should replace some car use or work as a feeder for public transport, thus helping to reduce congestion and create a wider range of mobility options for all sort of trips.

Once the initial phase of the pilot in the first two villages has been completed, the experiment with e-bike sharing will be expanded to the other seven villages that will take part in the pilot.

Article published first at TheMAYOR.eu on 18 October 2023.

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