Cyclability in Madrid
Cyclability
Cyclability indicates the quality of a city’s cycling infrastructure to make it safe and accessible for bicycle travel.
Cyclability levels in Madrid are heterogeneous, with significant differences between neighborhoods. Areas with high cyclability account for 15% of the city and are especially concentrated in the neighborhoods of the city center (Chamberí, Centro and Salamanca), Chamartín and Vicálvaro. High values are also found along the circular bike lanes that link the periphery with the city center. The lowest values are found in Moncloa-Aravaca, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Ciudad Lineal and in the periphery.
What does cyclability depend on?
The degree of cyclability is the result of different factors: cycling capacity, distance to the nearest bike lane, bikeway intersections, bike stations and slope.
Cyclable capacity
Cyclable capacity in Madrid is defined by the presence of over 300 km of cycling lanes, distributed in concentric rings and axes that cross the city. High cyclable capacity values are found in 10% of the urban core. In the rest of Madrid, cyclable capacity is moderate.
Distance to the cycling network
The average distance from any location in Madrid to the cycling network is around 300 meters. The central part of the city (Tetuán, Chamartín, Chamberí, Centro, Salamanca, and Retiro), along with Moratalaz, Vicálvaro, and the Manzanares-Aravaca axis, is characterized by its proximity to a dense network of bike lanes, with an average distance to the cycling network of less than 100 meters. In the rest of the city, cycling infrastructure is less developed, and the distance to the cycling network is greater.
Intersection density of bikeway intersections
In Madrid, the density of intersections between cycling routes is distributed in a polycentric manner. High values are found in 15% of the city. The areas with the highest density of cycling intersections are located in the city center (Chamberí, Salamanca, Centro, Arganzuela), as well as in Chamartín, Moratalaz, Vicálvaro, Vallecas, Valdefuentes, and near Barajas Airport. In the rest of the city, values are moderate to low.
Bicycle parking density
Madrid has an average of 28 bicycle parking facilities per hectare. Private and Bicimad bike parking is unevenly distributed across the city. Centro and Chamberí have the highest concentration of bicycle parking, with over 100 facilities per hectare. High values are also found in several nodes distributed across all neighborhoods in the municipality. The main exceptions are El Cañaveral, Aravaca, Fuentelarreina, and Rejas in the periphery.
Slope
Madrid has a topography suitable for cycling. About 70.4% of the city has a slope of less than 5%. The flattest neighborhoods are Salamanca, Barajas, and Las Águilas. The steepest slopes are found along the main river, road, and railway corridors, as well as in green areas.
Location map
