Free bike sharing subscription offered in Ravenna

In May 2021, the Italian Municipality of Ravenna approved a resolution to allow people to apply for a free annual subscription to the local bike sharing service. This was possible thanks to a financial contribution from the Emilia-Romagna Region within its “Bike To Work” programme and aims to promote the use of bicycles when travelling around the city.

Emilia-Romagna has always been supportive of bicycles and soft mobility. Several initiatives have been put in place recently by the local and regional administrations to encourage more and more people to choose bicycles for their daily journeys. In 2020, the Region allocated over €3 million to municipalities to reimburse people up to €50 a month for all those who went to work by bike.

In addition, since May, all residents of the municipality of Ravenna will have the opportunity to obtain, totally free of charge, an annual subscription to the city's Velospot bike sharing service, until the allocated resources have been exhausted (€73,000). This new initiative is not only open to those working in the city, but to all people living in the municipality. The idea is to facilitate and encourage bike use in the summer, as car traffic is set to increase with visitors coming to enjoy the area's beaches. In fact, to obtain the free subscription, it is no longer necessary to prove that you use a bicycle every day to go to work. The initiative aims to provide an incentive for people to change their daily habits in favour of more sustainable modes for both regular and recreational activities.

The Ravenna Velospot network includes 285 bicycles of which 45 are pedal-assisted. Bicycles can be picked up from any of the Velospot stations distributed in the city centre and at the seaside.

Original article published by Rivista BC on 1 June 2021.