Urban cycling grows in Italy through health benefits and financial incentives

Urban cycling in Italy is seeing a rise in participation, with the share of urban trips made by bicycle increasing from 3.3% in 2019 to 4.3%. Research from the University of Edinburgh suggests that regular cycling to work can reduce medical prescriptions for depression or anxiety by 15% and provides significant physical health benefits.

To encourage this shift, several Italian cities are implementing financial incentives. Rome has launched the ‘Roma Corre in Bici’ program, which offers 30 cents per kilometer, capped at 10 euros per day and 30 euros per month. The program is funded by a 470,000 euro budget from national and municipal sources and is available to employees of participating companies and university students.

In Florence, the ‘Pedala, Firenze ti premia’ program has already shown results; in its first four months, 1,727 active users covered 677,000 kilometers. While cycling infrastructure in Italy increased by 53.7% between 2015 and 2023, experts note that investment in infrastructure must keep pace with the growing demand for sustainable mobility.