The European Commision’s Cycling Counts study is the first comprehensive effort to record the state of cycling in the European Union. Its aim was to create a single database containing information on the cycling network, bicycle use, road safety and related services, while also developing recommendations for future data collection that can form the basis for monitoring the progress of member states.
At the European level, the study reveals that cycling infrastructure remains highly uneven across countries. Overall, the EU has around 342,931 km of dedicated cycling infrastructure (i.e. cycle paths and cycle lanes) and 974,320 km of extensive cycling network, when cycle-friendly low-traffic roads are included. However, the availability and quality of data varies significantly across countries, with several Member States not yet having national cycling infrastructure recording systems.
The study shows that almost 24% of European citizens say they use a bicycle at least once a week, while cycling accounts for an average of 7.8% of journeys of less than 300 km. The data also shows significant differences between men and women, which highlights the need for more accessible and safe infrastructure.
The findings for Greece show that the country is still at an early stage in terms of systematic monitoring and development of cycling. Most of the available data comes from OpenStreetMap, as there is no official national database for the cycling network yet. Furthermore, Greece does not have a national travel survey that systematically records cycling. (Cycling Counts was completed before the publication of the first national survey on cycling in Greece, which we conducted in collaboration with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.)
According to the study, Greece has:
- 332 kilometers of dedicated cycling infrastructure
- 3,404 kilometers of total cycling network, including light traffic roads
- Only 1.6% of the total road network can be classified as cycling network
Regarding cycling use, approximately 13.6% of the population over 15 years old uses a bicycle at least once a week, while cycling accounts for approximately 3.7% of all trips.
In the field of safety, the available data is more reliable, as it is systematically collected by the Hellenic Statistical Authority and the police authorities. In 2023 (which was the most recent year for which data was available when the study was conducted), 10 cyclist deaths and 167 injuries were recorded, of which 11 were serious.
Bike-sharing services now operate in all Greek cities with a population of over 150,000, with a total fleet of around 2,900 bicycles, including electric bicycles. Many of the systems were still in the development phase when the research was conducted, meaning they had not yet been put into operation (and, as we know, some … came and went), so there is insufficient data on the use of these services.
Key study recommendations
The study concludes that improving data is a key prerequisite for the development of cycling in Europe. It proposes the establishment of a common European data collection methodology, so that data are comparable between countries and over time. Four key areas need to be monitored: cycling infrastructure, cycling use, cyclist safety, and cycling-related services (bike sharing, bicycle parking, cycling transport/logistics).
The study recommends that all Member States:
- develop and maintain national cycling infrastructure databases, with uniform classifications and definitions for the types of cycling infrastructure
- improve the quality and completeness of data, as significant differences were found between Member States in terms of coverage, definitions and availability of information
- more systematically record cycling use, through harmonised travel surveys and cycling traffic measurements
- enhance data collection on cyclist safety to support evidence-based road safety policies
- fill existing data gaps, particularly in the areas of safe bicycle parking and bicycle logistics, where data availability is still very limited
- promote collaboration between European, national, regional and local authorities, as well as with industry players, to regularly update and publish data.
The need for cycling data in Greece is particularly urgent: the study highlights the absence of a national database on cycling infrastructure, a national survey on commuting, and systematic monitoring of cycling activity.
Without data, cyclists’ problems often remain invisible. This creates the “No Data, No Problem” phenomenon: when we do not measure cycling, low use can be wrongly interpreted as a lack of demand, rather than the result of inadequate and unsafe infrastructure.
In contrast, for driving and road traffic, there is a wealth of data: continuous traffic measurements, vehicle-kilometre data, and congestion data. Thus, drivers’ problems are easily recorded and quantified. The result of this imbalance is that investments and policies favour the car, because there is abundant evidence to support the needs and benefits of interventions.
Systematic collection of cycling data will allow for evidence-based investments. It will also allow for monitoring progress on the implementation and use of cycling infrastructure (so that interventions do not remain on paper). Only in this way will cycling in Greece develop.
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