Un recent study of Deloitte, one of the world's largest consulting firms, has highlighted the important role that bicycles will play in the coming years in alleviating traffic congestion and improving urban air quality and public health, especially in custom-built cities. they become heavier in population.
Overall, research predicts that the number of people cycling to work will double in many major cities around the world by 2022.
The effects of many more bicycles on the road, and consequently fewer vehicles, could be significant and lead to social changes, such as less traffic, which would greatly improve congestion and air quality. More people on bikes and less pollution are also good news for public health.
This becomes even more crucial when considering future population growth, especially in cities whose transportation systems are already being stretched to the limit. The study says that by the year 2050, an additional 2.500 billion people will live in cities. To put this in perspective, the UN reported that 1.700 billion people lived in cities in 2018.
Deloitte also believes that this radical growth in cycling to work is being driven in large part by the technological innovations across the industry, which make it easier and more attractive for many.
«Behind this growth in cycling are a number of diverse technological innovations, including predictive analytics, product and app design, wireless connectivity, digital urban planning tools, 3D printed parts, and electrification.“says the study.
Can electric bikes be valued?
It is impossible to ignore the role played by electric bikes here. Despite the controversy they have generated, such as the effect of e-bikes as real bikes, and safety concerns about higher speeds, e-bikes are here to stay. And, as the study points out, they're not exactly a new concept either; the first patent for an electric bicycle was created in 1895.
Simply put, electrics make traveling easier and allow more people to do it. Other reports confirm that electrics are increasingly becoming better alternatives to vehicles, especially for urban transport. According to the study, the number of electric bikes in the world is expected to increase between 2019 and 2023 from 200 million to 300 million.
Other technological improvements are also making it easier for more and more people to get on bikes. A wider variety of smartphone apps now help cyclists plan and determine safer driving routes, 3D printing is making better helmets, bike sharing is becoming commonplace in cities, and urban planners now have more data. than ever to develop safer, bike-friendly streets.
According to the report, the rise of cycling was the second biggest innovation. Other items on the list include the continued growth of 5G, the podcasting boom, and more advanced robotics.