Barcelona

One of Europe’s most vibrant and dynamic urban centers, Barcelona has long been a pioneer in the Smart City movement. The Spanish city has been intentionally recognized as a leader in modern urban design and planning, with innovative technology and infrastructure implementation saving tens of billions of dollars in energy costs. 

On top of those accomplishments, the city has also adopted a renowned bike sharing system that’s turning heads.

“This new service places Barcelona as a reference in sustainable transport models. It is a relevant milestone in our commitment to developing mobility solutions committed to the environment and offering citizens a differentiated and reliable service.”

- Ignacio Gastón, COE of Ferrovial Construcción España

Bicing's rapid growth 

Barcelona’s bike sharing solution, Bicing, was launched in 2019 and marked PBSC’s first entry into the Spanish market. Replacing an previous bike-sharing system provided by another supplier, PBSC, in collaboration with our trusted partner Serveo (formerly Ferrovial), deployed a large mixed fleet of mechanical and electric bikes.

The innovative and modern solution features electric smart stations. These stations, recognizable by their vibrant red color, are able to secure the fleet’s bikes and as well as charge the electric bikes quickly and automatically. The system continues to expand at both the fleet and smart station levels.

More than 17 million bike share trips in 2023!

Since Barcelona transitioned to the new Bicing bike sharing system, the city has seen a marked increase in membership and ridership. This enthusiasm has translated into some impressive figures. In 2023, over 17.6 million trips had been made on Bicing bikes, and the solution boasted more than 148,000 subscribers. The system records an average of 5 trips per bike per day. Electric bikes are also among the most popular, with each e-bike recording an average of 11 journeys per day during the summer months!

Those eye-popping numbers indicate just how entrenched Bicing has become in the local Catalonian culture and lifestyle. Residents have adopted it as an easy way to complete their commutes, a transformation that will further the city’s reputation as a Smart City leader.

“These are not drivers who have abandoned their cars to take the bike. There are some of them, but the vast majority of users of electric or mechanical bicycles are public transport users. In fact, they combine it with bus, metro and bicycle.” 

- Redha Zetchi, General Manager of Bicing