November 16, 2023
A new generation of self-service bike rental for the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) : JCDecaux rolls out 4,000 new Vélo’v bicycles overnight
- Lyon
JCDecaux has successfully rolled out 4,000 new Vélo’v bikes in the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) during the night of 17 to 18 July 2018. In close cooperation with the city’s teams, the company rose to the huge industrial and logistical challenges of collecting the old generation Vélo’v bikes and simultaneously replacing them with the new generation without any interruption of service and in one single night. The operation was completed in barely seven hours, between 8:30pm on Tuesday 17 July and 3:30am on 18 July!
An unprecedented operation in France
In November 2017, the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) signed a new contract with JCDecaux. This contract covered the launch of a revamped and extended Vélo’v service and particularly the rollout of 4,000 new self-service bikes for the inhabitants.
Beginning on 28 May, the 348 existing bike terminals were transformed to meet the requirements of the new generation of Vélo’v bicycles. The next step was to replace the 4,000 existing bikes with the new generation, which were assembled near Saint-Etienne by Cycles Lapierre, tested and then stored since mid-June ready for the big launch.
In close cooperation with the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole), JCDecaux’ teams rallied together to ensure the success of this operation, and a smooth and efficient transition without any interruption of service. During the night of 17 to 18 July, more than 120 JCDecaux employees, including teams from across France - called upon to assist the teams in Lyon - worked in shifts between 8:30pm on Tuesday and 3:30am on Wednesday to collect the 4,000 old-generation bikes from all the city’s docking stations and replace them with new-generation bikes, with the help of 32 trailers and 40 trucks. Since this morning, the 73,000 Vélo’v subscribers and, more generally, all the inhabitants of Greater Lyon (Lyon Métropole), have access to 4,000 brand-new Vélo’v bikes, with functions which will continue to be enhanced in the weeks ahead. Between 7:00am and 9:00am, teams have noted a 12% increase in the number of bike journeys taken compared to the day before.
In line with its sustainable development strategy and according to the circular economy principles, JCDecaux will give all first generation Vélo’v bikes a second life. The equipment collected will be dismantled and rebuilt by social integration companies ENVIE and Emerjean and will therefore be fully reused, either on other self-service bike rental markets, as spare parts, or recovered through specialised programmes. Moreover, a partnership with the Foyer Notre-Dame des Sans-Abri homeless shelter has been set up: 10 people in job integration programmes have been recruited by Cyclocity, JCDecaux’s self-service bike rental subsidiary, to expand the maintenance teams for the new Vélo’v.
A new bike at the forefront of urban travel
The second-generation Vélo’v is 100% new in its contour, components, functions. The grey and red bike boasts a new look, created by JCDecaux’ teams with Franco-Argentinian designer Marcelo Joulia, and is in keeping with a desire for lightness, mobility and ease of use. Designed in aluminium, the bike is 2.3 kg lighter and its contour has been reworked for greater lightness, both physically and visually, without compromising its sturdiness which has been improved thanks to a puncture-proof back tyre and an anti-derailment mechanism. It now also comes with a tail light which visually outlines safety distances on the road.
Several technical innovations, coupled with revamped services provide, since this morning, a unique user experience, which is accessible via a new “Vélo’v officiel” smartphone application and a redesigned website, which have been available since 29 May and boast excellent ease of use.
A new extended fleet by 2020, with new docking stations, at the service of the Great Lyon’s (Lyon Métropole) ambitions
The contract includes the gradual rollout of an additional 80 docking stations with 1,850 terminals, in Lyon, Villeurbanne and 23 of the city’s districts, as well as an additional 1,000 bikes.
This supplementary programme will be launched in 2019 and completed in 2020. By this date, the Greater Lyon’s (Lyon Métropole) self-service bike rental fleet, with its 5,000 bikes, will be the second-largest in France behind Paris.
The new Vélo’v service is part of the city’s ambitious policy to promote eco-friendly mobility. It will help further encourage the use of bikes, and environment-friendly and intermodal mobility.
Vélo’v key figures
David Kimelfeld, President of the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) has praised “The commitment of all teams from the city of Lyon and JCDecaux for successfully completing this exceptional operation. Replacing 4,000 Vélo’v in just one night was a real and successful challenge, which has allowed us to provide as of this morning 73,000 subscribers, all inhabitants of the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) and Vélo’v users, with new services and a new-generation of bikes while also ensuring uninterrupted service. Vélo’v, which is currently present in Lyon, Villeurbanne and Caluire, will also be available in 23 districts of the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) by 2020. We have clearly demonstrated that our city is at the cutting edge in terms of active mobility.
The launch of Vélo’v in 2005, the Active Mobility Action Plan (Plan d’Actions pour les Mobilités Actives (PAMA)) and its 1,000 km of paved bike trails by 2020, and the Plan Oxygène for air quality are all major measures that will provide our fellow citizens with solutions to get about easily in a cleaner and healthier environment.”
Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “We are proud to have successfully fulfilled this industrial and human challenge and to have ensured an uninterrupted service to our Vélo’v users, which was our priority. From the creation of new user accounts, to the strengthening of the network and the expansion of certain docking stations, including work to modernise terminals and the launch of the official Vélo’v application, everything was planned to ensure a smooth transition and that the Greater Lyon (Lyon Métropole) inhabitants could continue to cycle uninterrupted with Vélo’v.
I would like to congratulate JCDecaux teams for their expertise and commitment which ensured the success of this unprecedented operation! Thirteen years ago, the city of Lyon was the first to adopt a large-scale self-service bike rental scheme; and the inhabitants of the Greater Lyon (Lyon Métropole) woke this morning to discover a revamped, easier-to-use service, which has been designed to accurately meet their needs.”
About JCDecaux
The number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, JCDecaux is present in more than 80 countries and 4,033 cities with over 10,000 inhabitants.
The Group plays a major part in transforming urban landscapes, driven by its desire to make towns and cities nicer, more welcoming and more responsible by installing street furniture in exchange for exclusive advertising rights in premium locations.
From inventing the advertising bus shelter in 1964 to pioneering self-service bike rental since 2003, JCDecaux has made the seamless transition from urban furniture to urban travel and currently operates self-service bike rental schemes in 57 towns and cities across 13 countries. A key player in this eco-friendly, collective and individual means of transport, the Group currently manages more than 29,000 self-service bikes worldwide.
For more than 50 years, JCDecaux products have been the benchmark in innovation, quality, aesthetics and functionality. In this era of smart cities, JCDecaux is well positioned to play a major role in the evolution of urban growth strategies.
An unprecedented operation in France
In November 2017, the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) signed a new contract with JCDecaux. This contract covered the launch of a revamped and extended Vélo’v service and particularly the rollout of 4,000 new self-service bikes for the inhabitants.
Beginning on 28 May, the 348 existing bike terminals were transformed to meet the requirements of the new generation of Vélo’v bicycles. The next step was to replace the 4,000 existing bikes with the new generation, which were assembled near Saint-Etienne by Cycles Lapierre, tested and then stored since mid-June ready for the big launch.
In close cooperation with the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole), JCDecaux’ teams rallied together to ensure the success of this operation, and a smooth and efficient transition without any interruption of service. During the night of 17 to 18 July, more than 120 JCDecaux employees, including teams from across France - called upon to assist the teams in Lyon - worked in shifts between 8:30pm on Tuesday and 3:30am on Wednesday to collect the 4,000 old-generation bikes from all the city’s docking stations and replace them with new-generation bikes, with the help of 32 trailers and 40 trucks. Since this morning, the 73,000 Vélo’v subscribers and, more generally, all the inhabitants of Greater Lyon (Lyon Métropole), have access to 4,000 brand-new Vélo’v bikes, with functions which will continue to be enhanced in the weeks ahead. Between 7:00am and 9:00am, teams have noted a 12% increase in the number of bike journeys taken compared to the day before.
In line with its sustainable development strategy and according to the circular economy principles, JCDecaux will give all first generation Vélo’v bikes a second life. The equipment collected will be dismantled and rebuilt by social integration companies ENVIE and Emerjean and will therefore be fully reused, either on other self-service bike rental markets, as spare parts, or recovered through specialised programmes. Moreover, a partnership with the Foyer Notre-Dame des Sans-Abri homeless shelter has been set up: 10 people in job integration programmes have been recruited by Cyclocity, JCDecaux’s self-service bike rental subsidiary, to expand the maintenance teams for the new Vélo’v.
A new bike at the forefront of urban travel
The second-generation Vélo’v is 100% new in its contour, components, functions. The grey and red bike boasts a new look, created by JCDecaux’ teams with Franco-Argentinian designer Marcelo Joulia, and is in keeping with a desire for lightness, mobility and ease of use. Designed in aluminium, the bike is 2.3 kg lighter and its contour has been reworked for greater lightness, both physically and visually, without compromising its sturdiness which has been improved thanks to a puncture-proof back tyre and an anti-derailment mechanism. It now also comes with a tail light which visually outlines safety distances on the road.
Several technical innovations, coupled with revamped services provide, since this morning, a unique user experience, which is accessible via a new “Vélo’v officiel” smartphone application and a redesigned website, which have been available since 29 May and boast excellent ease of use.
A new extended fleet by 2020, with new docking stations, at the service of the Great Lyon’s (Lyon Métropole) ambitions
The contract includes the gradual rollout of an additional 80 docking stations with 1,850 terminals, in Lyon, Villeurbanne and 23 of the city’s districts, as well as an additional 1,000 bikes.
This supplementary programme will be launched in 2019 and completed in 2020. By this date, the Greater Lyon’s (Lyon Métropole) self-service bike rental fleet, with its 5,000 bikes, will be the second-largest in France behind Paris.
The new Vélo’v service is part of the city’s ambitious policy to promote eco-friendly mobility. It will help further encourage the use of bikes, and environment-friendly and intermodal mobility.
Vélo’v key figures
- A subscriber base of 73,000
- 6.5 rentals on average per day and per Vélo’v bicycle
- 4,000 new self-service bikes available since 18 July 2018
- An additional 1,000 bikes available by 2020: Greater Lyon’s (Lyon Métropole) self-service bike fleet will then have 5,000 bikes, the second-largest in France behind Paris.
- 1,850 additional terminals > 2 terminals per bike will be available by 2020, versus 1.8 previously
David Kimelfeld, President of the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) has praised “The commitment of all teams from the city of Lyon and JCDecaux for successfully completing this exceptional operation. Replacing 4,000 Vélo’v in just one night was a real and successful challenge, which has allowed us to provide as of this morning 73,000 subscribers, all inhabitants of the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) and Vélo’v users, with new services and a new-generation of bikes while also ensuring uninterrupted service. Vélo’v, which is currently present in Lyon, Villeurbanne and Caluire, will also be available in 23 districts of the Greater Lyon area (Lyon Métropole) by 2020. We have clearly demonstrated that our city is at the cutting edge in terms of active mobility.
The launch of Vélo’v in 2005, the Active Mobility Action Plan (Plan d’Actions pour les Mobilités Actives (PAMA)) and its 1,000 km of paved bike trails by 2020, and the Plan Oxygène for air quality are all major measures that will provide our fellow citizens with solutions to get about easily in a cleaner and healthier environment.”
Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “We are proud to have successfully fulfilled this industrial and human challenge and to have ensured an uninterrupted service to our Vélo’v users, which was our priority. From the creation of new user accounts, to the strengthening of the network and the expansion of certain docking stations, including work to modernise terminals and the launch of the official Vélo’v application, everything was planned to ensure a smooth transition and that the Greater Lyon (Lyon Métropole) inhabitants could continue to cycle uninterrupted with Vélo’v.
I would like to congratulate JCDecaux teams for their expertise and commitment which ensured the success of this unprecedented operation! Thirteen years ago, the city of Lyon was the first to adopt a large-scale self-service bike rental scheme; and the inhabitants of the Greater Lyon (Lyon Métropole) woke this morning to discover a revamped, easier-to-use service, which has been designed to accurately meet their needs.”
About JCDecaux
The number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, JCDecaux is present in more than 80 countries and 4,033 cities with over 10,000 inhabitants.
The Group plays a major part in transforming urban landscapes, driven by its desire to make towns and cities nicer, more welcoming and more responsible by installing street furniture in exchange for exclusive advertising rights in premium locations.
From inventing the advertising bus shelter in 1964 to pioneering self-service bike rental since 2003, JCDecaux has made the seamless transition from urban furniture to urban travel and currently operates self-service bike rental schemes in 57 towns and cities across 13 countries. A key player in this eco-friendly, collective and individual means of transport, the Group currently manages more than 29,000 self-service bikes worldwide.
For more than 50 years, JCDecaux products have been the benchmark in innovation, quality, aesthetics and functionality. In this era of smart cities, JCDecaux is well positioned to play a major role in the evolution of urban growth strategies.
