Madrid has its scheme, while Muswell Hill’s never happened. Hilly cities from Rome to Rio will be watching as Lisbon starts e-bike hire
Wander around Lisbon’s city centre with its vertiginous cobbled streets, treacherous enough on foot in the rain, it’s hard to imagine cycling ever taking off. Some streets are so steep there are funiculars to help you scale them, and Lisboetas on bikes are a rare sight outside of summer.
Like many hilly cities around the world, Lisbon has a serious congestion problem, and its urban planners know that if more people were persuaded to cycle they could reap huge benefits in air quality, health and liveability.
Related: Can e-bikes revolutionise long-distance commuting?
Continue reading...