The EU-funded Ederbidea (‘pretty path’ in Basque) project involved 12 partners from the autonomous community of Navarre and the Basque province of Gipuzkoa in Spain and the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It entailed the elaboration of a cross-border cycling scheme and continued development of the cycle network linking Donostia-San Sebastián and Pamplona in Spain and Bayonne in France. Additional features were cycling promotion campaigns and provision of bicycle-related services.
Ederbidea: better bicycle links between France and Spain
- 07 September 2020
'One of Ederbidea's challenges was to develop day-to-day mobility given the high volumes of car traffic, particularly in summer; another was to offer residents and tourists an alternative to cars by promoting cycling.'
Under the cross-border cycling scheme, a common strategy was devised. Each partner undertook to develop cycle routes on their own territory, and joint commitments were made regarding services for cyclists. Further work was aimed at classifying routes according to their suitability for cycling.
Almost 85 km of cycle path was built or improved: 14 km in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 67.5 km in Navarre and 3 km in Gipuzkoa, thereby consolidating the EuroVelo Atlantic Coast cycling route.
Building on previous work
Following on from Circuldouce, a previous EU-funded project promoting cycle routes between Bayonne and Pamplona, Ederbidea aimed to cut emissions and traffic congestion and improve public health. It also offered opportunities to foster sustainable tourism.
The project filled gaps in the Bayonne-Donostia-San Sebastián-Pamplona network, and nearly 200 km of the planned 240 km is now in place. In Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 6 km of cycle path was created in both Biarritz and Bidart, along with 900 m in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, including a two-way path in the town centre. Cycle facilities were installed in Hendaye, and a bridge was built over the Port of Caneta.
In Navarre, new paths, 42.5 km and 25 km long respectively, joined up the Bidasoa and Plazaola greenways, and the old Plazaola railway line and Pamplona. Tunnels on the Plazaola greenway were repaired, signage was put up on the Bera-Irurtzun route, and bridges were built in Gartzaron-Jauntsarats and Kaxarna.
In Gipuzkoa, paths between Hondarribia and the centre of Irun were laid, and signposting was erected between Hondarribia and Donostia-San Sebastián.
Promoting cycling
Actions to promote cycling included a call for projects targeted at school pupils and training for local authority planners to ensure that cyclists’ needs are factored into road construction. Cycling schools were organised, and a cycling tourism network was created.
As regards bicycle services, a database of those on offer in the region was compiled and made available online. A module was designed for planning cycling itineraries using the Transfermuga cross-border commuting web platform. An e-bike hire service was set up, while warehouses at the Leitza and Latasa railway stations in Navarre were converted to house bike rental and repair services, a shop and social spaces.
The partners agreed to continue to enhance cross-border cycling routes, laying the foundations for future projects.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Ederbidea” is EUR 9 401 475 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 6 110 957 through the “Interreg V-A – Spain-France-Andorra (POCTEFA)” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Promoting sustainable transport”.