Assessing the impact of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on bicycle lane utilization with electric bike-sharing data

Xinge Liu, Ziang Chen, Yanjie Ji, Dounan Tang and Calvin Thigpen

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2026, vol. 209, issue C

Abstract: Major sporting events like the Olympics often catalyze urban mobility investments, yet their lasting impacts on transportation infrastructure remain understudied. This study assesses the effect of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on bicycle lane utilization, leveraging electric bike-sharing data from Lime and spatio-temporal econometric models. Using a composite cycling network integrating the Réseau Cyclable Olympique (RCO) and other bike lanes from OpenStreetMap, we analyze 6.8 million trips from June to September 2024. A Difference-in-differences framework distinguishes treatment effects between the Inter-competition site links and “Cycling Games” Network, while Spatial Difference-in-differences quantifies spillover effects across the RCO buffer zones. Results reveal a peak surge in bicycle kilometers traveled (BKT) on inter-competition links during peak Olympic days, driven by spectator mobility, though for post-Olympics the utilization exhibited no significant difference compared to “Cycling Games” Network. All post-Olympic buffers experienced demand collapse due to conditional reliance on event-driven traffic in contrast to the Olympic phase. Compared to pre-Olympic, spatial analysis highlights post-Paralympic hierarchical spillovers with buffer zones retaining 26%, 29.6% and 58.7% of Olympic usage respectively. The RCO accommodated substantial bicycle travel demand during the event, thus effectively absorbing the impact of Olympic-induced traffic surges. The RCO’s legacy demonstrates transient demand capture and spatial dependency, emphasizing the need to embed Olympic bike lane infrastructure within permanent cycling networks. Policy implications stress integrating event corridors with long-term urban mobility plans to sustain usage and mitigate post-event fragility. This study advances evidence-based strategies for converting mega-event investments into resilient, low-carbon transportation systems.

Keywords: Paris 2024 Olympic Games; Difference-in-differences; Spatial spillover effect; Before-after usage assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2026.104996

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