Codatu accompanies a technical visit to Paris on active modes of transport for a Mexican delegation from Guadalajara

On 5 and 6 February 2026, Codatu accompanied a technical visit to Paris dedicated to active modes of transport, organised by Spanish cooperation (FIAP), for a Mexican delegation from IMEPLAN in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.

This mission is part of the capacity building of IMEPLAN and AMIM, institutions in charge of urban mobility planning and management in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (AMG). The objective: to analyse successful European experiences in order to feed into the development strategy of the MiBici public bicycle system.

Strategic support for the development of MiBici

The visit aimed to draw operational lessons to support the growth of the MiBici bike-sharing system, as provided for in the master plan developed with the support of EUROCLIMA.

Two major experiences of rapid growth in the use of public bicycles were at the heart of the discussions:

• BiciMAD in Madrid
• Véligo Location in the Paris region

Focus on the Véligo Location service in Île-de-France

An in-depth meeting was organised with Île-de-France Mobilités to discuss the Véligo Location service.

This long-term electric bike rental scheme is a direct source of inspiration for Guadalajara. Unlike traditional self-service systems, Véligo offers rentals over several months, promoting a lasting change in mobility habits.

This approach has inspired MiBici’s strategy to expand to other municipalities in the AMG. A pilot project will be launched in Guadalajara in March 2026: 34 electric bikes will be made available through a long-term rental system in order to assess the relevance of this model in the Latin American context.

The stakes are high: to test an innovative strategy that is still in its infancy in Latin America, drawing on feedback (best practices and areas for improvement) from a service that is now widely adopted in France.

Discussions with key actors in cycling and planning

The delegation also met with several major actors in the Parisian ecosystem:

• Smovengo, operator of the Vélib’ Métropole service, which organised a tour of its maintenance workshops and control centre, and provided electric bikes for field testing;
• The Paris Region Institute, IMEPLAN’s counterpart, enabling in-depth discussions on metropolitan planning;
• the City of Paris’s mobility agency, with a field visit dedicated to cycling facilities and the integration of cycling into public spaces.

These meetings provided an opportunity to address very concrete issues relating to the operation, maintenance, operational management and urban integration of cycling.

IIntegrating cycling into urban mobility policies

Beyond the economic model and management system, the delegation was able to explore in greater depth:

• strategies for integrating cycling into public transport networks;
• intermodal transport systems;
• urban regeneration policies that promote active modes of transport;
• the institutional and financial levers that have enabled the rapid growth in cycling.

These exchanges aim to strengthen the coherence between strategic planning, operational implementation and climate objectives in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.

Codatu, facilitator of international cooperation

By accompanying this visit, Codatu confirms its role as a facilitator of technical exchanges between territories and a supporter of sustainable mobility strategies in cities in the South.

The sharing of experiences between Europe and Latin America is a concrete lever for accelerating the transition to more sustainable, inclusive and resilient mobility systems.er concret pour accélérer la transition vers des systèmes de mobilité plus durables, inclusifs et résilients.