A giant ephemeral Vélib' station inaugurated at the foot of the Stade de France for the 2024 Olympics

With a capacity of 600 spaces, this car park is managed manually by Vélib' employees, unlike traditional automated stations. It will allow Olympic spectators to drop off and pick up self-service bicycles, in an area that was poorly equipped.

Financed by the Métropole du Grand Paris, this station is one of 14 giant ephemeral stations set up in Paris and the nearby suburbs around the Olympic sites (July 26-August 11), for a total of 3.600 places.

“The choice was made with the organizers and the communities that the mobility for these Games be decarbonized. They are based on public transport and on active mobility, walking and cycling,” declared during the inauguration Pierre- Antoine Molina, secretary general of the prefecture of the Île-de-France region.

To limit the carbon footprint of the competition, Paris-2024 does not provide car parking for spectators to encourage them to adopt other means of transport. In addition to the existing network of cycle paths, 150 kilometers of “Olympists” have been developed to facilitate access to the stadiums by bike.

This push was particularly focused on Seine-Saint-Denis and the accessibility of the Stade de France, previously difficult to reach by bike and with almost non-existent two-wheeler parking capacities. Since Wednesday, the stadium has been hosting the Olympic rugby sevens events.

In this working-class department, the poorest in mainland France, the cycling network and practice are less developed than inside the capital.

“Beyond the symbol of the Vélib’, there is a concrete, daily use. This (ephemeral) station must mark future development, it must call for many others,” said the PS mayor of Saint-Denis Mathieu Hanotin.

According to the town hall, nearly 6.000 bicycle parking spaces (parking lots, self-service) will be possible around the Stade de France during the Olympics.

“It must be a reflex for all organizers of major events (...) to systematically call Vélib’ to set up temporary stations,” said Sylvain Raifaud, president of the Autolib Vélib’ Métropole Union.

Strongly criticized by users in recent years for its service deficiencies, the Vélib' service has been strengthened in recent months in preparation for the Olympics.