The city of Rimini, with its Roman origins and unique position between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa, has long experienced the challenges of balancing urban growth and environmental resilience. From the 1960s onwards, major hydraulic and infrastructural works transformed the urban landscape, paving the way for what is now known as the “Green Ring” — a natural cycling and walking loop that connects the historic centre, the seafront and surrounding neighbourhoods through an extensive network of parks and regenerated areas.

The first significant push towards everyday cycling came in the 1990s, when Rimini developed its earliest cycle routes along the seafront, historic avenues and former riverbeds. This initial infrastructure laid the foundation for a steady expansion of cycling as a daily mode of transport. From 2004 onwards, the city intensified its investments, creating safe and accessible routes for commuting, school travel, tourism, and recreation.

Today, Rimini’s commitment to sustainable mobility is embodied in its Bicipolitana, an urban cycling network designed with the logic of a metro system. It consists of 8 main lines and totals 196.5 km of cycling and walking infrastructure. The city aims to expand the network to at least 220 km in the coming years.

The network includes:

• Extensive mixed-use pedestrian and cycling paths (129.4 km)
• Both bidirectional (142 km) and one-way cycle paths (54.5 km)
• Infrastructure at street level, riverside embankments (33.6 km), underpasses (3.9 km) and overpasses (3.8 km)
• Historic-naturalistic trails, such as the Marecchia cycleway, part of regional and national cycling routes

In recent years, Rimini has also prioritised urban reconnections, building new underpasses and overpasses to remove dangerous crossings. These works have helped to link the city from sea to hinterland, integrating cycling with public spaces, schools and residential areas.

Cycling in Rimini is not only about daily mobility but also about tourism and culture. The city is connected to the Adriatic Cycle Route (Ciclovia Adriatica), part of Italy’s National System of Tourist Cycle Routes, as well as regional routes such as the Emilia Cycle Route (ER8) and the Romagna–Versilia Cycle Route (ER33). At the provincial level, 20 mapped cycling itineraries connect Rimini with its picturesque hinterland, historic villages and natural landscapes.

Data monitoring and innovation play a key role in Rimini’s mobility strategy. The bicycle counters and the Mobility Geoportal provide real-time information on cycling flows, infrastructure and CO₂ savings. In 2025, nearly 490,000 cycling trips were recorded at a single counter on Via Flaminia, with an estimated 199 tons of CO₂ saved.

Sustainable shared mobility is also on the rise. Since 2023, Rimini has operated a fleet of 1,300 shared e-bikes, used for both residents’ daily commutes and tourists’ last-mile connections. In just over two years, shared e-bikes have been rented more than 868,000 times, contributing to a measurable reduction in emissions and supporting Rimini’s shift toward greener transport.

Through continuous infrastructure development, monitoring and integration with national and regional networks, Rimini is positioning itself as a leading city for cycling and sustainable mobility, combining its cultural heritage with modern environmental goals.