The Bike SP Project, co-coordinated by researcher Fabio Kon (IME-USP and ICoNIoT), will launch its second pilot program in September/October 2026. The project offers credits on the Bilhete Único transit card to citizens who use bicycles for their daily commutes.
The Bike SP Project, co-coordinated by researcher Fabio Kon (IME-USP and ICoNIoT), will launch its second pilot program in September/October 2026. The project offers credits on the Bilhete Único transit card to citizens who use bicycles for their daily commutes.
Researchers from IME-USP and FGV Cidades are leading an initiative to assess the impact of the Bike SP program on urban mobility behavior. The study, supported by FAPESP, CNPq, and Tembici, aims to inform evidence-based public policies at a time when the city government is considering regulations for the program.
Up to August 24, any adult resident of the city of São Paulo who owns an Android phone, has an active Bilhete Único, and is able to ride a bike can sign up for the pilot program. Registration is done via the link ime.usp.br/bikesp, after completing a free, mandatory mini-course on traffic safety.
Those selected to participate in the pilot program will be notified by email. Currently, the project is particularly interested in attracting people who do not use bicycles for their daily commutes. Residents of the East, South, and North Zones are also given priority.
Starting in July, selected participants should download the Bike SP app (available only for Android phones) and register the addresses they most frequently use as the starting point or destination of their trips. In September, the pilot program will officially begin: up to two bike trips per day will earn credits on the Bilhete Único, which will be added directly to your card and can be validated at the physical recharge machines already available at public transportation terminals and stations.
“The Municipal Department of Transportation approached us to provide a scientific basis for the Bike SP regulations. Our intention in turning it into a pilot project on the streets was to use the scientific method to understand how the program and its associated software would function in a real-world environment. We will derive the necessary insights by analyzing cyclists’ behavior,” explains Fabio Kon. He is coordinating the research alongside Ciro Biderman, director and researcher at FGV Cidades.
Innovation
The Bike SP program was created by Municipal Law 16.547/2016, which established the possibility of compensating cyclists as a way to encourage active mobility and reduce the use of motorized transportation. The policy, however, was never regulated or actually implemented, and until now, it had not been tested on a large scale.
The city of São Paulo has been expanding its network of bike lanes and already boasts the largest network dedicated to cyclists in Brazil, spanning more than 770 km. The city’s goal is to increase the number of cyclists on the streets fivefold by 2030, as outlined in the São Paulo Municipal Climate Action Plan 2020–2050. The pilot project aims to help the city achieve this goal. The research is funded by FAPESP, CNPq, and Tembici, and is affiliated with EcoSustain, INCT ICoNIoT, and FGV Cidades, the Center for Innovation in Urban Public Policy.
The project’s website provides additional information; visit it and share it.