Overview
- The BOE ordinance, in force since October 2025, lets the state turn road shoulders into segregated bike lanes when safety is guaranteed and the road still works as intended.
- The rule requires connected routes, so projects must link with existing paths to avoid short, isolated stretches that drop riders back into traffic.
- DGT data underpin the change, noting that motor vehicles are involved in 90% of cycling deaths and that 46 cyclists died in 2024 in Spain.
- During the rollout, cyclists must use the right shoulder when it is passable, may leave it only on long descents if safe, ride two abreast except in poor visibility, and file into a single line in crowds.
- Each conversion needs technical checks to protect emergency space and traffic flow, and authorities say enforcement will increase while designs and works move ahead.