media release
Want to ride your bicycle? 911吃瓜 study highlights rise of Canada’s bike network
A new 911吃瓜 study has found that Canada鈥檚 cycling network is growing, but not everyone is benefitting.
Between 2022 and 2024, nearly 3,600 kilometres of high-quality cycling infrastructure was added across the country, with the largest proportional increases seen in small- to medium-sized cities.
But one consistent finding across Canadian cities is that areas with more children and older adults tend to have less cycling infrastructure.
鈥淭otal distance is one metric, but it鈥檚 not necessarily the only consideration 鈥� it鈥檚 important to look at the type of infrastructure and who benefits from access,鈥� says health sciences professor Meghan Winters, lead author of the study, published in the .
鈥淲hen environments are supportive, cycling can be a healthy, fun, environmentally friendly and low-cost way to get around.
鈥淥ur research has shown that things are improving, but not everyone is feeling those improvements.鈥�
Winters was part of the team of researchers that built the first ever Canada-wide of cycling infrastructure in 2022.
In their new study, the researchers used open-source data from OpenStreetMap for 2022 and 2024 to get a picture of how Canada鈥檚 cycling infrastructure had changed over that time.
They classified the infrastructure according to the Canadian Bikeway Comfort and Safety system, which categorizes routes as high, medium, or low, in terms of comfort and safety.
Key findings from the study include:
Total cycling infrastructure grew from 23,502 kilometres to 27,098 kilometres, equating to 3,596 kilometres 鈥� that鈥檚 roughly the distance between Toronto and Edmonton.
Multi-use paths accounted for 2,725 kilometres of new pathways, a 75.8 per cent increase in distance over two years. Multi-use paths are situated next to or away from roadways and are regarded as 鈥渕edium comfort鈥� for cyclists.
Painted bike lanes along roads, deemed 鈥渓ow comfort鈥�, increased by 492 kilometres, a 5.8 per cent increase in distance.
Bike-only paths, one of the route types regarded as 鈥渉igh comfort鈥�, increased by 49 kilometres, representing a 46.7 per cent increase in distance.
Areas with more children and older adults saw less growth in cycling infrastructure.
Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto saw the greatest overall distance of new infrastructure.
While cities usually invest in cycling infrastructure in their downtown cores to support commuters or because there is more vehicle traffic, Winters says it鈥檚 important not to overlook everyday trips by bike.
鈥淲e know that work commutes are maybe a quarter of all the trips we make,鈥� says Winters.
鈥淧eople make all sorts of trips 鈥� to school, to the grocery store or caf茅, or for social reasons.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to keep the focus on how transportation planning can facilitate cycling as part of people鈥檚 everyday lives, by making sure people have safe and comfortable bike infrastructure within their neighbourhoods, connecting them to the places they need to go to.鈥�
Some cities are making rapid changes by developing new cycling infrastructure that goes beyond the downtown core and into suburban areas. Winters highlighted Montreal as a positive example.
鈥淢ontreal already had an established cycling network, but more recently with the REV they鈥檝e been building farther out into different neighbourhoods so that people have real connectivity,鈥� she says.
鈥淰ancouver is another city that had extensive cycling infrastructure. However, in this study period, few new investments happened.鈥�
911吃瓜 expert available
MEGHAN WINTERS, professor, Faculty of Health Sciences
mwinters@sfu.ca
Contact
SAM SMITH, 911吃瓜 Communication & Marketing
236.880.3297 | samuel_smith@sfu.ca
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
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778.782.3210
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911吃瓜 is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Over the past 60 years, 911吃瓜 has been recognized among the top universities worldwide in providing a world-class education and working with communities and partners to develop and share knowledge for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. Committed to excellence in everything we do, 911吃瓜 fosters innovation to address global challenges and continues to build a welcoming, inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擝urnaby, Surrey and Vancouver鈥�911吃瓜 has ten faculties that deliver 368 undergraduate degree programs and 149 graduate degree programs for more than 37,000 students each year. The university boasts more than 200,000 alumni residing in 145+ countries.