The publication of The state of cycling in Quebec in 2015, This major survey of bicycle use, carried out by Vélo Québec every five years, confirms that bicycle use is a fundamental trend, a must. More and more Quebecers are choosing to cycle for leisure, transportation and tourism.
The survey shows that 4.2 million Quebecers ride bicycles (including one million children), 2.7 million of whom use them every week. Over the past 20 years, the number of cyclists in Quebec has increased by 600,000. However, the most encouraging fact to emerge from the 2015 survey is the reversal of the downward trend in cycling among young people observed between 2000 and 2010. Thus, 85 % of 3 to 17 year-olds cycled in 2015, and 69 % cycled at least once a week (from May to September).
Cycling as a means of transportation is now used by 1.9 million people in Quebec. In Montreal, the number of bicycle trips for transportation purposes increased by 57 % between 2008 and 2013. We even achieved modal shares of 4 % for bicycle trips in the center of the island of Montreal, where one million people live, and nearly 11 % in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, where more than 100,000 people live.
These good results can be explained in particular by the development of the cycling network. Since 2010, it has grown by 30 % to reach 12,000 kilometers from one end of Quebec to the other. This is excellent news when you consider that more than half of all bicycle trips are made on cycle paths. In other words, the more bike lanes there are, the more confident people will feel about cycling, and the more they'll ride.
The other good news is the proportion of women cycling. The male/female ratio is an excellent indicator of how safe cycling conditions are. The safer it is, the more women use their bikes. In Quebec, 45% of cyclists are women, which is excellent.
Cycling is not just a practical activity, it's also an important part of our economy. For the first time, we have evaluated the economic impact of cycling. With annual spending of $1.2 billion on bicycle tourism and the bicycle market, cycling in Quebec generates the equivalent of 10,000 jobs and $215 million in taxes for our governments.
In a nutshell, The state of cycling in Quebec in 2015 is a survey rich in useful information that will help governments and cities in their planning. A contribution from Vélo Québec of which we are very proud. I invite you to take a look.
Suzanne Lareau
President and General Manager
