The veloconomy

The bike park in Quebec 

In 2020, the number of bicycles in Québec will reach 7.2 million bicycles, This represents an increase of 20% over 2010.

Over this period, Quebecers own 10% more bicycles than cars.

These figures reflect a fast-growing bicycle market, with retail outlets and manufacturers in good economic health (sales and maintenance).

The bicycle market in Quebec

The bicycle market - sales of bicycles and accessories - is undergoing a major transformation. sustained growth over the past 15 years.

In constant 2020 values, the market has grown from around 350M$ to 565M$ per year, an increase of over 60%!

Self-service bicycles

Québec was one of the precursors in the implementation of self-service bicycle systems, with Bixi.

In less than 15 years, Bixi has recorded over 50,000,000 journeys since its launch in 2008.

Today, more than twenty municipalities have deployed a system for sharing bicycles throughout Quebec.

Spin-offs from bicycle tourism

Bicycle tourism is a particularly popular activity, and one that generates substantial income. economic benefits.

It's the activity that certainly best embodies the principles of a sustainable tourism, A slow, responsible approach with numerous benefits for our communities.

More than any other mode of travel, bicycle tourism is a way of spreading income over the entire territory.

Visit Route verte and certification Bienvenue cyclistes! are two great tools for developing bicycle tourism in Quebec

Cyclology

Cyclologistics, or last-mile logistics by bicycle, is booming in many cities around the world. It enables the delivery of goods ranging from simple mail to the most bulky parcels (several hundred kilos!).

Visit Colibri project in Montreal since 2019 has been a success. The project in 2020 :

• 130,000 deliveries
• 80 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided, 
• 130,000 km and 16,000 truck hours avoided

By 2023, the project hopes to achieve 500,000 deliveries and spread across the entire conurbation.

Economic and commercial benefits of cycling infrastructure

The introduction of cycling infrastructure is often a source of concern for residents, and particularly for shopkeepers whose premises border these roads.

In many people's minds, access to car parking is a prerequisite for commercial success. Yet every scientific study shows the opposite (Toronto, New York, London, Copenhagen, Portland, Salt Lake City, Montreal).

Implementing a bike lane always has positive spin-offs for businesses: people on bikes go there more often, their average shopping basket is higher, and overall revenues end up increasing.

Health benefits

Whether for leisure or for travel, cycling is good for your health. While this fact is widely acknowledged on an individual level, what is less well known is that it is good for society as a whole!

Thanks to a method developed by the World Health Organization (the HEAT method), it is possible to measure the economic impact of cycling on a community. In Quebec, in 2020, the population cycled enough to generate annual economic spin-offs of the order of 2 billion dollars!

These savings can be measured both in terms of the benefits to the body (and hence the illnesses avoided), as well as in terms of the physical activity achieved and the pollution and noise avoided. These savings are equivalent to the construction of almost 1,000 day-care centers per year. Pedaling is not only good for your health, it's also good for the economy!