by Aretha Munro

February 15, 2011

Montreal Bike Lane Lead

Courtesy of LeafsGuru

Cyclist using a separated bike lane in Montreal.

By Aretha Munro

"If it was safe, I would ride." This is what you hear from those who are bike-curious and not yet converted to the two-wheels. The risk of injury for a cyclist who is sharing the road with motor vehicles is always a concern. Both inexperienced and experienced riders can agree. One solution to increase the ridership and safety of cyclists is to build and invest in bike infrastructure.

A recent study published in the international peer-reviewed journal for health professionals, Injury Prevention, brings good news to separated bike lanes. The study is entitled Risk of Injury for Bicycling on Cycle Tracks Versus in the Street, and was conducted in Montreal where there is a longstanding network of separated bike lanes. Bicyclist injury rates on separated bike lanes were compared to injury rates on the street. The use of six separated bike lanes and comparable Montreal streets were analyzed, as well as the crash and injury counts to determine the relative risks.

The study concludes that separated bike lanes (physically separated bicycle-exclusive paths along roads) lessen, or at least do not increase, crash and injury rates compared to cycling on the street. They found that the risk of injury for cyclists using Montreal's separated bike lanes was about 28 percent lower than cyclists riding on Montreal roads that are unprotected from traffic. Additionally, overall, 2.5 times as many cyclists used the cycle track streets compared to the reference streets. In the end, these researchers believe that the construction of separated bike lanes should not be discouraged.

The fact that riding in a separated bike lane is safer than not, may seem like a no-brainer to most readers. Nevertheless, it lessens the counter-argument that bike lanes provide a false sense of security. As well, these recent findings can be useful for those advocating for the increase in bike infrastructure, bike safety, bike promotion and bike ridership in their cities.

Read the recently published study here.

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by Aretha Munro

February 15, 2011

Latest Comments

  • Funny comments

    There are some funny comments here.

    There is no evidence in the report that the existence of segregated cycle paths on a road makes other roads more dangerous. That's taking well-researched statistics and assigning them a bizarre invented causality which has no basis in fact.

    With regards to safety in numbers, from the report it's impossible to say whether the safety increase is due to that or not, however EVEN IF IT IS then that's a very positive outcome for cycle tracks. Clearly they increase cycling numbers (2.5 times more cyclists on the sections with tracks) so even if the safety increase is SOLELY due to more cyclists then they are still a winner! However, there is no evidence of that either.

    Surely everybody has realised by now that without cycling infrastructure you are simply going to struggle to get your modal share above 1 or 2%, as much as you might wish that NOT to be the case if you're opposed to special cycling infrastructure!

    Hopefully this will provide more ammunition against those determined to hold back cycling as a mass activity due to their own selfish prejudices.

    Posted by AJ July 09, 2012 14:39:59

  • one way streets

    Montreal has a lot of one way streets and I found that they are pretty safe to ride on because they're wide enough to accommodate a car and bike at the same time. They are not in the best of shape pot hole wise though and are usually the last to get fixed.

    Posted by Leslie Murray July 09, 2012 13:57:02

  • Granada

    What is an urban bikeway?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrvdJU0tuYc

    Posted by Juan José Bautista March 07, 2011 08:03:33

  • Nice study

    Although I don't entirely agree with the interpretation of the data.
    I wonder if the results isn't just a case of "safety by numbers" as there where 2.5 as many cyclists using the cycle lanes on the cycle track streets as there where on the streets without separate cycle lanes. Also, the cycle track streets doesn't seem in all cases comparable to the reference streets especially so when injuries are statistically fewer on the cycle track streets. Those streets do have fewer "motor vehicle occupants" injuries and therefore seem less dangerous for all road users.

    In any case there is a lot of studies from e.g. the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland indicating how best to construct bicycle infrastructure and what pitfalls to avoid in such an endeavor. One way cycle tracks seem to be better in that respect than two way tracks.

    Posted by Árni Davíðsson March 05, 2011 16:30:01

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