Cycling in Vancouver: A portrait of bicycle ridership and safety in Vancouver 2010-2020

The report finds that bicycle ridership in Vancouver grew consistently between 2010 and 2020, driven by a 28% expansion of the protected cycling network. While total collisions decreased in 2019 and 2020, the highest collision risk occurs in late fall and early winter. A key finding is the distinction between high-frequency collision sites (often in the downtown core on existing facilities) and high-risk sites (often on arterials lacking protected infrastructure).

• Bicycle ridership in Vancouver has seen consistent yearly growth over the last decade, with three downtown counting systems showing a 40% increase between 2011 and 2019. This growth is linked to the protected cycling network, which expanded by 28% between 2010 and 2020 to reach approximately 328 kilometers.
• Winter cycling is increasing in popularity, with growth observed over the last five winters. By the 2020/2021 winter, cycling volume represented 29.6% of summer traffic on the Burrard Bridge, up from 20.8% five years prior.
• The COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift in cycling patterns: overall activity grew by 6% in 2020, but commuting trips to the downtown core declined sharply. Conversely, recreational routes such as the False Creek Seawall and Point Grey saw growth between 30% and 60%.
• Reported bicycle-vehicle collisions decreased by 15% in 2019 and 43% in 2020 compared to the previous four-year average. The report attributes these reductions to the expanded protected bike network and a significant drop in vehicle exposure during 2020.
• Collision risk for cyclists is highest during the late fall and early winter, specifically from November to January, due to increased precipitation and reduced visibility. The risk in November is double that of July.
• There is a divergence between intersections with the highest frequency of collisions and those with the highest relative risk. While many high-frequency sites are in downtown Vancouver on existing bike facilities, the highest-risk intersections are typically on arterials with high vehicle volumes and no protected cycling infrastructure.

APA

Beitel, D., & Fralich, C. (2021). Cycling in Vancouver: A portrait of bicycle ridership and safety in Vancouver 2010-2020. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Analysis-Vancouver-CAPE-Nov-2021.pdf

Chicago

Beitel, David, and Catherine Fralich. Cycling in Vancouver: A portrait of bicycle ridership and safety in Vancouver 2010-2020. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2021. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Analysis-Vancouver-CAPE-Nov-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beitel |first1=David |last2=Fralich |first2=Catherine |title=Cycling in Vancouver: A portrait of bicycle ridership and safety in Vancouver 2010-2020 |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=November 2021 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Analysis-Vancouver-CAPE-Nov-2021.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{beitel2021cycling, author = {Beitel, David and Fralich, Catherine}, title = {{Cycling in Vancouver: A portrait of bicycle ridership and safety in Vancouver 2010-2020}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Analysis-Vancouver-CAPE-Nov-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }