{"id":229447,"date":"2025-10-21T13:41:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/229447\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T13:41:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:41:08","slug":"when-bikes-outnumber-cars-what-scotlands-cycling-surge-can-teach-north-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/229447\/","title":{"rendered":"When Bikes Outnumber Cars: What Scotland\u2019s Cycling Surge Can Teach North America"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not Amsterdam or Copenhagen leading the latest cycling revolution\u2014it\u2019s Glasgow, Scotland. In May 2025, Scotland\u2019s largest city reached a milestone that would make any transportation planner in Portland, or Montreal do a double take: during the morning rush hour, there were more bicycles than cars traveling along Victoria Road, a major artery on the city\u2019s South City Way cycle route.<\/p>\n

The numbers tell a fantastic story. A daily average of more than 2,000 cycle journeys were recorded along the 3-kilometre route, which connects south-side neighbourhoods to Glasgow\u2019s downtown core. For the first time, bikes weren\u2019t just visible\u2014they were dominant. Meanwhile, the newly completed Byres Road cycle lanes in the city\u2019s bustling West End are already seeing over 1,000 daily riders, many commuting to work or school.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese latest traffic survey findings show just how much of an impact new safe, well-connected cycling infrastructure is having in Scotland,\u201d said Mark McIntyre of Cycling Scotland<\/a>. \u201cWhat we see very clearly is that just as in other countries, where Scotland builds networks of high-quality, protected cycle lanes that take people where they need to go, it gets more people cycling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across Scotland, the data paints the same picture: protected bike lanes are transforming everyday mobility. In Edinburgh, the landmark City Centre West East Link (CCWEL)\u2014a flagship project connecting the West End to the city centre\u2014saw cycling increase 90% year-over-year, reaching 1,375 daily trips in May 2025. Even in smaller cities like Stirling, where new protected routes now link the rail station to the university, daily ridership has climbed to 400 trips\u2014proof that when safe, direct routes are built, people use them.<\/p>\n

These numbers aren\u2019t just impressive; they\u2019re revolutionary. Glasgow City Council\u2019s counters recorded a 43% increase in citywide cycling over the same period last year. The secret isn\u2019t hidden policy genius or decades of cultural conditioning\u2014it\u2019s infrastructure. Build safe, continuous, and visible bike lanes, and the bikes will come.<\/p>\n

\"Scotland\"<\/p>\n

Scotland (photo: Cycling Scotland)<\/p>\n

Lessons for North America<\/p>\n

For North American cities still struggling to move beyond pilot projects and painted lines, Scotland\u2019s transformation offers a powerful lesson. Glasgow didn\u2019t achieve this through a massive overhaul\u2014it\u2019s still in the early stages of building out its cycling network. The South City Way is only 3 km long. But it connects real destinations: neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces, and transit hubs. It\u2019s protected, direct, and well maintained\u2014three qualities that consistently correlate with growth in ridership.<\/p>\n

Imagine, for instance, if a street like Toronto\u2019s Bloor, Vancouver\u2019s Broadway, or Seattle\u2019s Eastlake saw more bikes than cars during rush hour. The image feels aspirational\u2014but no longer impossible. Glasgow\u2019s data shows what happens when a city commits to giving people a real choice in how they get around.<\/p>\n

Building Momentum<\/p>\n

The ripple effects extend beyond Scotland. Across Europe, cities from Paris<\/a> to Dublin are rapidly expanding their cycle networks, spurred on by the same data-driven insights: safety and convenience are the catalysts. North American cities\u2014many already experimenting with quick-build protected lanes and \u201ccomplete street\u201d redesigns\u2014are watching closely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis type of impact is exactly what\u2019s been seen in places like Paris and Copenhagen where similar changes have been made at a big scale,\u201d McIntyre says. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason to think this success can\u2019t be replicated across the rest of Scotland and beyond as these networks continue to grow. It\u2019s hugely exciting, and with plans being developed across Scotland for more local cycling networks in towns, cities and rural areas, it\u2019s a sign of what can be achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, what\u2019s happening in Glasgow isn\u2019t just about counting cyclists. It\u2019s about changing the story of what\u2019s normal on city streets. Cars have dominated for a century, but in 2025, a city once known for its shipyards and soot quietly showed the world that a better balance is possible.<\/p>\n

For North American advocates and planners, it\u2019s a glimpse of the future\u2014and a challenge to make \u201cmore bikes than cars\u201d a headline on this side of the Atlantic too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s not Amsterdam or Copenhagen leading the latest cycling revolution\u2014it\u2019s Glasgow, Scotland. In May 2025, Scotland\u2019s largest city…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":229448,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-229447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229447\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}