This transformation has been especially visible in cities like Montreal<\/a> and Quebec City<\/a>, where cycling\u2019s share of trips has surged by more than 50% in just five years. In central Montreal, nearly 8% of all trips are now made by bike\u2014numbers that place it among the leading cycling cities in North America.<\/p>\n How this is happening should surprise nobody: safe and separated cycling infrastructure. Since 1995, Quebec has expanded its cycling network fivefold, now totaling more than 11,500 kilometres, including nearly 5,000 kilometres of routes physically separated from traffic. In recent years, high-profile projects like Montreal\u2019s express bike network have accelerated that momentum, creating safer, faster corridors that make cycling a viable alternative to driving.<\/p>\n \u201cThe data are unequivocal: infrastructure directly influences usage,\u201d the report notes. When cities build safe, connected bike networks, people ride\u2014often in large numbers.<\/p>\n Montreal bike network<\/p>\n That pattern is increasingly familiar across North America, where cities from New York to Vancouver have seen similar spikes in cycling following investments in protected lanes. Quebec\u2019s experience reinforces the idea that demand for biking isn\u2019t fixed\u2014it responds quickly to the right conditions.<\/p>\n According to the report, this isn\u2019t a story about replacing cars. Not entirely. The vast majority of Quebec cyclists\u201493%\u2014still hold driver\u2019s licenses, and 87% own a vehicle. Instead, cycling is emerging as a complementary mode, particularly for shorter urban trips. With nearly 40% of workers living within five kilometres of their workplace, the potential for mode shift remains significant.<\/p>\n![\"Montreal](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/montreal2.jpg\")
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