Forget electric cars. The revolution in urban transport is being led by the ordinary bicycle

To understand why urban planners are putting so much faith in bicycles, one only needs to stand on Saint Denis Street in Montreal. In just ten minutes, The Economist correspondent counted 132 cyclists — some even carrying children — compared to only 82 cars, most of them with a single occupant, and one city bus. Cars cause congestion, while the bike lane remains spacious even during rush hour. On one day in June, more than 14,000 people used it.

Over the past decade — particularly under Mayor Valérie Plante, in office since 2017 — Montreal has become the most cycling-friendly city in North America. In some neighborhoods, bike trips account for up to one-fifth of all journeys. More than a third of the city’s residents cycle at least once a week, and the number of rides in the Bixi bike-sharing system has doubled since 2019 — reaching 13 million last year.

An Intersection in Montreal

An Urban Revolution Without Roaring Engines

This boom isn’t limited to Canada. Cycling is once again becoming a key part of urban mobility across the world — and, surprisingly, it’s replacing the dreams of tech giants about autonomous electric cars. Why? Because bicycles are cheap, efficient, non-polluting, and take up far less space than cars.

In fact, bikes have become so popular that they’ve started to divide society. Cities are supporting them more and more — and not everyone is happy about it. A new “cultural war” is emerging between cyclists and motorists.

In New York, more than 250,000 shared bike rides take place every three days — the same number of trips that the entire Waymo robotaxi fleet completes in a week. In London’s financial district, cyclists now outnumber cars two to one. In Paris, they even outnumber motorists citywide. And traditional cycling strongholds like Amsterdam and Copenhagen are also reporting further increases in the number of riders.

Even in Beijing — where cyclists were practically driven off the roads by cars thirty years ago — bicycles are making a comeback, though now more often in the form of sleek folding Bromptons than the cheap black Flying Pigeon bikes of the communist era.

Montreal boasts the oldest bike-sharing system in North America

Three Reasons for the Cycling Renaissance

COVID-19:
The pandemic fundamentally changed commuting habits. People avoided public transport and bought bikes — often their first ones. Some governments even introduced “pop-up” bike lanes to support social distancing. In the U.S., 18% of respondents admitted buying a bike during this period, while in Tokyo, 23% of commuters switched from trains to bicycles.
E-bikes:
Technological advances have made them cheaper and more accessible. With pedal-assist, they are suitable even for people who couldn’t manage a regular bike. You can reach a business meeting or do a family shopping trip — without sweating or changing clothes. E-bikes have also boosted the profitability of bike-sharing systems; in Chicago, they are used 70% more than traditional bikes.
Safe Infrastructure:
Cycling disappeared from streets mainly because it wasn’t safe among cars. But with the arrival of separated bike lanes, the situation has changed dramatically. These lanes are the biggest draw — increasing safety and attracting new users. They are also cheaper than subways or roads, and if done well, they can significantly ease traffic congestion.
Brent Toderian, former chief urban planner of Vancouver, says: “When you create cycling infrastructure that can compete with cars, bicycles have enormous potential to alleviate the transport crisis.”

Cyclists vs. Cars?

Madeleine Giey, a 37-year-old mother of three from Montreal, never rode a bike before. Now she cycles every day — first dropping her kids at school, then commuting to work. She and her husband even gave up their second car.

Not even the weather can stop Canadians

Under Mayor Plante’s leadership, the city is closing streets to cars, narrowing roads, and eliminating parking spaces. The goal isn’t to ban cars, but to slow them down and make streets safer. According to her, businesses benefit as well — since the opening of the bike lane on Saint Denis Street, the number of empty storefronts has halved.

Yet bike lanes have become a political issue. Opposition candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada wants to halt construction and remove some lanes, arguing they inconvenience businesses. She is not alone — the term “war on cars” was popularized a decade ago by Rob Ford, then mayor of Toronto, who famously smoked crack and pushed for the removal of both streetcars and bike lanes.

Political Battle

Even so, cycling infrastructure remains a politically explosive topic. In Montreal, bike lanes occupy less than 2% of roads, cars about 80%, and the rest belongs to pedestrians. Still, bike lanes are a key issue in upcoming elections. Opposition parties propose halting construction and removing certain sections. Criticism of bike lanes is often part of conservative rhetoric. Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Reform Party, describes low speed limits and bike lanes as “woke anti-car fanaticism.” Richard Holden, shadow transport minister, talks about a “war on drivers.”

The “war on cars” debate is global. In the UK, populists claim bike lanes and low speed limits reflect “woke ideology.” In Germany, Berlin’s new conservative government paused bike lane construction. In the U.S., under Donald Trump, federal support for green transport — including bike lanes — came under scrutiny. While left-leaning cities invest in bikes, cars have become a symbol of conservative resistance. In New York, for example, socialist Zohran Mamdani, who doesn’t own a car and boasts thousands of city bike rides, won the election. In areas where car use is low, he outpolled former Governor Andrew Cuomo by a significant margin.

Bike lanes in Montreal’s Plateau neighborhood

E-bikes and Challenges

With the growing popularity of e-bikes, problems are also emerging. They are heavier and faster, and when handled by inexperienced riders, the risk of accidents increases. In London, doctors report a rise in fractures, while in the Netherlands cyclist fatalities reached a record high in 2022. A major issue is so-called “fast illegal e-bikes” — those with throttles that exceed the legal speed of 25 km/h. They are mostly used by delivery couriers, since faster rides mean higher earnings. However, they pose a threat to pedestrians and other cyclists. In New York, the city police cracked down on them, even arresting some riders, which angered advocates of urban cycling, as car drivers often only receive fines for similar violations.

No Going Back? Unlikely

Despite these complications, in cities where cycling has become an integral part of life, the idea of returning to congested streets seems almost unthinkable. Dutch former Prime Minister Mark Rutte commuted by bike. Danish King Frederik last year brought his children to a charity event on an electric cargo bike. In Paris, people now complain more about bike congestion than car traffic. Montreal may soon face similar congestion — this time for cyclists. And, as the British would say, that’s the right direction.

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