Economy
Environment
The true costs of our mobility choices
Economy
Explore the economic benefits of cycling—not only for your wallet, but for Quebec society as a whole.
Discover all 3 subjects of the thematic
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Economic and Commercial Benefits
Many bike-related benefits are individual – health, environment, personal finances – but a majority of them is collective. If the bike industry generates revenues at the national level, biking also contributes to commercial vitality on our streets. In opposition to common misconceptions, a vast array of scientific studies around the world have shown that biking infrastructures are beneficial for businesses. Customers on bikes usually shop more often and spend more, benefitting the local shops.
Image credits: © Stéphane Blais
What About Quebec?
The Case of the CVC on the Chemin Sainte-Foy in Quebec City
Because they make them more comfortable and attractive, biking infrastructures raise street attendance by pedestrian and cyclists alike, contributing to commercial vitality.
Inaugurated during summer 2023, the segment of the Corridor VivaCité (CVC) on the chemin Saint-Foy is one of the key projects of the City of Quebec to promote biking. Composed of unidirectional bike paths separated by a buffer zone and reflecting delineators, this infrastructure of 2.4 km is one of the first of a network that will span up to 150 km in 2034.
Net Credit Card Sales
+ 9.93%
between 2023 and 2024
Bike traffic
+6.9%
between 2023 and 2024
Pedestrian traffic
+ 94%
between 2023 and 2024
Biking, the Best Ally for Urban Delivery
Delivery services take an increasing place in our lives and our cities. Since their inception during the XIXth century, bikes are used to deliver goods more easily in urban areas. With the rise of cargo bikes in the past few years, cycle logistics is more and more present in Europe and is starting to be more visible in North America and Quebec.
Implemented 10 years ago in Montreal, the Colibri project allows us to measure the impacts of this type of delivery services on our communities: less GHGs, ore deliveries per hour, less trucks in our streets and increased safety for unprotected users.
+ 15%more deliveries per hour with cycle logistics compared to trucks
Operation costs reduced by 40%when bikes are used instead of trucks
300,000 kmof truck traffic avoided every year
30,000 hof truck traffic avoided every year
250 tonsof CO₂ equivalent avoided every year
Data: (Deliveries) Colibri (2021). Transformer la livraison de colis pour une ville plus durable - (Costs) Meloche, J.-P., Vaillancourt, F., Trépanier, M. et al. (2024). Encadrer les livraisons à domicile pour réduire les impacts négatifs du commerce de détail - (Trucks/Emissions) Website of the Colibri Iberville project by Coop Carbone
Credits: (Deliveries) pikselstock/AdobeStock - (Costs/Trucks/Emissions) © Anne Williams
