Berkeley Planning Journal

This article examines cycling trends over time, as well as differences in cy- cling levels, policies, and programs among different Canadian provinces and metropolitan areas. Some policies and measures have been quite successful and innovative, providing valuable lessons for other countries about how best to increase cycling while improving its safety. While Canadian cities have been more successful than American cities at promoting cycling as a mode of transport, they fall far short of European cities. As noted in the conclusion of this article, there are two key differences that help explain the much higher levels of cycling in Europe: more compact land-use patterns leading to shorter trip distances and a wide range of policies discouraging car use by making it more expensive or more difficult.