Every day, Eco-Counter records the number of cyclists passing by its sensors in 176 locations around the world.
When it tallied its North American numbers for 2017, a Vancouver bridge came out on top.
The Burrard Bridge was the busiest bike route among all of the locations where its counters can be found in Canada and the United States.
“With the expansive (and rapidly expanding) network of bicycle lanes, Vancouver has emerged as a world-leading cycling city,” the company’s press release says. “On the Burrard Bridge, a popular commuter crossing point from the beautiful Kitsilano neighbourhood into downtown Vancouver, the city’s Eco-Display Classic clocked 1.13 million counts in 2017 (average: 3,100 per day) — the highest in North America! Congratulations, Vancouver!”
Also making the list in ascending order:
#2: Tikkum Crossing in Portland, Oregon, with an average 2,783 counts a day
#3: Fremont Bridge in Seattle with an average of 2,639 counts a day
#4: Market Street in San Francisco with an average of 1,738 trips a day and
#5: Rue Laurier in Montreal (and the only other Canadian city on the list) with an average of 1,635 counts a day.
But before Vancouver gets feeling a bit smug, a trip to the Eco-Counter website reveals that the city with the busiest bike route is Freiburg, Germany. On January 23, Eco-Counter counted 11,020 bicycle trips. The city’s daily average is 7,488, more than twice Vancouver’s.
“The main reason the Burrard Bridge is so popular is there’s a safe and comfortable space to ride,” says Laura Jane, the acting executive director of the HUB Cycling coalition. Although it’s a popular route between Kitsilano and English Bay, its connection to other bike routes make it very popular among bike commuters.
A protected bike lane was first created in 2009 and there were upgrades last year.
When it comes to rivals of favourite bike routes, Jane says the numbers for the route near Science World are equal to if not higher.
The City of Vancouver recently announced that it was making modifications to the Cambie Bridge to make it safer for the high volume of pedestrians and cyclists.
Jane says that in the summer, cycling traffic on the Cambie Bridge can peak at 3,200 on a summer’s day.
As to the Granville Bridge with its unprotected paths for both cyclists and pedestrians, let’s not go there.
