Cycling in Quebec reaches record utilitarian use in 2025
Cycling in Quebec surged in 2025 as Vélo Québec reports a record number of people using bicycles for everyday trips, driven by e-bikes, bike-share expansion and new protected lanes.
Record growth in everyday cycling
Nearly 2.7 million Quebecers used a bicycle for utilitarian trips last year, Vélo Québec found in its 2025 state-of-cycling report. The report says cycling as a mode of transport rose sharply between 2020 and 2025, with a 28% increase among adults and a 24% rise among children.
Overall participation also climbed: 4.45 million Quebecers rode a bike in 2025, including 1.13 million children and 3.41 million adults. Vélo Québec attributes the change to improved infrastructure and broader access to e-bikes and shared systems.
Infrastructure investments behind the shift
Vélo Québec points to expanded, year-round protected lanes as a principal cause of the shift toward cycling in Quebec. Initiatives such as Montreal’s Réseau Express Vélo and Quebec City’s Corridors VivaCité are cited as high-impact examples that make daily cycling safer and more convenient.
The report notes provincial funding increases over the past eight years that helped municipalities build thousands of kilometres of bicycle lanes. Those investments, combined with routine maintenance of winter routes, have sustained year-round use in several urban centres.
E-bikes and bike-share reshape rider profiles
E-bikes are now a central driver of the cycling boom, with more than a quarter of Quebec cyclists — about 900,000 people — riding an electric-assist model in 2025. Vélo Québec also reports that nearly one-third of bikes sold in 2025 were electric, reflecting a rapid change in the market.
Shared bicycles expanded to 22 municipalities, and 19% of cyclists used bike-share services in 2025. That translated into roughly 16 million shared-bike trips last year, up from 4 million in 2020, highlighting the role of shared fleets in short urban trips and first‑mile/last‑mile connections.
Modal share rises in major metropolitan areas
City-level data show significant gains in cycling’s modal share. In central Montreal, cycling trips increased 56% to reach a 7.8% share in 2023, Vélo Québec reports. Quebec City saw a 50% rise over six years to 2.4% in 2023, while Gatineau recorded a 92% increase over 11 years to 2.5% in 2022.
Despite these gains, the organization notes that most cyclists also own cars: 93% hold a driver’s licence and 87% have access to a vehicle. Vélo Québec emphasizes that many residents choose between driving and cycling depending on the trip, underscoring complementarity rather than outright substitution.
Gender gap and barriers to wider participation
The report highlights persistent disparities in who cycles: in 2025, 42% of women reported riding a bicycle compared with 63% of men. Vélo Québec links the gap to safety concerns and mobility constraints related to domestic and caregiving responsibilities.
Usage patterns vary by intensity as well. Only 3% of Quebecers cycle year-round, while 11% ride frequently across three seasons and 38% cycle less often. Among non-cyclists, 19% say they might return under current conditions, 13% would ride if safety improved, and 6% if they received cycling instruction.
Political debate and the future of Montreal’s network
Vélo Québec’s leader, Jean‑François Rheault, welcomed the five‑year growth but expressed concern about political uncertainty in Montreal. He flagged a municipal audit of four bike lanes and the suspension of a Réseau Express Vélo project on Boulevard Lacordaire as examples of decisions that could slow momentum.
Rheault urged that the city demonstrate how changes will maintain safety and connectivity for cyclists, while warning against polarizing cyclists and motorists. He pointed to past mayoral administrations that expanded cycling infrastructure as evidence that political leadership can accelerate network development.
Recent data and analysis informing the report come from a Léger fall 2025 survey of 2,165 respondents, automated counters, origin–destination studies, bike-share system records, provincial and municipal open data, and other government sources. Vélo Québec’s methodology includes a reported margin of error of +/-2.1% for the full population and +/-3.1% for the cycling population.
Quebec’s cycling landscape has shifted rapidly in a few years, propelled by targeted infrastructure funding, new technology and services that lower barriers to everyday riding.
The report suggests continued gains are possible if municipal and provincial authorities sustain investments, address safety and parking tensions, and ensure networks remain connected and maintained year‑round.
