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As part of ITDP’s global Cycling Cities campaign and with support from the FIA Foundation, this report finds that networks of protected bicycle lanes in middle-income cities reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower transport costs, and prevent premature road fatalities in a highly cost-effective way. 

Connected networks of physically-protected bicycle lanes, rather than disconnected, unprotected lanes or other policy measures, are the most important factor in increasing cycling usage. This study provides quantitative evidence to support this by examining the impacts of citywide networks of protected bicycle lanes in two cities in middle-income countries — Bogotá, Colombia and Guangzhou, China.

The findings of this research also enable anyone to model the climate impacts that a bicycle lane network would have in their city. ITDP developed a free SCOPE modeling tool (available in Excel) to predict the climate impacts of any proposed bicycle lane development. You can also access SCOPE modeling tools for bus rapid transit (BRT) and off-street parking.

Learn More

• Continue Reading on the ITDP Blog →
• Read the press release from the FIA Foundation →
• Download the “Making the Economic Case for Cycling” report →
• Watch the “Protected Bike Lanes Protect the Climate” webinar →
• Access the Mastering the Cycling City Learning Hub Course →

Interested in learning more about this research or have a press inquiry? Email us at mobility@itdp.org.