Shared Safety Benefits of Bike Lanes: A Pedestrian Perspective
Description de la présentation
Introduction
Active transportation such as walking and cycling plays an important role in creating healthier and more sustainable cities (Canada, 2011). However, traffic danger remains one of the main barriers preventing people from using these modes (Handy, Boarnet, Ewing, & Killingsworth, 2002; Rothman et al., 2021). Many studies have focused on how bike lanes improve cyclist safety (Fazio et al., 2021; Harris & Roberts, 2026), but fewer studies have explored how bike lanes can also improve pedestrian safety.
This research focuses on the relationship between cycling infrastructure and pedestrian safety. The study aims to show that adding bike lanes—especially protected bike lanes—can reduce traffic danger not only for cyclists, but also for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
How Bike Lanes Can Influence Pedestrian Safety
Adding bike lanes can change street conditions in several ways. In many cases, bike lanes reduce the space available for vehicles, which can lead to lower vehicle speeds and calmer traffic conditions. Protected bike lanes can also improve visibility and organize traffic movement more effectively.
These changes may reduce conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians, especially on streets with high traffic volumes or unsafe crossing conditions. Bike lanes may therefore act as indirect traffic calming measures that improve the overall safety of the street.
The study investigates how these infrastructure changes can influence pedestrian safety levels in urban environments.
Research Objective
The main objective of this research is to evaluate how the implementation of bike lanes influences pedestrian safety.
The study aims to:
Measure traffic hazard levels before and after bike lane implementation
Analyze how bike lanes influence pedestrian safety conditions
Evaluate the relationship between infrastructure changes and vulnerable road-user exposure
Understand how areas with higher pedestrian, cyclist, or population density may benefit more from cycling infrastructure
Methodology
The study uses different case studies from the city of Montreal.
A Traffic Hazard Model developed by researchers at Polytechnique Montréal is used to measure the level of traffic danger at the street-segment level. The model is based on a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach.
The model considers several criteria related to traffic danger, including:
Traffic volume
Vehicle speed
Number of traffic lanes
Street direction
Driver behavior
Visibility conditions
Presence of traffic calming measures
Heavy vehicle presence
Land use importance
First, the traffic hazard level is measured before the bike lane project. Then, the same analysis is repeated after the implementation of the bike lane. The results are compared to evaluate how the project influences pedestrian safety.
Exposure and Vulnerability Analysis
In addition to traffic hazard levels, the study also considers pedestrian and cyclist exposure.
Pedestrian volume and cyclist volume are integrated into the analysis to better understand how many vulnerable users are exposed to traffic danger on each street segment. Areas with higher pedestrian and cyclist activity may experience greater safety benefits after the implementation of bike lanes.
The study also considers population density and surrounding land use to identify locations where safety improvements may have the greatest impact. By combining traffic hazard levels with pedestrian, cyclist, and population exposure, the study can better evaluate how overall risk changes after the addition of bike lanes.
Expected Results
The research expects to show that bike lanes can significantly reduce traffic danger not only for cyclists, but also for pedestrians.
The study also expects to demonstrate that:
Streets with bike lanes may experience lower vehicle speeds
Bike lanes can improve street organization and visibility
Protected bike lanes may reduce pedestrian exposure to dangerous traffic conditions
Areas with higher pedestrian and cyclist activity may benefit the most from these interventions
Conclusion
This study highlights the importance of considering bike lanes as more than cycling infrastructure. Bike lanes can also contribute to improving pedestrian safety and reducing traffic danger for all vulnerable users.
The research proposes an approach that combines traffic hazard analysis with pedestrian, cyclist, and population exposure to better understand the broader safety impacts of cycling infrastructure in urban areas.