With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike

For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

1 minute read

June 16, 2025, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


People riding bicycles on separated bike trail.

Kara / Adobe Stock

Yet another study confirms what bike advocates already know: access to protected bike lanes encourages more people to bike.

According to an article by Carly Bowling for UNM (University of New Mexico) News, a new UNM paper cites a study of over 14,000 city blocks in the United States reveals a sharp increase in cycling when physically protected bike lanes are present.

The paper, titled “The link between low-stress bicycle facilities and bicycle commuting,” reports that protected bike lanes see about 1.8 times the number of bike commuters than standard bike lanes do and 4.3 times as many as blocks without bike lanes.

The study author notes that “while standard bike lanes increase the number of bicycle commuters compared to streets with no bike infrastructure, protected bike lanes and buffered bike lanes encourage even greater numbers of bicycle commuters.”

Saturday, June 7, 2025 in UNM News

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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