A Simon Fraser University analysis estimates that more than half of Vancouver bike-share rides would otherwise have been made by car, cutting about 298 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
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A new climate study by researchers at Simon Fraser University finds that Vancouver’s public bike-share system delivers measurable emissions benefits by reducing the number of trips made by gas-powered cars. The study uses combined datasets from Mobi by Rogers, the City of Vancouver, and TransLink to build emissions models, traffic simulations and life-cycle assessments.
In the current version of the system, the researchers estimate that each bike makes about 2.4 trips per day. They also calculate a bike-to-car comparison, concluding that it takes 18 shared bikes to remove tailpipe emissions equivalent to one gas-powered vehicle.
To determine how bike-share trips change travel behaviour, the researchers examined trip data to distinguish between commuting and leisure trips. They also used trip diary information to identify whether a bike-share ride replaced a previous journey made by car, public transit or other modes.
The study estimates that 54 per cent of bike-share trips in Vancouver would otherwise have been completed in a car. Based on that shift in mode, the authors calculate an annual reduction of about 298 tonnes of carbon dioxide attributable to bike-share use that displaces car trips.
The findings also explore what happens under a more intensive usage scenario. The lead author, Vahid Hosseini, said that if the same bikes were used eight times a day, the bike-to-car ratio would change to about five shared bikes for every one fossil-fuel car, and tailpipe emissions reductions would be more than 3 per cent.
Hosseini said the research is also meant to broaden the decarbonization conversation beyond electric vehicles. While electric vehicles remain a key part of reducing transportation emissions, he pointed to persistent urban challenges such as traffic congestion, ongoing pressure on infrastructure, and the slow rollout of electric vehicle charging networks.
In that context, Hosseini described bike-sharing and other forms of “micromobility” as a cost-effective and immediate way to help bridge the gap while cities work on longer-term electrification of vehicles and charging infrastructure. The researchers argue that micromobility can be deployed without waiting for large-scale changes to the vehicle fleet.
The study notes that Vancouver’s bike-share program launched in the summer of 2016. By 2023, it reported having 2,000 regular bikes, 600 e-bikes, 248 stations and 4,665 docking points, reflecting a system designed for short, station-based trips.
Hosseini said the study’s quantification—especially the bike-to-car ratio—could help other cities evaluate how expanding cycling networks may translate into emissions reductions. The research recommends that cities prioritize investments in cycling infrastructure, expand bike-sharing coverage, and ensure integration with public transit.
The authors say the immediate impacts can extend beyond greenhouse gas reductions. They cite additional benefits such as reduced congestion and improved air quality, along with lower-cost emissions reductions compared with some longer-horizon transportation upgrades.
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