While we have known for some time that bicycle infrastructure leads to more people on bicycles, recent research published in Nature Cities quantified the amount that protected bicycle lanes increase roadway use by people on bicycles. This study, conducted in 28 different cities in the United States, found that more people ride bicycles and that people ride farther when there are protected bicycle lanes.
As for the increase in the number of people riding, the study found that
1.6 times as many people rode bicycles on roadways with protected bicycle lanes compared to roadways with shared lane markings (aka sharrows)
1.8 times as many people rode bicycles on roadways with protected bicycle lanes compared to roadways with painted line bicycle lanes
4.3 times as many people rode bicycles on roadways with protected bicycle lanes compared to roadways with no bicycle facilities
This research better quantifies past research that shows people riding bicycles to be more comfortable riding on a roadway with a painted stripe bike lane than a roadway with no painted stripe; and that a buffered bicycle lane was more comfortable for riders than a painted bicycle lane.
The Nature Cities research found that on roadways where sharrows were added to roads with no bicycle infrastructure there was a slight increase in people riding bicycles, but that increase was insignificant compared to roadways where bicycle lanes were added. It should be noted here that research conducted in Chicago compared roadways with no bicycle markings, roadways with newly installed sharrows, and roadways with newly installed bicycle lanes (painted, buffered and protected). That research found that roadways with sharrows had the largest increase in injuries to people riding bicycles.
As for the increase in mileage ridden by people on bicycles, the Nature Cities study found a
52.5% increase in miles ridden by people on bicycles on roadways with protected bicycle lanes compared to roadways with painted line bicycle lanes
281.2% increase in miles ridden by people on bicycles on roadways with protected bicycle lanes compared to roadways with sharrows
The Nature Cities research adds to past research that shows that communities that have more high-quality bicycle infrastructure have higher number of people that travel by bicycle and that people ride farther, even when controlling for land use, climate, socioeconomic factors, gasoline prices, public transport supply, and cycling safety. And remember that better bicycle infrastructure doesn’t only benefit people on bicycles. Better bicycle infrastructure improves roadway safety for all road users.
If your community wants to increase the number of people who use bicycles for transportation and make the roadways safer for all road users, then work to improve your communities bicycle infrastructure.
References:
Bueler & Pucher, Cycling to work in 90 large American cities: new evidence on the role of bike paths and lanes, Springer Nature Link, 2011, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11116-011-9355-8
Ferenchak & Marshall, Advancing healthy cities through safer cycling: An examination of shared lane markings, ScienceDirect, 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2046043018300583?via%3Dihub
Ferenchak & Marshall, The link between low-stress bicycle facilities and bicycle commuting, Nature Cities, 2025, https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-025-00255-5
Garber, et al, Have Paved Trails and Protected Bike Lanes Led to More Bicycling in Atlanta?: A Generalized Synthetic-Control Analysis, Epidemiology, 2022, https://journals.lww.com/epidem/abstract/2022/07000/have_paved_trails_and_protected_bike_lanes_led_to.7.aspx
Marshall & Ferenchak, Why cities with high bicycling rates are safer for all road users, ScienceDirect, 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214140518301488?via%3Dihub
McNeil, et al, Influence of Bike Lane Buffer Types on Perceived Comfort and Safety of Bicyclists and Potential Bicyclists, Sage Journals, 2019, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3141/2520-15
Nelson & Allen, If You Build Them, Commuters Will Use Them: Association Between Bicycle Facilities and Bicycle Commuting, Sage Journals, 1997, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3141/1578-10
Ratledge, Bike Lanes Make Roads Safer for All Road Users, Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists, 2023, https://www.cazbike.org/bike-lanes-make-roads-safer-for-all-road-users/