Are Women The Key To Creating Bicycle Friendly Communities?

A bicycle renaissance is occurring across North America, with cycling rates increasing throughout Canadian and American cities. However, most of the growth in cycling is among men, while cycling rates among women and children have either been steady or fallen sharply. Why is this disproportional growth among men, women, and children occurring? Recent studies claim it relates primarily to safety. Watch the video below on women and cycling in Copenhagen.

Various surveys have been conducted to find out why women cycle less then men. The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals surveyed over 13,000 women to investigate factors that would induce women to cycle more for transportation purposes. When asked "What would cause you to start or increase your cycling?", the majority of women (62.4%) selected more bike lanes. Other popular responses included completely separated off-road cycling paths and wider lanes on roads.

In Britain, over 9000 women signed a petition calling for safer conditions for cycling, which was delivered to Transport Minister Sadiq Khan. With just these two initiatives combined, over 20,000 women have expressed that safety is their main concern in regards to cycling. Based on these findings, many transportation professionals are realizing that women are the key to creating bicycle friendly communities. The assumption is that if women are cycling, then it must be safe, attractive, and convenient for all other users, including the elderly and children.

The important relationship between women and bicycles began during the 19th and 20th centuries, during a predominately male centered society. The simple bicycle was a tool used by women that brought independence and freedom while eliminating their reliance on men for travel. Susan B. Anthony, a women's rights advocate and feminist, said this about cycling:

"Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood." ~Susan B. Anthony, 1820-1906, abolitionist and leader of the American women's sufferage movement.

Many women in the world today still face issues of inequality and lack of personal freedom. Over a century later, the bicycle is still being used as a tool for women empowerment in the contemporary world. In a previous blog entry I wrote for International Women's Day, the bicycle has been used in India to create a collective bicycle bank aimed at increasing women's mobility and promoting micro enterprises among women entrepreneurs. Various organizations, such as The Bicycle Factory and World Bicycle Relief, are using the bicycle as a tool to empower young women in Africa, providing them with the tools needed to care for their families, learn necessary skills, and build a better future for their communities. 

In Copenhagen, a world class cycling capital, it appears that as many women cycle as men. This is convincing evidence that women play a key role in creating bicycle friendly communities, not only in Copenhagen, but across the world. With more women on bikes, it appears our global communities will become more accessible, safe, and sustainable for all people.