Tracking cycling behaviour and comfort perceptions in Toronto: Trends from 1999 to 2023

Increasing cycling ridership is closely tied to how people perceive cycling conditions. Understanding long-term trends in cycling behaviour and perceived comfort across different road types is essential for informing infrastructure investments and policy decisions. This study examines changes in Torontonians’ cycling experiences over time, with a particular focus on comfort levels across various street types with different cycling infrastructures. We analyze four waves of the City of Toronto’s Citywide Cycling Survey (1999, 2009, 2019, and 2023). Descriptive statistics illustrate trends in cycling behaviour and comfort over a 24-year period. To assess perceived comfort between 2009 and 2023, we employ a two-way fixed effects ordinal logit model using a pooled cross-sectional dataset. The analysis covers four street types: major roads without bike lanes, major roads with bike lanes, residential streets, and bike trails or multi-use paths through parks and green spaces. Our results show that comfort perception remains highest on bike trails and residential streets, though it has declined slightly over time. In contrast, comfort on major roads, particularly those with bike lanes, has increased. Our models also show that higher comfort is associated with regular cycling, combining cycling with transit, and living in households where others also cycle. These findings point to the importance of expanding protected infrastructure, enhancing low-stress routes, and investing in supportive facilities and transit integration. Perceptions of comfort are dynamic and context-dependent, highlighting the need for continuous improvements, even in traditionally “safe” spaces, and demonstrating the positive impact of targeted interventions on higher-stress corridors.