Skyrocketing e-bike use drives speed increase on Metro Vancouver pathways

If you've noticed more e-bikes zipping past you on Metro Vancouver's off-street paths, you're not alone. UBC researchers have found that e-bike use has skyrocketed in the past four years. In 2019, e-bikes made up less than 5% of users on these pathways. Now, they account for more than 16%—a fourfold increase. Meanwhile, traditional bikes, though still dominant, have dropped from 91% to 74% of users.

This shift is speeding things up, says Dr. Alex Bigazzi, an associate professor in civil engineering and planning at UBC who leads the REACT Lab in the faculty of applied science.

"Pathways are becoming faster and more motorized," he explains. "We're seeing not just more e-bikes, but also e-scooters, e-skateboards and even self-balancing unicycles. And they're getting faster. The average speed on multi-use paths and cycling facilities has increased by 11 percent, with some electric devices, like electric unicycles, hitting an average of 32 km/hr—well above the usual pathway speed of 20 km/hr."

Researchers also noted that conventional bicycles are now traveling slightly faster, likely influenced by the influx of motorized devices on these pathways.

Faster paths, bigger challenges

These higher speeds—observed in 12 locations across seven Metro Vancouver municipalities—can make pedestrians feel uneasy and could increase safety risks for all types of users, although researchers say more study is needed to fully understand the impacts.

Amir Hassanpour, a Ph.D. student who worked on the report, noted that this speed surge affects not only device riders but also walkers who share the space. "It's like how drivers adjust to traffic flow on highways—cyclists and pedestrians are adapting to the faster pace, but not everyone feels comfortable," he said.

Keeping pathways safe and accessible

To keep these pathways safe and accessible, the researchers suggest some big changes. They recommend rethinking path design to separate faster-moving devices from pedestrians, using physical design to manage speeds, and providing enhanced public education to promote safe practices on shared paths.

They also emphasize the need to revise the Motor Vehicle Act to account for the growing variety of personal mobility devices and clarify vehicle and usage requirements.

"With data-driven policy and design, cities can better support the diverse and evolving needs of travelers. We want to ensure that pathways remain safe and accessible into the future, particularly for pedestrians and non-motorized users. If we want these paths to work for everyone, we need to build them with the full range of users—and speeds—in mind," said Dr. Bigazzi.

Provided by University of British Columbia