Field Observations of Bicyclist Gender Distribution by Bicycle Infrastructure Type in Toronto, Canada

Low bicycling mode has been associated with ratios of two men for every woman cyclist. We conducted field counts to compare the gender distribution of bicyclists observed in Toronto, Canada on different bicycle infrastructure. We counted 1180 cyclists at 13 locations: 51% on separated infrastructure, 32% on painted lanes, and 16% with no infrastructure. Men outnumbered women 2:1 with no statistically significant difference in gender distribution by infrastructure type in bivariate (𝜒2 = 0.37, df=2, p = 0.83) or multivariate analyses. The quality, discontinuity, and changing nature of bicycling infrastructure may have influenced observed ratios.