SP0180: Creating a Bike-friendly Campus: Improving Infrastructure & Awareness

Due to the urgency of climate change, strong commitments and actions need to be implemented and prioritized in order to significantly reduce McGill's carbon footprint. In 2019, daily commuting by students, faculty and staff contributed 12% of McGill’s greenhouse gas emissions (ref 1).

Short trips with cars contribute disproportionately to commuting emissions (ref 2). To reduce emissions from commuting, we must reduce motorized travel in individual vehicles and create conditions conducive to increasing the share of collective and active modes of transportation. This project focus specifically on increasing the share of cycling, a mode of active transportation that provides a zero-emissions, healthy, and equitable alternative.

McGill is not currently optimizing opportunities to increase the modal share of bike commuters to our campuses. The demand for bicycle parking and other infrastructure that supports cycling for students and employees is greater than the existing capacity on the downtown and Macdonald campuses. And, we can only expect demand for bike infrastructure at McGill to grow due to external factors such as a steady bike ridership increase in Quebec over the past 20 years (ref 3) and a progressive extension of the biking season due to climate change (ref 4).

An increase in the quantity and quality of bike infrastructure, as well as increased education and awareness about the benefits of cycling is needed to reach McGill's carbon neutrality goals.

Resources from the SPF will be used to contribute to the execution of the project. 

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