Canadian cities have invested significantly in cycling infrastructure over the past two decades, building hundreds of kilometres of bike lanes, cycle tracks, and multi-use paths. However, the transition from seasonal to year-round cycling networks remains incomplete in most municipalities. Ensuring consistent winter maintenance of cycling infrastructure is essential for supporting sustainable transportation goals, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enabling all Canadians to access safe, reliable active transportation options throughout the year. 

According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians using bicycles as their main method of commuting nearly doubled between 1996 and 2016. As of May 2024, 6.0% of commuters relied on active transportation to reach work. However, this growth potential remains constrained by seasonal limitations. Winter cycling is viable: cities like Montreal maintain 711 kilometres of bike routes year-round, demonstrating that climate need not be a barrier. Yet inconsistent winter maintenance policies across Canadian municipalities create significant gaps in year-round accessibility. 

As Canada works toward ambitious climate targets, with transportation accounting for approximately 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in many urban centres, the development of reliable winter cycling networks represents both an environmental imperative and a practical transportation solution. 

(Figure source: cyclingmagazine.ca) 

Understanding the Challenges 

Winter conditions present distinct operational challenges for cycling infrastructure. Unlike roadways designed for multi-ton vehicles, bike lanes require different maintenance standards to remain safe and accessible. Snow accumulation of just a few centimetres can render a bike lane impassable, while freeze-thaw cycles create unpredictable ice hazards that pose serious safety risks to cyclists. 

An average of 74 Canadians die in cycling collisions each year, with 73% of those incidents involving motor vehicles. Many of these collisions occur when cyclists are forced into vehicle traffic due to obstructed or poorly maintained bike lanes. During winter months, this risk intensifies as snow-filled bike lanes push cyclists into proximity with cars navigating slippery conditions. A study from the City of Toronto noted that painted bike lanes adjacent to parking frequently become unusable in winter when snow from roadway clearing is pushed directly into the cycling space. 

Beyond legal and liability considerations, municipalities that build cycling infrastructure but fail to maintain it in winter may face increased risk. As legal expert Dave Shellnutt, known as “The Biking Lawyer,” notes, inadequate winter clearing of bike lanes could expose municipalities to negligence claims if cyclists are injured due to poor maintenance conditions. Additionally, inadequate winter maintenance directly undermines modal shift goals. A 2012 study of winter cycling in Ottawa and Montreal found that the presence of ice and snow on cycling facilities decreased the likelihood of winter cycling by 20% to 50%, with many potential year-round cyclists defaulting to automobile use when conditions are uncertain. This pattern undermines municipal climate action plans that depend on increased active transportation to reduce emissions. 

Infrastructure Design and Maintenance Disparities 

The effectiveness of winter cycling networks depends heavily on infrastructure design. Protected cycle tracks separated from vehicle traffic by physical barriers are significantly easier to maintain than painted bike lanes. Montreal’s success in winter cycling stems partly from prioritizing separated infrastructure that can be cleared efficiently with dedicated, smaller snow-clearing equipment. 

However, across Canada, infrastructure types and winter maintenance priorities vary dramatically. Table 1 provides a comparison of winter bike lane maintenance approaches in four major Canadian cities, revealing substantial inconsistencies in service standards, clearing timelines, and network coverage. 

Table 1: Comparison of winter cycling infrastructure maintenance in four major Canadian cities. 

City Winter-Maintained Network Clearing Standard / Timeline Infrastructure Type Notable Features 
Montreal, QC 711 km of bike routes maintained year-round (75% of network) Cleared at same time as streets or soon after; plowing begins at ~2.5 cm accumulation Mix of separated bike paths, cycle tracks, and designated routes Year-round BIXI bike share; bike paths often cleared before roads due to specialized equipment 
Toronto, ON Cycle tracks and multi-use paths; approximately 590 km total network with priority routes Cleared within specific timeframes; smaller plows (up to 1.5m wide) used for protected infrastructure Protected cycle tracks, painted bike lanes, multi-use paths 311 reporting system for maintenance issues; painted lanes often become snow storage during road clearing 
Calgary, AB Downtown cycle tracks (Priority 1); marked on-street bike lanes (Priority 2) Priority 1: cleared within 24 hours; Priority 2: cleared within 48 hours after snowfall ends Cycle tracks in downtown core, painted bike lanes elsewhere Winter maintenance policy explicitly classifies bike infrastructure by priority level 
Edmonton, AB Winter Priority Loop (Priority 1); 500 km of public pathways Priority 1 protected bike lanes: cleared within 24 hours; painted bike lanes: cleared with adjacent roads; other routes within 36-72 hours Protected bike lanes, painted bike lanes, multi-use trails Live GPS tracking map for plows; 311 app reporting; Priority 1 loop connects north and south river valley 
Ottawa, ON Up to 50 km Winter Cycling Network  Year-round maintenance of designated network routes Cycling tracks, pathways, and recommended routes Winter network represents small fraction of extensive summer cycling infrastructure 

The disparity in network coverage is striking. While some cities maintain hundreds of kilometres of cycling infrastructure through winter, others maintain minimal networks despite having extensive summer cycling infrastructure. This creates an accessibility gap that disproportionately affects those who rely on cycling for transportation rather than recreation. 

Infrastructure design choices made during the warmer months often fail to account for winter operability. Narrow bike lanes cannot accommodate snow-clearing equipment. Poor drainage promotes refreezing. Painted bike lanes adjacent to street parking become dumping grounds for roadway snow, rendering them unusable for months. These design failures reflect a fundamental disconnect: cycling infrastructure is planned for three-season use in a country where winter lasts four to five months. 

Policy Gaps and Operational Challenges 

Municipal winter maintenance policies frequently prioritize vehicular traffic over cycling infrastructure, despite policy commitments to sustainable transportation. This prioritization manifests in budget allocations, equipment availability, clearing timelines, and service standards. While roadways may be cleared within hours of snowfall, bike lanes often wait for days—if they are cleared at all. 

Enforcement mechanisms for bike lane maintenance are largely absent. Unlike sidewalk clearing, where property owners face fines for non-compliance, municipalities face limited accountability for failing to maintain cycling infrastructure they have installed. This accountability gap means that even when bike lanes exist on paper, there is no guarantee they will remain usable throughout winter months. 

Professional winter maintenance contractors working on roadways typically employ proactive anti-icing strategies and specialized equipment. However, many municipalities lack both the equipment and the trained personnel necessary to maintain cycling infrastructure to comparable standards. Smaller plows, proper timing, and understanding of cyclist needs require different operational approaches than vehicular snow clearing. (Figure source: cyclingmagazine.ca) 

Climate change further complicates winter maintenance. Research from Environment and Climate Change Canada indicates that freeze-thaw cycles are becoming more frequent across much of the country, particularly in southern regions. These cycles create hazardous ice formation on cycling infrastructure. Transportation researchers note that each 1°C increase in winter temperatures can alter freeze-thaw frequency, demanding more adaptive and responsive maintenance approaches. 

Budget constraints represent a persistent challenge. Montreal’s snow removal budget has grown to approximately $200 million annually for city-wide operations, with bike path clearing integrated into this system. However, many smaller municipalities struggle to justify dedicated cycling infrastructure maintenance budgets when automotive infrastructure consumes available resources. 

The Climate Connection 

Winter cycling directly supports climate action objectives. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in many Canadian municipalities—Thunder Bay’s Net-Zero Strategy, for instance, identified transportation as the primary emissions source in its 2016 inventory. The strategy explicitly frames cycling as a practical emissions reduction lever, setting a target of 65% of trips via walking, cycling, or transit by 2030. 

However, ambitious modal shift targets cannot be achieved with seasonal cycling infrastructure. Year-round networks are essential to enable the behavioral shifts required to meet climate commitments. Cycling advocates consistently emphasize that treating bike infrastructure as seasonal undermines both transportation equity and economic vitality in urban centres. 

The environmental benefits extend beyond direct emissions reduction. Increased active transportation reduces air pollution, decreases wear on road infrastructure, and contributes to public health improvements. However, these benefits remain theoretical in municipalities where cycling infrastructure sits buried under snow for months each year. 

Recommended Actions 

Canadian municipalities can strengthen winter cycling networks through targeted policy and operational improvements: 

  • Expand Winter-Maintained Networks: Prioritize expansion of year-round maintenance to create comprehensive networks connecting residential areas, employment centres, transit stations, and essential services. For example, Ottawa’s network has grown only 10 kilometres since 2015—a pace insufficient to support climate goals. 
  • Standardize Clearing Protocols: Establish consistent municipal standards for bike lane snow and ice removal with clear timelines. Calgary’s tiered priority system (24 hours for Priority 1, 48 hours for Priority 2) provides a model for predictable service levels. 
  • Design for Winter Operability: Require winter maintenance considerations in all cycling infrastructure planning. Prioritize separated infrastructure compatible with small clearing equipment, ensure adequate drainage, and avoid designs that become snow storage areas. 
  • Invest in Specialized Equipment: Acquire appropriately sized snow-clearing equipment for cycling infrastructure. As an example, Montreal’s success partly stems from specialized equipment that can clear bike paths efficiently. 
  • Integrate with Climate Planning: Explicitly link winter cycling network expansion to climate action plans and emission reduction targets. Recognize year-round cycling infrastructure as climate mitigation infrastructure. 
  • Data-Driven Network Expansion: Utilize cyclist usage data (such as Strava Metro or automated counters) to identify high-demand routes requiring winter maintenance. For reference, Bike Ottawa’s data analysis revealed specific segments where fall-to-winter ridership drops indicate maintenance gaps. 
  • Transparent Reporting Systems: Implement accessible reporting mechanisms (like Toronto’s 311 system) allowing cyclists to report maintenance issues, with accountable response timelines. 
  • Year-Round Bike Share: Support bike share systems operating through winter months, as demonstrated by Montreal’s BIXI and Toronto’s Bike Share Toronto, increasing year-round cycling accessibility. 

As climate change continues to alter Canadian winters—creating more frequent freeze-thaw cycles while simultaneously extending shoulder seasons—the need for adaptive, responsive winter cycling infrastructure becomes increasingly urgent. Cities investing in year-round cycling networks today are building the foundation for sustainable, resilient transportation systems capable of meeting tomorrow’s climate challenges. 

The question is no longer whether winter cycling is viable in Canada—Montreal’s 711 kilometres of winter-maintained routes and growing ridership data answer that definitively. The question is whether other Canadian municipalities will match this commitment, recognizing that cycling infrastructure only fulfills its potential when maintained year-round. Safe, accessible winter cycling is not a luxury for winter enthusiasts; it is essential transportation infrastructure for a climate-conscious nation. 

Article References 

Bike Ottawa. (2022). Ottawa’s winter bike network: Time to grow up! Retrieved from https://bikeottawa.ca/ 

Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). (2022). Bike Safety Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.caa.ca/ 

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). (2023). Montreal to spend nearly $200M on snow removal as winter costs rise across Canada. CBC News, November 27, 2023. 

City of Calgary. (2024). Snow clearing on bikeways. The City of Calgary. Retrieved October 2025. 

City of Toronto. (2025). Winter Cycling. Toronto, ON: City of Toronto. 

ClimateData.ca. (2023). Transportation Module Overview. Ottawa, ON: Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

Environment and Climate Change Canada. (2025). Climate change affects landscape freeze-thaw. Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada. 

Green Municipal Fund. (n.d.). Case study: Ways Ottawa increases cycling with green transit options. Federation of Canadian Municipalities. 

Sadeghpour, F., Isaac, E., & Amiri, M. (2015). If We Clear Them, Will They Come? Study to Identify Determinants of Winter Bicycling in Two Cold Canadian Cities. Transportation Research Record. Transportation Research Board. 

Shellnutt, D. (2025). Clear those Snowy Bike Lanes! The Biking Lawyer. Retrieved from https://www.thebikinglawyer.ca/ 

Statistics Canada. (2022). The Canadian Bikeway Comfort and Safety metrics (Can-BICS). Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada. 

Statistics Canada. (2024). New data take a closer look at cycling infrastructure in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada. 

Statistics Canada. (2019). Circumstances surrounding cycling fatalities in Canada, 2006 to 2017. Ottawa, ON: Public Health Agency of Canada. 

References for Table 1 

City of Calgary. (2024). Snow clearing on bikeways. The City of Calgary. Retrieved October 2025. 

City of Edmonton. (2025). Winter Cycling. The City of Edmonton. Retrieved October 2025. 

City of Edmonton. (2024). Snow Clearing Service Levels. The City of Edmonton. Retrieved October 2025. 

City of Montreal. (2024). Snow removal from sidewalks and streets. Ville de Montréal. Retrieved October 2025. 

City of Ottawa. (n.d.). Winter Cycling Network. As cited by Bike Ottawa. Retrieved October 2025. 

City of Toronto. (2025). Winter Cycling. The City of Toronto. Retrieved October 2025.