Survey on Ethnicity and Cycling in Toronto
"Only white yuppies bike in Toronto". At least that's what I was told when asking people informally. But there is some actual data on the issue, including a small survey in Toronto noting that visible minorities were less interested in cycling than white respondents and a Canada study finding that immigrants bike less than non-immigrants. Even in bike-friendly countries like Denmark they're realizing that their incoming immigrant population cycles less than the "average" Dane. And if there is a link between a person's ethnic background and the likelihood that they'll use their bike to get around, it could be an issue in encouraging more cycling in Toronto since 47% of Torontonians are visible minorities and over 50% are foreign born.
To find out more on this topic, I'm inviting all Toronto cyclists (that's you!) to fill out a quick 5 minute survey aimed at gathering information on who you think cycles in Toronto as well as who actually does. There's also a space to add your email address, if you'd like to see my final findings.
To complete the survey, click on this link or copy/paste it into a new window:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TH_2f6L1imn922QWQ0g...
Thanks in advance for your time!!
How many new immigrants and minorities will be filling out this survey?
I filled out the survey.
I don't believe 47% of Torontonians are visible minorities but it's a good idea to explore reasons people do or don't ride.
Good luck with your work!
Keep up the good work. There's just a couple of things though...
In terms of age group, gender, or race group I see cycling in Toronto most, I think it depends on which part of the city we're looking at.
For example, in suburban North York, I tend to see mostly caucasian cyclists than any other race. I find that there are more male than female cyclists there. Cyclists in these areas would probably wear more safety gear (eg. reflective clothing, cycling jackets and windbreakers, etc.) as well as athletic wear, like spandex, more so than cyclists in downtown.
In downtown, I notice that the cycling population is far more diverse (asians, caucasians, middle eastern people all cycle). And I would say that the clothing style for downtown cyclists is more casual and relaxed (less safety vests, windbreakers, spandex).
What I do notice all the time is that not a lot of non-white people ride their bikes. Like whenever I am outside, most of the time I only see white people cycling. What I am guessing is that the non-white population is more interested in cars than bikes :( But I live close to the East York-Scarborough border, so that might explain what I am seeing.
Cycling, the WAY of the future!
Cycling, the WAY of the future!
In my area, there are people of (probably) Chinese background cycling to work, even through the winter and any bad weather. That's the area near 401 and McCowan which saw the emergence of a strong Chinese presence.
In the last ten years, people from South Asia have made up the latest wave of immigrants but I see them hardly ever biking - they are the ones that tell me to get off the road and cycle the sidewalk ;) !
In my observations with the older folks, if they have been cycling "at home", they'll cycle here as well. Young people might try anything, but the car is an obvious statement of "success" and thus favoured by the 20and30-year-olds.
Those kinds of results are absolutely influenced by the area you live in. Not just ethnicity, but gender and even "style" or generational groups (ie, hipsters, baby boomers, etc)
When you're cycling downtown regularly, you can see the changes in one trip even as you move from one area to the next.
If the results fit with the common perception, I'd be really curious to see some investigations into what sort of factors contribute to this split. I have a few suspicions, but nothing that I'd be able to describe particularly well outside of a conversation.
I'm in DaHood [Parkdale] and because biking is cheap transport, second hand bikes are cheap, there are plenty of cyclists from all over the globe here.
I'd suggest that would be more of a downtown phenomena?
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