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That seems to indicate that most cyclists like the bike lanes. But are they actually encouraging more people to bike downtown?

It’s a beguiling question. There is some evidence the cycle tracks are drawing more people on bikes downtown, rather than just siphoning cyclists from neighbouring streets, but it’s a difficult question to answer. If all you care about is the sheer number of people entering downtown, we’ll probably have to wait another year for the annual cordon count, which measures just that. This year’s took place in May, before the cycle tracks were installed (despite that, there has been an increase in cyclists of 23 per cent since 2011. The numbers between 2014 and 2015 actually declined slightly).

So if you’re holding out for that number, you’ll have to wait a while. In the meantime, you might want to ponder the idea that cycle tracks aren’t just for commuters, and the data is proving that. People living and travelling around the Beltline may be the biggest beneficiaries, and the big increases in numbers on 12th Avenue S.W. seem to support that. The city was once criticized for lacking data on cycling. We are now swimming in it, thanks mostly to 10 automated counters installed throughout downtown. Now, we have to interpret that data.

Prediction: Cycle tracks will get more non-traditional cyclists onto bikes.

Reality: More non-traditional cyclists are using bikes.

It’s been said ad nauseam that cycle tracks aren’t for cyclists. That means people who normally ride bikes — those brave souls intimately familiar with both car traffic and Lycra — tend not to need protection from cars. Regular folk are the ones who benefit most from cycle tracks. They’re the ones interested in riding more, but don’t feel safe sharing space with half-ton pickups. According to polls in Calgary, and the experience in basically every other city on the planet, these people tend to be women, children and seniors. Women are often viewed as the indicator species of cyclists: A large number of females on a route is taken as a sign of safety.