Are Two-way Bike Lanes Really More Dangerous? 

In Barcelona, there is a widespread perception that two-way bike lanes are more dangerous than one-way lanes. In fact, in 2019, the City Council announced its intention to split some two-way bike lanes for safety reasons. Likewise, some recently planned two-way bike lanes, such as those on Manso Street in 2022, have ended up being implemented as one-way lanes. 

In principle, these measures could benefit the cycling community if the splitting of two-way bike lanes led to a decisive effort to expand the cycling network. However, in practice, it is often politically or technically difficult to instal a new bike lane on a parallel street to the existing one, or there is no alternative parallel route. In this context, and particularly in a city like Barcelona, which predominantly has one-way streets, one-way bike lanes risk reducing the connectivity of the cycling network. 

For this reason and based on data from injured cyclists and counts from the bike-related forums between 2020-23, a new study by ICTA-UAB researcher Samuel Nel·lo compares the levels of cyclist accidents between one-way and two-way bike lanes in Barcelona. 

Nel·lo’s analysis finds no evidence suggesting that two-way bike lanes are systematically more dangerous for cyclists than one-way lanes. In fact, one-way lanes seem to have a slightly higher average of injured cyclists, although the difference is very small. This could be because one-way bike lanes are relatively more common in the Eixample district — the area with the highest cycling accident rates — while two-way lanes are more common in less central areas with lower motorized traffic. 

Although one-way bike lanes might be preferable, when possible, the results suggest that the municipal government should not oppose two-way bike lanes by default. “Ultimately, the most important thing in reducing cycling accidents is not whether a bike lane is two-way, but whether it is a well-thought-out and well-executed design, without ‘quick fixes’ that compromise cycling circulation,” says Nel·lo, who reminds us that, regardless of whether bike lanes are one-way or two-way, the priority should be identifying sections of bike lanes with exceptionally high accident rates, studying their problems, and taking action to address them. 

 

Article reference

Nello-Deakin, Samuel. 2025. “Are Two-Way Bike Lanes Really More Dangerous?” Findings, March. https:/ / doi.org/ 10.32866/ 001c.132491.

 

Artículo de referenciaNello-Deakin, Samuel. 2025. “Are Two-Way Bike Lanes Really More Dangerous?” Findings, March. https:/ / doi.org/ 10.32866/ 001c.132491.