Compelling Case For Bicycling

Some compelling data and stats from Bikes Belong:

It's time to get kids riding. In just one U.S. generation:

The percentage of kids who walk or bike to school has dropped from 50% to 15%.
Safe Routes to School Childhood

Obesity has tripled.
Centers for Disease Control


Bicycle commuting beats sitting in traffic.

Each U.S. rush-hour auto commuter spends an average of 38 hours a year stuck in traffic.
Texas Transportation Institute

This costs the U.S. more than $78 billion in lost productivity and wasted fuel.
Texas Transportation Institute


More cycling means less dependence on foreign oil.

10% of global oil production goes toward fueling America’s cars and trucks.
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)

The U.S. could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips.
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Bike Traffic, May 2002


Riding a bike is cheaper than driving a car.

On a round-trip commute of 10 miles, bicyclists save roughly $10 daily and spare the air 10 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
Commute Solutions, Emissions calculations

They also burn 360 calories!
SmartTrips

Based on gas prices of about $4/gallon, the annual direct cost of owning, operating, and driving a passenger car roughly 15,000 miles is nearly $14,000. (It costs roughly $200 a year to maintain a bike.)
Commute Solutions


Biking can help you live longer.

Bicycling for transportation can reduce mortality by 35 to 40%.
Matthews et al., Andersen et al.


Bicycling is good for the economy.

The U.S. bicycle industry sold $6.1 billion in bicycles and equipment (retail value) in 2007.
National Sporting Goods Association