bike lane Model "green" bike lane in NYC - Source: NYC.go

May is National Bike Month and a great time to be a bicyclist. Municipals planners are starting to see the light when it comes to providing the infrastructure needed, such as more bike lanes, bike laws and outdoor bike racks, to support an ever-growing community of bike users.

In the past five years, there have been reportedly 3,000 bike -related projects funded with federal dollars across the US. That includes the creation of bike lanes and paths, addition of more outdoor bike racks and generally making it safer for people who prefer to pedal than drive.

"Almost everywhere in the United States there are better places to bike now than there were five or 10 years ago," said Tim Blumenthal, president of Bike Belong.

And why not? Look at the recent trends showing a surge in bike usage in the United States. According to the People for Bikes organization here are the stats:

  • Spending - Americans spend $81 billion on biking annually. That's a number that should catch everybody's attention and a number that could be a huge source of economic growth if there was a push for more improvement to bike infrastructure in cities and counties.
  • Employment - That $81 billion creates 770,000 jobs. Wouldn't it be great to double that number as well?
  • Tax Revenue - That $81 billion generates $10 billion in taxes. Looking for tax revenue growth? Here's a source.
  • Number of Bike Trips - From 1990 to 2009, the number of US bike trips doubled from 1.8 to 4 billion per year. This is not just a trend, this is a MOVEMENT. Americans want to ride bikes.
  • Number of Users - Statista estimates that 60 million Americans rode a bike in the last 12 months.
  • Bike Commuters - Over the last decade, US bike commuting grew 47% nationwide and 73% in larger cities. People not only want to ride bikes, they want to ride their bikes to work. Think about the positive impact this could have on a congested city. That means fewer cars on the road. Fewer riders on the subways systems. Fewer bus riders.
  • Favor Bike Paths - Here's the real number that planners and politicians should be paying attention to. People for Bikes reports that 47% of Americans say they want more bike paths, lanes and trails in their community.
  • Will Use Bike Paths - Sixty percent of Americans say they would bike more often if they had a safe place, like a green lane, to ride. This point was validated by a recent study in Washington D.C. that revealed bicycling increased 200% on Pennsylvania Avenue after green lanes were installed.

"Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race."

- H.G. Wells

So we can see that nearly half of all Americans favor more bike infrastructure. More than half said they would use bike lanes if they were built.

Not only is there a demand by citizens, but what they are demanding is certainly much easier to provide than other infrastructure projects.

For example, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition recently put together a report on what it would cost to build just ONE mile of different transportation systems. The difference in numbers is huge.

  • One Mile Basic Protected Bikeway - $455,000
  • One Mile Doyle Drive Road - $571 million
  • One Mile Central Subway Line - $1 billion
  • One Mile Bay Bridge Eastern Span - $2 billion

And the risk is virtually non-existent. Because, from all news accounts, when you build a bike path, they will come.

Many cities have reported that after they built a bike path, it was immediately filled with bicyclists. Add outdoor bike racks at businesses along the route, and those cities have seen an increase in economic activity in those areas. Experts say that increase ranges from 15% to 25%.

outdoor bike racks Outdoor bike racks on city street

Since 2007, New York City has added more than 30 miles of bike lanes. Since 2001, that city has seen a 289% surge in bike riders.

We're not talking about building a new stadium that is only used a handful of times a year. Or a bridge or tunnel that will just bring more cars and congestion into a city. Or a new train that will cost a gazillion dollars to build.

We're talking about a simple solution with two wheels, powered by humans. A simple, cheap way to move people around, thereby stimulating economic activity and reducing congestion. We're simply talking about adding more bike paths, outdoor more bike racks in commercial areas and making it safer for bicyclists.

This is National Bike Month - an opportune time for the nation to realize that America is quickly becoming a bicycle nation. Build the bike infrastructure and they will use it.

To read more information from People for Bikes go here.

For outdoor bike racks to add to any public or commercial area, visit The Park Catalog here.