William Higley, Sr.
July 21st 03, 05:17 AM
I picked up the following information from the "Ride To Work" web site for
the Cascade Bicycle Club. I thought that some of this information may
provide ammunition when speaking to folks about the money we save the
taxpayers when we choose to bicycle to work or run errands.
Commuting Statistics
Statistics
20% of Washingtonians rode a bicycle in 2001 [WA State Assessment of Outdoor
Recreation, March 2002]
60 million Americans bicycle at least once per year [Bikes Belong]
25% of the U.S. population bicycles [Omnibus Transportation Survey by Bureau
of Transportation Statistics, July 2001]
While in Japan 15% of commuters bicycle to work, in the Netherlands 50% of
commuters bicycle and in China 77% commute by bike; only 1.6% of U.S.
commuters bicycle to work [Washington State Energy Office Extension
Services]
Miles of bike trails in Seattle: 283 [City of Seattle]
Miles of striped bike lanes in Seattle: 15 [City of Seattle]
Improve Your Health
Behind tobacco, leading cause of death among adults: inactivity / sedentary
lifestyles [California Dept. of Health Services]
61% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese; 13% of kids aged 6 to 11 and 14%
of kids 12 to 19 are overweight. Obesity is second behind tobacco in U.S.
health risk factors, contributing to 300,000 deaths a year.1
Number one strategy for reducing inactivity-related diseases: shifting from
auto trips to walking and bicycling1
Cyclists who ride sober, with the flow of traffic, using lights at night,
are 99.999% likely to survive their rides [John Hopkins]
70% of adults and 50% of children in King County wear bicycle helmets - the
highest incidence in the nation [Harborview Medical Center]
A 150-pound cyclist burns 410 calories while pedaling 12 miles in an hour2
New bicycle commuters can expect to lose 13 pounds their first year of
bicycle commuting. [Bicycling Magazine]
Traffic kills four times as many people as wars [World Health Organisation
(WHO)]
Globally, road deaths totaled 1.26 million in 2000, claiming the highest
number of victims, followed by suicide at 815,000 and interpersonal violence
at 520,000) [World Health Organisation (WHO)]
In 2000, three times as many men died in road traffic accidents as women.
[World Health Organisation (WHO)]
Conserve Resources
America's cars and trucks consume 10% of world's oil supply2
Trimming one vehicle from your household, saves you $340/month [City of
Seattle]
Cost to purchase and install one bike parking rack: $1503
Number of bikes that can be parked in one car parking space in paved lot:
6 - 203
Number of racks for bicycle parking in Seattle: 1,9003
Estimated cost of constructing one car parking space in a paved lot: $2,2003
Estimated cost of constructing one car parking space in a garage: $12,5003
100,000 bike boardings on Community Transit busses annually [Community
Transit]
..5 million bike boardings on King County Metro busses annually [King Co.
Metro]
# 1 reason for riding a bike to work: it's more fun
1 [Centers for Disease Control], 2 [League of American Bicyclists],
3 [Seattle Bicycle & Pedestrian Program]
the Cascade Bicycle Club. I thought that some of this information may
provide ammunition when speaking to folks about the money we save the
taxpayers when we choose to bicycle to work or run errands.
Commuting Statistics
Statistics
20% of Washingtonians rode a bicycle in 2001 [WA State Assessment of Outdoor
Recreation, March 2002]
60 million Americans bicycle at least once per year [Bikes Belong]
25% of the U.S. population bicycles [Omnibus Transportation Survey by Bureau
of Transportation Statistics, July 2001]
While in Japan 15% of commuters bicycle to work, in the Netherlands 50% of
commuters bicycle and in China 77% commute by bike; only 1.6% of U.S.
commuters bicycle to work [Washington State Energy Office Extension
Services]
Miles of bike trails in Seattle: 283 [City of Seattle]
Miles of striped bike lanes in Seattle: 15 [City of Seattle]
Improve Your Health
Behind tobacco, leading cause of death among adults: inactivity / sedentary
lifestyles [California Dept. of Health Services]
61% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese; 13% of kids aged 6 to 11 and 14%
of kids 12 to 19 are overweight. Obesity is second behind tobacco in U.S.
health risk factors, contributing to 300,000 deaths a year.1
Number one strategy for reducing inactivity-related diseases: shifting from
auto trips to walking and bicycling1
Cyclists who ride sober, with the flow of traffic, using lights at night,
are 99.999% likely to survive their rides [John Hopkins]
70% of adults and 50% of children in King County wear bicycle helmets - the
highest incidence in the nation [Harborview Medical Center]
A 150-pound cyclist burns 410 calories while pedaling 12 miles in an hour2
New bicycle commuters can expect to lose 13 pounds their first year of
bicycle commuting. [Bicycling Magazine]
Traffic kills four times as many people as wars [World Health Organisation
(WHO)]
Globally, road deaths totaled 1.26 million in 2000, claiming the highest
number of victims, followed by suicide at 815,000 and interpersonal violence
at 520,000) [World Health Organisation (WHO)]
In 2000, three times as many men died in road traffic accidents as women.
[World Health Organisation (WHO)]
Conserve Resources
America's cars and trucks consume 10% of world's oil supply2
Trimming one vehicle from your household, saves you $340/month [City of
Seattle]
Cost to purchase and install one bike parking rack: $1503
Number of bikes that can be parked in one car parking space in paved lot:
6 - 203
Number of racks for bicycle parking in Seattle: 1,9003
Estimated cost of constructing one car parking space in a paved lot: $2,2003
Estimated cost of constructing one car parking space in a garage: $12,5003
100,000 bike boardings on Community Transit busses annually [Community
Transit]
..5 million bike boardings on King County Metro busses annually [King Co.
Metro]
# 1 reason for riding a bike to work: it's more fun
1 [Centers for Disease Control], 2 [League of American Bicyclists],
3 [Seattle Bicycle & Pedestrian Program]