New report shows biking and walking gains

Today, the Federal Highway Administration is releasing "The National Biking and Walking Study: a 15-year Status Report." This study, by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, discusses trends and outcomes in bicycling and walking since 1994. I think the news is pretty good.

First and foremost, Americans are hitting the sidewalks and streets on foot and by pedal in record numbers. From 1990 to 2009, the number of trips taken on foot more than doubled from 18 billion to 42.5 billion. Similarly, the number of bike trips increased from 1.7 billion to 4 billion.

Now, the original goal of The National Biking and Walking Study submitted in 1994 was to "double the percentage of total trips made by bicycling and walking from 7.9% to 15.8% of all travel trips."

In transportation circles, we call that percentage "mode share," and any planner will tell you that doubling mode share is an ambitious goal. But it turns out that we're getting there.

According to the 2009 National Household Travel Survey, bicycling and walking now account for 11.9% of all trips. It's not the 15.8% we hoped to see, but--considering the increase in population and overall number of trips--it's progress.

Even better, the safety data is also promising. From 1994 to 2008, the number of pedestrians killed decreased by 22.3% and the number of bicyclists killed decreased by 12%. Since the number of trips taken on foot or on bike has more than doubled in the same period, those declines are a good sign of increased safety.

Also, even as the percentage of all trips taken on foot or on bicycle has increased in the same period, the number of bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities as a percentage of all traffic fatalities has dropped. Again, not only have bicycling and walking gained in mode share, but they've also gained in relative safety.

But, we are still talking about 4,378 pedestrians and 716 bicyclists killed in 2008. No matter how we look at the data, that is just too many.

I don't think I need to remind readers that safety is DOT's highest priority. As FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez said, "We are proud of the work we’ve done to integrate walking and bicycling into people’s transportation options, but we won’t stop working until we find ways to prevent fatalities."

And that's why we're working so hard to help create Complete Streets, ensure Safe Routes to School, and develop Livable & Sustainable Communities.

In 1994, when the first National Biking and Walking Study was sent up to Congress, the report identified five categories of benefits from non-motorized transportation:

• Health benefits
• Transportation efficiency benefits
• Environmental & energy benefits
• Economic benefits
• Quality of life benefits

Times have changed in 15 years--it's true--but these benefits only seem more important today.

Americans want and need safe alternatives to driving. And by making biking and walking safer and more accessible, we’ll be able to provide Americans with more choices and help foster more active, more sustainable, and--yes--more livable communities.

That's why we recently announced a policy change that encourages transportation agencies to go beyond minimum standards and provide safe and convenient facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists.

That's why we've partnered with HUD and EPA in President Obama's Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

And that's why we're making sure that, as we plan for the future, biking and walking get a seat at the table.

Comments

[bikedate]

I'm a major member of the Ray LaHood fan club! Keep up the great work. It's terrific to have an administration that is actually improving things for those of us that see alternative modes of transportation as the way to go. We are so used to inattention and defeat.

Keep making things better for us bike riders and I'll stay a loyal fan!

[crhilton]

:D

[AdrianHands]

ALL roads are bike routes!

[Davidmarcus1]

It's great to see how bicycle and pedestrian travel is taking off. It's making America a better country.

Two numbers jump out from the post: bike/ped are 12% of trips but only 2% of funding. I hope we can bring it closer to its fair share!

[Helen McConnell]

This is great news! We better be giving some serious cred to the peds!

[Therese]

I am very happy to see, that cycling and walking is gaining ground. Looking forward to see a healthier America...great job... don't stop!

Here in The Woodlands TX, I see shoulders disappare where road cyclists bike...(we can't bike on the existing trails, this are for off road/hybrid bikes)... what can we do... now as I write there are ongoing road constructions... how can this be stopped, before the concrete gets put down???

[Michael Replogle]

It's gratifying to look back at the progress America has made in achieving the goals set out in the early 1990s when US DOT and many stakeholders, including myself, contributed to developing the National Walking and Bicycling Study. While not always moving in a straight line, it's clear that our work is paying off, translating into more walking, biking, and improved public health and safety. I write this from Berlin, Germany, where car traffic is receding in many neighborhoods, thanks to efforts to take back streets and public space for walking and cycling. American cities are increasingly learning to adapt similar lessons from best practices world-wide. We should take heart and redouble our efforts for livable communities and keep working to get the share of federal, state, and local transportation funding closer to today's share of bike and walk trips. It's time to reclaim a vision of our cities for ourselves! For more on such efforts in America and worldwide see www.ourcitiesourselves.org.

[mcas]

That last graph really gives me hope that soon, we'll keep on the trend to reduce fatalities-- the more we invest in infrastructure for biking and walking, the safer we'll all be!

[tack]

Walking to and from work has realized many benefits for me. I spend nothing on cars (gas, insurance, payments) now. I don't have to join a costly gym to stay healthy. And when I arrive at work I'm not angry or frustrated from traffic.

One thing I've thought of as an incentive for people to walk or bike more is aggregating the bikers and walkers as a carbon sink. Vehicle drivers could buy carbon offsets and the human powered commuters could register with an entity that administers the program. It would not be very much money if spread evenly across all the commuters in the program. So it would maybe be most effective if the money was distributed by lottery and/or competition. You could win by being in the program and another way to win is to offset the most carbon of any commuter in the program.

Anyway... starting companies or agencies isn't my strong suit... but maybe for somebody reading here it is ;)

[Michael E. Bailey]

The results of the survey are terrific. It is great news for reducing air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and hospital bills and time off work because of medical reasons. We need to do all we can to make biking and walking as safe as possible and encourage everyone who can to do these things. The more we can make walking and biking safer, the more people will participate. We also need good transit systems to move people longer distances while leaving their cars home. Public transit with good effecient service is the only way we can make the Clean Air Act work. And we need to do more to integrate buses and trains with biking and walking to create a more complete transportation system. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Ron Bishop]

Glad to see that figures can still me manipulated to show the positive side of the dirty transportation issues. Peds and bikes are daily challenged for the right to transport in safety. When will be be served as we should.

Ron Bishop

[Sue Ulrey]

It has taken many years, but this is proof: citizen advocacy works. Thank you to those who've worked so long and hard and haven't given up. Thank you, Ray LaHood, for listening, learning, and respecting the bicycling community.

[vehicle graphics los angeles]

I am extremely happy for the bicycling community. I just hope there were more bike lanes in Los Angeles. Although we have a growing community in our area it is still a challenge to organize bike runs. I sure hope more cyclist use reflective graphics for added safety in low light environments. :P

[Mad Pand Self Defense and Martial Arts Products]

This increase in walking and biking is good news. Our progress is noticeable and will hopefully continue within the next few years. We need to try to conserve as much energy and fuel as possible and to not pollute our environment.

[autobus]

Vehicle drivers could buy carbon offsets and the human powered commuters could register with an entity that administers the program. It would not be very much money if spread evenly across all the commuters in the program. So it would maybe be most effective if the money was distributed by lottery and/or competition.
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