According to the League of American Bicyclists, brand new data released by their organization, as well as Sierra Club and National Council of La Raza (NCLR), showcases the many economic benefits of cycling in the United States. It opens with a strong statement referencing the lack of government funding for adequate bicycling projects, stating that “… though biking and walking account for 12 percent of all trips in the U.S., these transportation modes receive only 1.6 percent of federal transportation spending—far less than their fair share.”
Read more…
Active Lifestyle, Advocacy, Ditch Your Car, Pedaling Change
ditch your car, economy, gas, League of American Bicyclists, National Council of La Raza, RIsing Gas Prices, Sierra Club, transporatation
We love all of the bicycle-inspired infographics popping up these days. This one makes it pretty clear: you’re going to save a lot of money and maybe your life by riding your bike to work. A few choice bits we pulled out…
- 20 bikes can be parked in the same space as 1 car
- Bikes are 50% faster than cars during rush hour
- Adding 30 minutes of daily cycling saves us $544 in medical costs annually
- The average person loses 13 pounds in their first year of riding
Definitely makes us feel good about hopping on our bikes everyday.
Created by: Healthcare Management Degree
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
Active Lifestyle, Advocacy
bike commuting, biking to work, economy, health, infographic
When this photo popped into our email inbox with our daily dose of GOOD in all it’s carfree, windswept glory, we knew we were going to like the accompanying story. And it turns out, it’s just as awesome as the photo. A new study shows that biking is not only good for your gams, but good for your city’s economy. Read more via GOOD:
Last week, the journal Environmental Health Perspectives published findings from a study by scientists at the University of Wisconsin on the economic and health benefits of switching from a car to a bike for trips shorter than five miles long in 11 metropolitan areas around the upper Midwest. Combining data on air pollution, medical costs, mortality rates, car accidents, and physical fitness, the researchers found that if inhabitants of the sample region switched to bikes for half of their short trips, they’d create a net societal health benefit of $3.5 billion per year from the increase in air quality and $3.8 billion in savings from smaller health care costs associated with better fitness and fewer mortalities from a decreased rate of car accidents.
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
Photo via (cc) Flickr user kamshots. Found on GOOD Finder by Morf
Active Lifestyle, Ditch Your Car
economy, good magazine, health
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
Five excellent statistics from Bikes Belong:
- On a round-trip commute of 10 miles, bicyclists save roughly $10 daily and spare the air 10 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
- Fifteen percent of all trips are made for commuting to work.
- Bicycling for transportation can reduce mortality by 35 to 40%
- If the number of kids who walk and bike to school returned to 1969 levels, it would save 3.2 billion vehicle miles, 1.5 million tons of CO2 and 89,000 tons of other pollutants annually. This is the equivalent of keeping more than 250,000 cars off the road for a year.
- Only 8% of U.S. households don’t have a vehicle available for regular use.
Advocacy, Ditch Your Car
bike statistics, economy, environment, statistics
