The federal Highway Administration just released “The National Biking and Walking Study: a 15 year status report” that shows an increase of trips being made by foot and by bike. Here are some highlights:
-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.
-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.
Click here for the full article. Bike and walk on.
