Portland, OR
What: The League of American Bicyclists produced a study on bicycle and commuter trends, analyzing data from 70 of the largest U.S. cities over a period of eight years. Portland, Oregon, ranked number 1 for the league’s list of bicycle-friendly community criteria, which included data on population and percentage increase of bikers over time. Other bicycle-friendly communities designated in the top ranks by the league include Davis CA, Boulder CO, San Francisco, and Seattle. Being recognized as a bicycle-friendly community isn’t easy; only 124 of 318 applicant cities received the league’s four-year BFC designation.
Get This: According to the latest American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, just 0.55 percent of Americans use a bicycle as their primary means of getting to work (released Sept. 22, 2009). That number is up 17 percent since the 2007 survey, 36 percent since the 2005 survey and 43 percent since the ACS in 2005.
Find more information on bicycling trends in the United States at the League of American Bicyclists’ Web site.
Don’t own a bike? Maybe you can rent one. Some major cities are trying out bike-share programs. Check out today’s story by Andrea Bernstein on Marketplace to find out more.
Davis, CA. Built for bikes.