A simple idea: safe, curb separated, protected bicycle lanes cementing Grand Rapids’ place as a destination of top cities to live, work, and play.
It’s good for:
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It’s natural for small business owners to feel hesitant, anxious, and concerned about removing on street parking!
What we know is that this has been studied many times and the data shows that removing on street parking for cars and converting it to bicycle lanes actually increases business sales, “Even in cases where a motor vehicle travel lane or parking was removed to make room for a bike lane, food sales and employment tended to go up.” here’s a link to the compiled studies.
Bicycles are good for business.
A Toronto study found that customers arriving by foot and bicycle visited the most often and spent the most money per month.
Parking kills businesses, not bikes or buses.
“Studies have shown over and over that passing cyclists are “competitive consumers” for passing drivers, spending dollar per dollar what someone who drives a vehicle is likely to spend.”
On Salt Lake City's Broadway, replacing parking with protected bike lanes increased retail sales.
In Indianapolis, Memphis, and Minneapolis overall studies show very little evidence of active transportation street improvements having a negative impact on business or economic outcomes. In many cases, improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure was shown to have positive impacts on sales and employment in the retail and food service sectors.
Bicycle Lanes fuel redevelopment to boost real estate value, help businesses attract and retain workers, make workers healthier and more productive, increase retail visibility and sales volume.
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As Grand Rapids restores the river and invites ecotourism, we must further lean into, and help achieve, an intersectional, sustainable tourism system with important environmental, social, and public health benefits.
Protected bicycle lanes are a fiscally responsible choice. They’re a wise investment of taxpayer dollars—and a great bang for our buck.
Real estate investors take note: Learn to use the words “bike premium.” Property owners near protected bike lanes and greenways get the bike premium added to their property value, and property owners without access to those pieces of infrastructure lose the value of the bike premium. The Atlanta Beltline project is one of many direct examples of the bike premium increasing property values and increasing the tax base of a city.
A 2015 Michigan Department of Transportation report titled “Community and Economic Benefits of Bicycling in Michigan” examined the impact of bicycle tourism on the state. It found that out-of-state participants in organized bicycle events spent $15.6 million in 2014 and were responsible for $21.9 million in economic impact for the state.
In Ann Arbor, protected bicycle lanes are being built, Molly Kleinman, Ann Arbor Transportation Commission Chair said “nonmotorized transportation projects are often much cheaper and dollars can go a lot farther on them compared to more expensive road projects.”
In 2014, congestion caused 6.9 billion hours of travel delay and 3.1 billion gallons of wasted fuel, equaling a cost of more than $160 billion. Schrank, D. et al., 2015 - 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard
New estimates place the cost to fix Michigan's roadways at over $2.0 billion per year
The current bicycle market has reached a valuation of US $345.1 million in 2022.
Building bike lanes is far cheaper than building highways. It costs about $60,000,000 to build a mile of urban freeway, but on average less than $250,000 to build a mile of bike lane—that's 240% less taxpayer money spent.
Meanwhile, a Political Economy Research Institute study showed bicycle lanes are job creators. According to the study, bicycle projects create 11.4 jobs for every $1 million invested — 46% more than car-only road projects.
A report by the Urban Land Institute shows that houses in areas deemed to have above-average bike and pedestrian infrastructure were worth $34,000 more than comparable houses in areas with only average walkability/bikability.
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail has contributed significantly to community and economic development. It cost $63 million to build and is credited with having an initial economic impact of over $1 billion as published in a 2015 report by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute.
Cycling has significant economic benefits—for individuals, cities, and society—and functions as a low-cost, high-yield, scalable solution to climate and equity issues.The $242 billion cost of motor vehicle crashes represents the equivalent of nearly $784 for each of the 308.7 million people living in the United States, and 1.6 percent of the $14.96 trillion real U.S. Gross Domestic Product for 2010.
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Protected bicycle lanes are an affordable way of transit for everyone but particularly historically disinvested communities.
Protected bicycle lanes gives families money back in their household budget and time in the day by allowing children to navigate independently to school.
By helping make bike transportation mainstream, protected lanes make biking safer and more accessible for more people—lowering household transportation costs, enabling compact development, broadening individual autonomy and increasing mobility and access for low- and no-car households.
More Protected Bike Lanes = More Women Cyclists
Protected bicycle infrastructure is a climate and racial justice issue. Chicago shows how a lack of infrastructure contributes to the over-policing of Black and brown communities, proving a connection between government planning and systemic racism.
Because it is difficult and unsafe to reach daily needs without a vehicle in much of the United States, transportation has long acted as an economic barrier in the United States. Owning a car has become a prerequisite for accessing jobs, food, health care, and other necessities. Homes are located far from major job centers, services, and stores, requiring multiple car trips daily to reach essential needs.
This spread-out, sprawling form of development makes public transportation inefficient to operate, producing infrequent, inconvenient, and unreliable service.” -Smart Growth America Report
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The most livable cities of the future will be oriented around people, not cars.
As Canadian wildfires threaten to become the new norm in the Midwest, we need to begin thinking of creative, sustainable solutions to improve our air quality and address climate change at the root.
A study found that separated bike paths have better air quality than traditional bike lanes.
But what about…
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We have lived in an auto-centric society for so long it can be difficult to imagine removing some on-street parking and replacing it with protected bicycle lanes. We believe that a rebalancing of the road to protect pedestrians and bicyclists is critical and we believe that we owe it to ourselves, the business community, and to our society as a whole to examine the long held idea that on-street parking is necessary to our success as a society. We have an incredible amount of vehicular parking in Grand Rapids, here’s a link to a map of just downtown parking.
We know that this has been studied many times and the data shows that removing on street parking for cars and converting it to bicycle lanes actually increases business sales, “Even in cases where a motor vehicle travel lane or parking was removed to make room for a bike lane, food sales and employment tended to go up.” here’s a link to the compiled studies.
A study from the American Independent Business Alliance shows that we get a much better bang for our buck when it comes to bicycle parking vs vehicular parking. One on-street parking space costs $3,000 to $4,000 to build. Construct that space in a parking garage, and the cost goes up to $15,000 to $20,000. Instead of just one car using that $3,000 – $20,000 space, a dozen bicycles can fit into the same amount of space.
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Well, it’s not just snow! Its leaves, debris, gravel, litter, etc.
You also need to consider the type of snow you get: snow in New York is different than snow in Ohio is different than snow in Grand Rapids.
The frequency of clearing and the priority network are two things that need to also be taken into consideration.
There is no one-size-fits all model—you need a Swiss army knife of tools.
Here’s a snow starter guide for a great overview.
Here’s what Boston, Salt Lake, Cambridge, and Chicago use to clear their bicycle lanes.
It has been done, all over the world, well, for a long time and there’s no reason we can’t do it well in Grand Rapids, too.
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Building bicycle lanes is an investment in our people, our businesses, and our larger economy. Grand Rapids has a unique opportunity to strike gold in the Midwest and be the first midsized midwestern city to do this right. Protected bicycle lanes attract workers, create jobs, protect children, clean our air, and bring in an untapped tourism market. It’s hard to put a price tag on that but we can and it has been done.
Building bike lanes is far cheaper than building highways. It costs about $60,000,000 to build a mile of urban freeway, but on average less than $250,000-$1m to build a mile of bike lane—that's significantly less taxpayer money spent.
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A report estimated that Portland, Oregon's regional trail network saves the city approximately $115 million per year in healthcare costs. Beil, K., 2011 - Physical Activity and the Intertwine: A Public Health Method of Reducing Obesity and Healthcare Costs
A recent study of Barcelona's bike sharing program, Bicing, found that the health benefits of using the system outweigh the risks by a ratio of 77 to one. The study also estimated that Bicing reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 9,000 metric tons every year.
An “auto-oriented” paradigman “auto-oriented” paradigm of transportation investment leads to auto-oriented land use patterns, where neighborhoods and buildings are built to accommodate the car. Not only is the design of these places less friendly and efficient for non-auto travel, but the sheer distances that must be overcome to get from place to place means the near exclusion of transit, bicycling and walking.
The physical and psychological toll of brutal commutes can be considerable.
Longer commutes are associated with a higher risk of long-term poor mental health for women, particularly women with children, but not for men. Feng, Z. and Boyle, P. 2013 - Do Long Journeys to Work Have Adverse Effects on Mental Health Environment and Behavior
A “hidden” benefit of bicycling: mental health improvements.
Children and teenagers are among the most vulnerable living near a busy road or highway.
Recently, a number of epidemiologic studies have reported associations between residential proximity to busy roads and a variety of adverse respiratory health outcomes in children, including respiratory symptoms, asthma exacerbations, and decrements in lung function
One result of the rapid post-war increase of motor vehicles was air pollution, especially in cities, that had serious impacts on public health and the environment.
A San Francisco Bay Area study found that increasing biking and walking from 4 to 24 minutes a day on average would reduce cardiovascular disease and diabetes by 14% and decrease GHGE by 14%. Maizlish, N. et al 2012 - Health Cobenefits and Transportation-Related Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the San Francisco Bay Area
A reduction in carbon dioxide emissions through an increase in biking and walking for transportation has greater health benefits for a population than from the increased use of lower-emission motor vehicles.
An increase in active transportation is estimated to reduce 500 fatalities per million inhabitants in cities such as Delhi and London. Woodcock, J., et al., 2009 - Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: urban land transport, Lancet, 374, 1930-43
Regular bike riding throughout adulthood protects against a variety of age-related health issues. Pollock, R. et al, 2018 - Properties of the vastus lateralis muscle in relation to age and physiological function in master cyclists aged 55–79 years.
Bicycling offers unique health benefits beyond other types of physical activity, reducing the rate of all-cause mortality by 10 percent. Kelly, P., et al, 2014 - Systematic review and meta-analysis of reduction in all-cause mortality from walking and cycling and shape of dose response relationship.
A longitudinal study revealed that both commuting and recreation bicycling are associated with a decreased risk of type II diabetes. Those who began bicycling on a regular basis in middle to old age benefitted the most evidencing a 20% reduction in risk of type II diabetes. Rasmussen MG, Grøntved A, Blond K, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Jensen MK, et al., 2016 - Associations between Recreational and Commuter Cycling, Changes in Cycling, and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: A Cohort Study of Danish Men and Women.
After a bike and pedestrian lane was installed on a South Carolina bridge, 67% of users indicated that their activity levels had increased since the opening of the lane. McCarthy, D., 2009 - Wonder’s Way Bike Pedestrian Pathway on the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge: A Successful Model for Facilitating Active Living in Lowcountry South Carolina
Commuters to McGill University in Montreal were more satisfied with their commute if they cycled than if they drove or took transit even in winter. Willis, D., Manaugh, K., El-Geneidy, A., 2013 - Uniquely Satisfied: Exploring Cyclists’ Trip Satisfaction, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Volume 18
A study of Texas commuters found that those with longer commutes were likely to get less physical exercise, have worse cardiorespiratory fitness and be more overweight than those with shorter commutes. Hoehner, C. M., et. al. 2012 - Commuting distance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and metabolic risk. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Volume 42 Issue 6
A recent study of Barcelona's bike sharing program, Bicing, found that the health benefits of using the system outweigh the risks by a ratio of 77 to one. The study also estimated that Bicing reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 9,000 metric tons every year. Rojas-Rueda, D., et al., 2011 - The health risks and benefits of cycling in urban environments compared with car use: health impact assessment study, BMJ 2011;343:d4521
A 2012 study found that the greatest percentage of time spent commuting comes from less time spent sleeping. Smaller portions of commute time come from less time spent getting exercise and preparing food. Christian, T.J. 2012 - Trade-offs between commuting time and health-related activities, Journal of Urban Health, Volume 89, Issue 5
Over time, people who commute by car daily tend to gain more weight than those who do not, even if they are physically active at other times. Sugiyama, T. et al. 2013 - Commuting by Car: Weight Gain Among Physically Active Adults, Am. J. of Preventative Medicine, Volume 44, Issue 2
Cycling to school is associated with lower odds of being overweight or obese for adolescents. Ostergaard, A.G. et al, 2012 - Cycle to school is associated with lower BMI and lower odds of being overweight or obese in a large population-based study of Danish adolescents, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Volume 9
An adult cyclist typically has a level of fitness equivalent to someone 10 years younger and a life expectancy two years above the average. Paffenbarger, R., et al., 1986., and Department for Transport, 2007 - in Safety in numbers in England, CTC
Cyclists on average live two years longer than non-cyclists and take 15% fewer days off work through illness. CTC - Safety in numbers: Halving the risks of cycling
The health benefits of cycling outweigh the safety risks by a factor of 20 to one. Hillman, M., 1992 - in Cavill, N., and Davis, A., 2007, Cycling & Health: What's the evidence, Cycling England
One study found that cycling improves levels of well-being, self-confidence, and tolerance to stress while reducing tiredness, difficulties with sleep and a range of medical symptoms. Boyd, H., et al., 1998 - in Cavill, N., and Davis, A., 2007, Cycling & Health: What's the evidence, Cycling England
People exercise for longer when they are outside compared to at home, work, or a gym. Dunton, G., 2009 - Environmental influences on exercise intensity and duration in a U.S. time use study, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41, 1698-1705
After bicycle lanes were installed post-Katrina on a New Orleans, Louisiana street, there was a 57% increase in the number of cyclists. The number of female cyclists increased 133%, and the percentage of cyclists riding in the correct direction increased from 73% to 82%. Parker, K., et al., 2010 - If you build it, will they come? The health impact of constructing new bike lanes in New Orleans, Louisiana, Active Living Research Conference 2010 Abstract
In a study of adults with knee osteoarthritis, 80% of patients who started cycling and walking said the exercise helped ease their condition. Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland, 2010 - Lifestyle changes cut arthritis pain
The benefits of increased physical activity from shifting from driving to bicycling (3 to 14 months gained) outweigh the effects of increased inhaled air pollution (0.8 to 40 days lost) and increased traffic accidents (5 to 9 days lost). de Hartog, J., et al., 2010 - Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks?, Environmental Health Perspectives, 30 June 2010
Bike commuters report lower stress and greater feelings of freedom, relaxation, and excitement than car commuters. Appleton, M., 2011 - Cycle-commuting the secret to a happy life says New Economic Foundation report, Road.cc, 28 February 2011
A 30 minute round trip bicycle commute is associated with better mental health in men. Ohta, M., et al., 2007 - Effect of the physical activities in leisure time and commuting to work on mental health, Journal of Occupational Health, 49, 46-52
A study of nearly 2,400 adults found that those who biked to work were fitter, leaner, less likely to be obese, and had better triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and insulin levels than those who didn't active commute to work. Gordon-Larsen, P., et al., 2009 - Active commuting and cardiovascular disease risk, Archives of Internal Medicine, 169, 1216-1223
Aerobic exercise [like bicycling] can improve self-esteem. Fox and Corbin, 1999 - in Green Exercise: Complementary roles of nature, exercise and diet in physical and emotional well-being and implications for public health policy, CES Occasional Paper 2003-1, University of Essex
Countries with the highest levels of cycling and walking generally have the lowest obesity rates. Bassett, Jr., et al., 2008 - Walking, cycling, and obesity rates in Europe, North America, and Australia, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 5, 795-814
30-60 minutes of daily physical activity such as biking to work is associated with low blood pressure in women and low hypertension in both genders. Hu, G., et al., 2002 - Commuting, leisure-time physical activity, and cardiovascular risk factors in China, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34, 234-8
Women who walk or bike 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer. Luoto, R., et al., 2000 - The effect of physical activity on breast cancer risk: A cohort study of 30,548 women, European Journal of Epidemiology, 16, 973-80
Of the 10 most common causes of death in the US, seven are affected by transportation. Litman, T., 2003 - Integrating public health objectives in transportation decision-making, The Science of Health Promotion, 18, 103-8
82% of bicycle commuters believe their health has improved since they started bicycle commuting. Moritz, W., 1997 - Survey of North American bicycle commuters: Design and aggregate results, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1578, 91-101
According to the federal government, biking for transportation can count toward the minimum 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity recommended for physical health. It is also listed as the safest way to get physical activity. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008 - 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
Active commuting that incorporates cycling and walking is associated with an overall 11% reduction in cardiovascular risk. Hamer, M., and Y. Chida, 2007 - Active commuting and cardiovascular risk: A meta-analytic review, Preventive Medicine, 46, 9-13
Americans with nearby biking routes are more likely to participate in outdoor activities than those who don't have nearby biking routes (58% versus 47%). Outdoor Industry Association, 2011 - Outdoor Recreation Participation Report 2011
Each hour per day spent driving corresponds with a 6% increase in the odds of being obese. Frank, L., et al., 2004 - Obesity relationships with community design, physical activity, and time spent in cars, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 27, 87-96
Researchers compared the relationship between bicycling and walking travel and obesity in 14 countries, 50 U.S. states, and 47 U.S. cities, and found statistically significant negative relationships at all levels. Pucher, J., et al., 2010 - Walking and cycling to health: A comparative analysis of city, state, and international data, American Journal of Public Health, published online ahead of print
A study of Texas commuters found that those with longer commutes were likely to get less physical exercise, have worse cardiorespiratory fitness and be more overweight than those with shorter commutes. Hoehner, C. M., et. al. 2012 - Commuting distance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and metabolic risk. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Volume 42 Issue 6
A study of Safe Routes to School programs in four states found that active travel to school increased by 37% after implementation of the programs. Moudon, A. V.; Stewart, O. 2012 - Moving Forward: Safe Routes to School Progress in Five States, July 2012
Bicycle commuting burns an average of 540 calories per hour. de Geus, B., et al., 2007 - Determining the intensity and energy expenditure during commuter cycling, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 41, 8-12
Less than one third of Americans meet the CDC's requirements for minimal physical activity (30 minutes of moderate physical activity 5 days/week). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996 - Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
Men who cycle to work are significantly less likely to be overweight and obese (39.8%) than those who drive to work (60.8%). Wen, L., and C. Rissel, 2008 - Inverse associations between cycling to work, public transport, and overweight and obesity: Findings from a population-based study in Australia, Preventive Medicine, 46, 29-32
College students who use bicycles as transport accumulate more minutes of daily physical activity than students who use motorized means and are more likely to achieve public health recommendations of minimal physical activity (30 minutes/day). Sisson, S., and C. Tudor-Locke, 2007 - Comparison of cyclists' and motorists' utilitarian physical activity at an urban university, Preventive Medicine, 46, 77-79
In a study of nearly 9,000 middle-aged men, those who cycled or walked to work were leaner and less likely to gain weight than those who did not cycle or walk to work. Wagner, A., et al., 2001 - Leisure-time physical activity and regular walking or cycling to work are associated with adiposity and 5 y weight gain in middle-aged men: the PRIME Study, International Journal of Obesity, 25, 940-4
Cities with good biking and walking infrastructure have healthier residents and lower health care expenses. This increases the spending power of those residents, because they are not forced by poor health to spend their own scarce resources on expensive health care items.
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In 2009, 88 percent of U.S. children's bike-related deaths occurred in the street, up from 38 percent in 1990 and 47 percent in 2005. Mehan, T., et al., 2009 - Bicycle related injuries among children and adolescents in the United States, Clinical Pediatrics, 48.2, 166-73
High school girls who have numerous parks, schools, and other physical activity facilities in their neighborhood are significantly more likely to report getting vigorous physical activity than those who don't have any. Pate, R., et al., 2008 - Physical Activity and Neighborhood Resources in High School Girls, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 34, 413-419
Bicycle safety improvements attract proportionately more people to bicycling than automobile safety improvements (i.e. a 10% increase in safety results in a greater than 10% increase in the share of people bicycle commuting). Noland, R., 1995 - Perceived risk and modal choice: Risk compensation in transportation systems, Accident Analysis & Prevention, 27, 503-521
80 percent of people who live near a protected bike lane project believe it increased safety on the street. Monsere, C., et al., 2014 - Lessons from the Green Lanes (National Institute for Transpo”
Children are more likely to bike or walk to school when there are recreational facilities and bike paths nearby. Ziviani, P., et al., 2009 - Environmental correlates of children's active transportation: a systematic literature review, Health & Place, 15, 827-40
Children are less likely to bike or walk to school when there is a busy road barrier en route to school, or when parents believe that there are no lights or crossings for their child to use. Timperio, A., et al., 2006 - Personal, family, social, and environmental correlates of active commuting to school, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30, 45-51
Protected bike lanes reduce bike-related intersection injuries by about 75 percent compared to comparable crossings without infrastructure. Harris et al, 2013 - Comparing the effects of infrastructure on bicycling injury at intersections and non-intersections using a case crossover design." Injury Prevention"
A study of Safe Routes to School programs in four states found that active travel to school increased by 37% after implementation of the programs. Moudon, A. V.; Stewart, O. 2012 - Moving Forward: Safe Routes to School Progress in Five States, July 2012
Cities around the U.S. have found that protected bike lanes increase bicycle ridership, reduce motor vehicle speeding, reduce crashes and improve peoples feelings of safety on those streets. Chicago Department of Transportation, July 2012 - Protected Bike Lanes Fact Sheet
When the city of Seattle removed car lanes and added bike lanes to its Stone Way North street, the volume of cyclists increased 25%, motor traffic on adjacent streets declined 12-34%, speeding decreased 80%, and collisions dropped 14%. City of Seattle Department of Transportation - Stone Way N Rechannelization: Before and After Study
Because they shorten crossing distances, control turning conflicts and reduce traffic weaving, New York City's protected bike lanes reduced injury rates for people walking on their streets by 12 to 52 percent. NYCDOT, 2013
Major streets without bike facilities are where the most bike crashes happen, followed by minor streets without facilities, bike paths, and then bike lanes. Moritz, W., 1997 - Survey of North American bicycle commuters: Design and aggregate results, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1578, 91-101
One way to help solve the epidemic of drunk driving is by providing alternatives to driving, such as protected bicycle lanes.
Streets with protected bike lanes saw 90 percent fewer injuries per mile than those with no bike infrastructure. Teschke, K., et al., 2012
Americans spend more than 1 million days in the hospital each year from crash injuries.
Kids who bike or walk to recreation sites (parks, playgrounds, etc.) use them more often. The safer it is to bike or walk to play sites, the more likely it is that kids will bike or walk there. Grow, H., et al., 2008 - Where are youth active? Roles of proximity, active transport, and built environment, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40, 2071-2079
This study investigated the relationships between driving anger and five types of driving outcomes
Cities with high bicycling rates tend to have lower crash rates for all road users. Marshall, W., and N. Garrick, 2011 - Evidence on why bike-friendly cities are safer for all road users, Environmental Practice, 13, 1
After New York City installed a protected bike lane on Columbus Avenue, bicycling increased 56 percent on weekdays, crashes decreased 34 percent, speeding decreased, sidewalk riding decreased, traffic flow remained similar, and commercial loading hours/space increased 475 percent. New York City Department of Transportation, 2011 - Columbus Avenue parking-protected bicycle path preliminary assessment
A study of 690 bicycling injuries in Canada showed that cycle tracks had the lowest risks. Teschke, K., et. al., 2012 - Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists: A Case-Crossover Study, American Journal of Public Health
The safest bicycle routes in Vancouver, BC, and Toronto were found to be cycletracks on major streets, local streets with traffic diversion, and off-street bike paths. Teschke, K. et al., 2012 - Route Infrastructure and the Risk of Injuries to Bicyclists, American Journal of Public Health, Volume 102
One year after the installation of a protected bike lane in downtown Long Beach, a city survey found an increase in walking and bicycling traffic and a decrease in the number of bicycle and car crashes. City of Long Beach 2013 - Broadway and Third Street Protected Bikeway Study
People wait for red lights 94% of the time when bicycling in Portland, according to a study of more than 2,000 intersection videos. Thompson, S. R., 2013 - 94% of bike riders wait a red lights, study finds; BikePortland.org, June 25, 2013
Between 36% and 77% of cars are speeding on non-freeway streets, according to federal research. Transportation Research Board, Texas Transportation Institute, 2003 - Design Speed, Operating Speed and Posted Speed Practices, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, 2003
A review of 23 studies on bicycling injuries found that bike facilities (e.g. off-road paths, on-road marked bike lanes, and on-road bike routes) are where bicyclists are safest. Reynolds, C., et al., 2009 - The impact of transportation infrastructure on bicycling injuries and crashes: a review of the literature, Environmental Health, 8:47
A study found that separated bike paths have better air quality than traditional bike lanes. Kendrick, C., et al., 2010 in Maus, J., 2010 - The impact of bicycle characteristics on bicyclists exposure to traffic-related particulate matter, in press, in Study: Separated bikeways mean better air quality for bikers, walkers
A study found that bicycling on separated facilities like cycle tracks is safer than riding on streets without bicycle facilities. Cyclists were also 2.5 times more likely to ride on the cycle tracks than on the streets. Lusk, A., et al., 2010 - Risk of injury for bicycling on cycle tracks versus in the street, Injury Prevention, December 1, 2010
The installation of many miles of new bike lanes in New York City did not lead to an increase in bike crashes, despite the increase in the number of cyclists. Chen, L., et al., 2011 - Evaluating the safety effects of bicycle lanes in New York City, American Journal of Public Health, November 17, 2011
96 percent of people using protected bike lanes believe they increased safety on the street. Monsere, C., et al., 2014 - Lessons from the Green Lanes (National Institute for Transportation and Communities)
An evaluation of California's Safe Routes to School projects found that five of 10 selected projects were successful at increasing perceived safety, safety-related behaviors, and the number of children bicycling and walking to school. Boarnet, M, et al., 2005 - California's Safe Routes to School program: Impacts on walking, bicycling, and pedestrian safety, Journal of the American Planning Association, 71, 301-317
Data source: People for Bikes
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By shifting traffic from cars to bikes and making it easier to reach transit stops, Austin's planned protected bike lane network is projected to increase the city's traffic capacity by about 25,000 trips per day at about the same cost ratio as a single expressway widening. Wilkes, Nathan.
When Adding Bike Lanes Actually Reduces Traffic Delays
Traffic congestion is a severe problem in many cities that imposes substantial costs on the economy due to lost time, pollution, and increased gasoline expenditure. This paper investigates the psychological costs of traffic congestion by estimating the impact of high traffic on domestic violence.
Over the width of one traffic lane, cycling and walking can move five to ten times more people than driving.
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There are several reasons why it makes the most sense to put protected bicycle lanes on major streets! Here’s a great, short article from Cambridge, MA that sums it up.