WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — The U.S. Census Bureau says the number of people who traveled to work by bike increased roughly 60 percent over the last decade, from about 488,000 in 2000 to about 786,000 during the 2008-2012 period.
This is the largest percentage increase of any commuting method tracked by the 2000 Census and the 2008-2012 American Community Survey.
The Census also has added new features to its online Census Explorer map; the new features allow web visitors to drill down to commuting statistics for every neighborhood in the U.S.
"In recent years, many communities have taken steps to support more transportation options, such as bicycling and walking," said Brian McKenzie, a Census Bureau sociologist and the report's author. "For example, many cities have invested in bike share programs, bike lanes and more pedestrian-friendly streets."
While bicyclists still account for just 0.6 percent of all commuters, some of the nation's largest cities have more than doubled their rates since 2000. Portland, Ore., had the highest bicycle-commuting rate at 6.1 percent, up from 1.8 percent in 2000. In Minneapolis, the rate increased from 1.9 percent to 4.1 percent.
The full report, "Modes Less Traveled — Bicycling and Walking to Work in the United States: 2008-2012," is available by download from the Census website.
Among the report's highlights:
- The West had the highest rate of biking to work at 1.1 percent, and the South had the lowest rate at 0.3 percent.
- Among large cities, Portland, Ore., had the highest bicycle-commuting rate at 6.1 percent.
- The median commute time for those who bike to work was about 19.3 minutes.
- Men were more likely to bike to work than women were. The rate of bicycle commuting for men was more than double that of women, 0.8 percent compared with 0.3 percent.
- Those with a graduate or professional degree or higher and those with less than a high school degree had the highest rates of biking to work, at 0.9 and 0.7 percent, respectively.
- 1.5 percent of those with an income of $10,000 or less commuted to work by bicycle, the highest rate of bicycle commuting by any income category.
- African-Americans had the lowest rate of biking to work at 0.3 percent, compared with some other race or two or more races who had the highest rate at 0.8 percent.
