Economic Statistics

Bicycling generates more than $1.5 billion a year in total economic impact for the state of Wisconsin and supports more than 13,000 jobs in the state, paling in comparison the $9 million in federal funding spent annually on bike and pedestrian projects in the state.

America Bikes' fact sheet has the "Top 10" facts on bicycling and walking in the U.S.

The average bicycle shop has 6 full-time employees. With approximately 4,200 specialty bicycle retailers in the U.S., this totals 25,620 people employed full-time by these retailers.

The 2009 USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships brought more than $1 million in direct spending to the Bend, Oregon region. The 2009 Road Nationals brought more than $1.4 million to the area.

The bicycle industry is estimated to support 1.1 million jobs and generate nearly $18 billion in federal, state, and local taxes.

If resident and non-resident recreational cycling increased 20% in Wisconsin, it would create $184 million in economic activity and generate 2,638 additional jobs.

Recreational bicycling brings more than $924 million to the state of Wisconsin every year.

In 2007, the Tour de Georgia generated a direct economic impact of $28 million. During the five years that it was held, it attracted 2.8 million spectators and $148 million to Georgia.

The International Mountain Bicycling Association and Shimano compiled a report on the economics and benefits of mountain biking.

A survey of mountain bikers indicated that 80% of respondents had taken at least one overnight trip to go mountain biking.

A 1996 study estimated that mountain bike tourism brings $8.4 to $8.8 million to Moab, Utah's economy annually.

In 2007, 130 million bicycles were produced worldwide, more than twice the 52 million cars produced.

Mountain bike trails in the Chequamegon Area of Northern Wisconsin brought $1.17 million to the area's economy in 1997.

In Colorado, bike sales bring in $200 million annually, more than total motorcycle sales.

The US bicycle industry is a $6 billion industry.

In 2005, 19.8 million bicycles were sold in the U.S., 4.4 million more than all the cars and trucks purchased in the U.S. that year.

Bicycle-related economic activity provides $90 million and 850-1150 jobs for the city of Portland, Ore. From 2006 to 2008, the value of the Portland bicycle industry increased 38%.

Bicycle tourism brings $66.8 million to the Maine economy.

Bicycling brings summer business to ski areas: 161 U.S. ski areas open trails to mountain bikers in the summer, and 84 run lifts for cyclists.

The Wisconsin bicycle industry brings $556 million and 3,420 jobs to the state.

Bicycling brings more than $1 billion to the Colorado state economy.

Bicyclists in the northern Outer Banks region of North Carolina bring an estimated $60 million annually to the area's economy, nearly nine times the one-time expenditure of $6.7 million of public funds to construct bicycle facilities in the region. 1,400 jobs are created and/or supported annually by the bicyclists' expenditures.

In a survey of visitors to Portland, OR, 78% said that the city's bike-friendliness was a factor in their decision to visit there.

The quality of bicycling in the northern Outer Banks region positively impacts vacationers' planning:

- 12% report staying three to four days longer to bicycle

- 43% report that bicycling is an important factor in their decision to come to the area

- 53% report that bicycling will strongly influence their decision to return to the area in the future

By 2017, Portland, Oregon residents will have saved $64 million in health care costs thanks to bicycling. By 2040, they will have invested $162 million in bicycling yet saved more than $1 billion dollars in health care costs, a return on investment of 6.5 to 1 for health care costs alone.

It costs the same to build parking for 75 bikes as it does for just 4 cars.

In Portland, Oregon 7,100 daily trips or 21% of all trips on the Hawthorne Bridge over the Willamette River are made by bike. If those 7,100 trips were made by car, Portland would have to build a new bridge.

The Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, MN gets an average of 3,500 bicyclists a day, more traffic than 77% of Minneapolis city roads.

Local sales of bicycles jumped 35% after the Velib bike sharing system was installed in Paris.

The City of Copenhagen calculated how much they would save if cycling increased 10%. They found that:

- The healthcare system would save DKK 59 million annually
- There would be an annual savings of DKK 155 million due to reduced production loss
- The labor market would have 57,000 fewer days of absence
- 61,000 extra years of life
- 46,000 fewer years of prolonged, severe illness
- 25 fewer early retirement pensions annually

For a full review of the economic benefits of trails, see the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's "From Trail Towns to TrOD: Trails and Economic Development" report.

The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute's "Making the Case for Active Transportation" information bulletin summarizes the evidence on the economic benefits of bicycling.

Two-thirds of Omaha, Nebraska, residents who live near bike trails believe the trails would increase the selling price of their home.

Bikes Belong's "Trails to Sales" survey found that new bicycle trails lead to increased sales at nearby bike shops and higher bicycling rates of nearby residents.

The Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail have compiled nearly 40 rail trail studies on their site here.

According to a study of the Little Miami Scenic Trail, for every foot closer a house is to the trail, its price increases by $7.05.

In a study of Toronto merchants, patrons arriving by foot and bicycle visit the most often and spend the most money per month.

The health benefit of a kilometer of cycling is valued at $1.

Portland, Oregon residents save $2.6 billion per year thanks to spending less time in cars and more biking or walking.

For a comprehensive review of the economic benefits of bicycle infrastructure investments, refer to this report from the League of American Bicyclists.

Houses located in areas with above-average levels of walkability [or bikeability] are worth up to $34,000 more than similar houses in areas with average walkability levels.

Cyclists on average live two years longer than non-cyclists and take 15% fewer days off work through illness.

A 2008 poll by Coldwell Banker found that 78% of real estate agents say their clients want to live in an area that helps reduce gasoline costs.

When San Francisco made its Valencia Street less conducive to automobile travel and better for bicyclists and pedestrians, nearly 40% of merchants reported increased sales and 60% reported more area residents shopping locally due to reduced travel time and convenience. Two-thirds of merchants said the increased levels of bicycling and walking improved business.

Shifting travel from driving to biking can reduce external costs (costs paid by society) by 25 cents per mile in average conditions and 50 per mile in heavy urban traffic.

The Virginia Creeper Trail generates $1.59 million in annual spending, supporting 27 new full-time jobs.

In a survey of recent transplants to Portland, OR, 62% said that the city's bike-friendliness was a factor in their decision to move there.

Through improvements in health, reductions in congestion, and by enhancing the ambient environment, a 50% increase in the number of trips by bicycle in England would generate benefits worth £1.3 billion by 2015.

A fall 2008 study estimated that cycling saves British commuters an average £34 ($51) a week or collectively up to £111.2 million ($167 million).

A £10,000 investment in cycling infrastructure takes just one additional regular cyclist to recoup its cost. A £100,000 investment takes 11 additional regular cyclists.

The more often an employee cycles and the longer the distance traveled, the lower the rate of absenteeism.

In Minneapolis-St. Paul, for every 400 meters closer a median-priced home is to an off-street bicycle facility, its value increases by $510.

The benefits of investments in cycle networks are estimated to be at least 4-5 times the costs, making such investments more beneficial to society than other transport alternatives.

48% of Dutch HR managers report that their organization promotes cycling to work.

A recent CDC study found that community-based physical activity interventions, such as new bike paths and trails, are "money well spent", meaning they are more cost-effective than traditional preventive strategies in reducing new cases of many chronic diseases and improving quality of life. Interventions like enhanced access to bike paths reduce new cases of disease by:

- 5-15 cases per 100,000 people for colon cancer

- 15-58 cases per 100,000 for breast cancer

- 59-207 cases per 100,000 for type 2 diabetes

- 140-476 cases per 100,000 for heart disease

Also, check out the many studies on the economic benefits of trails at American Trails.

In 2018, obesity-related healthcare costs will average $1,425 per person, up from $361 per adult in 2008.

In 2018, obesity will affect 43 percent of U.S. adults and add $344 billion to direct health care costs if nothing is done soon.

In 2008, Americans spent $59 billion on weight loss programs, surgeries, and foods.

Between 1987 and 2001, increases in the proportion of and spending on obese people relative to people of normal weight accounted for 27 percent of the rise in healthcare spending.

In Oregon, at least 6 extra pounds per person can be attributed to urban sprawl. If every person in the state lost those 6 pounds, the state would save $206 million per year in healthcare expenses.

On average, an obese patient has $4,871 in medical bills a year compared with $3,442 for a patient at a healthy weight.

Obesity now accounts for 9.1% of all medical spending, up from 6.5% in 1998.

In 2008, overweight and obesity cost the U.S. $147 billion, up $30 billion from 2000.

There is significant long-term cost savings with interventions among overweight children who are likely to become obese adults.

In 20 years, the cost of hospital visits for obese children have more than tripled from $35 million in 1979-1981 to $127 million in 1997-1999.

Every year, the following diseases caused by inactivity cost Americans:

Heart disease - $175 billion
Diabetes - $100 billion
Arthritis - $84 billion
Stroke -$43 billion
Breast cancer - $16 billion
Colon cancer - $8 billion
Gall bladder disease - $7 billion
Prostate cancer - $6 billion

One billion extra gallons of gasoline are consumed annually due to overweight and obesity in the US.

The annual individual medical cost of inactivity ($622) is more than 2 ½ times the annual cost per user of bike and pedestrian trails ($235).

Obesity costs a company with 1,000 employees $285,000 per year.

The annual cost of obesity to employers ranges from $175 for every overweight male employee to $2,485 for every grade-II (BMI 30-40) obese female.

Obese workers are more likely to report lost productive time than normal-weight workers, costing U.S. companies an estimated $42.49 billion in lost time.

A study from the Netherlands determined that employers could save 27 million euros by encouraging employees to cycle to work more.

Workers with a higher BMI are more likely to report short-term disability in the workplace.

A study of over 2,000 workers concluded that physically active commuting to work is effective at improving physical fitness and raising HDL (good) cholesterol, and also that it can be successfully promoted by low cost measures.

If cycling participation increased enough to reduce obesity by about 3%, national medical expenditures could be reduced by $6 billion.

It costs three to four times more to enroll a sedentary adult in a structured exercise program than to teach them how to integrate moderate-intensity physical activity into their life [e.g. bicycling for transportation].

Every one-pound increase in the average weight of American car passengers increases fuel consumption by 40 million gallons.

By building a bicycle trail, it costs just $98 to help a person become more physically active.

In 2005 motor vehicles produced $56 billion in health and other non-climate-related damages, about 1.2 to 1.7 cents for every mile traveled.

In the US, there are 5 vehicles for every 4 drivers.

New US immigrants are twice as likely to live in households without vehicles as immigrants who have lived in the US for ten years or more. However, even after spending a decade in the US, immigrants are still twice as likely to live in households without automobiles compared to the US-born population.

A quarter of teenagers drive more than 20 miles per day.

Since 1960, the number of people commuting to work outside the county in which they live has increased 200%.

Since 1936, the number of miles driven by Americans has grown two-and-a-half times faster than the U.S. population.

In 2001, the average American spent 64 minutes daily in a vehicle.

In the US, 99 percent of all car trips begin and end at a parking space that is free to the driver.

In metro areas, nearly 50 percent of families without a car live in the suburbs.

Traffic congestion is linked to poor health in infants. Reductions in traffic congestion can reduce the incidence of prematurity and low birth weight among mothers who live within 2km of a road.

Americans rank the automobile as their most important possession; 88% consider it a necessity, not a luxury, more than a clothes dryer (66%), air conditioning (54%), or a TV (52%).

One of every 10 barrels of crude oil ends up in U.S. gasoline tanks.

Two-thirds of all driving trips to shuttle others around are made by women. Whether working or not, mothers with school-aged children make 20% more trips than the average woman and 21% more than the average man.

American mothers spend over an hour a day driving, on average, which adds up to almost 17 days behind the wheel per year. Moms also spend more time driving than the average parent spends dressing, bathing, and feeding a child.

More than a third of American drivers (34%) report that they have decided not to make a driving trip in the last month due to anticipated traffic.

Americans say that if their commute times were reduced, they'd spend the extra time:

- with family and friends (52%)
- recreating (37%)
- exercising (37%)
- sleeping (33%)
- working (11%)

44% of American drivers believe traffic congestion increases their stress levels, 25% say it makes them feel more angry, 16% say it negatively affects work or school performance, and 11% say they it makes them get less sleep.

More than half of American drivers (52%) believe that traffic has gotten worse in the last three years, and 16% think it had gotten much worse.

86% of Americans say they have been stuck in traffic in the last three years, and the average delay is one hour.

More than one-fifth (21%) of Americans say they have changed the way they commute to work because of the recession.

Most Americans say they would stop driving alone to work and seek alternate transportation when gasoline prices are at $4 or $5.

37 percent of Americans say they would pay between $10 and $20 to reduce their daily commute by 15 minutes.18% would pay up to $40 a day.

More than 1 million people have died in motor vehicle crashes in the last 25 years in the U.S. In 2008, more than 100 people died every day in car crashes.

The average fuel efficiency of today's U.S.vehicle fleet has increased just 3 MPG since the days of the Ford Model T. Fuel efficiency has barely increased since 1991.

The average annual operating cost of a bicycle is $308, less than 4% that of an average car ($8,220).

Households in automobile-dependent communities devote 50% more—an extra $3,000 on average—to transportation than households in communities with better bike and pedestrian facilities.

A household in a low density neighborhood drives 1,200 more miles and uses 65 more gallons of fuel per year than a similar household in a high density neighborhood.

In 2007, the average annual delay for every person using motorized travel during peak periods was 36 hours, equivalent to:

- Almost 5 vacation days
- Almost 13 big league baseball games
- More than 600 average online video clips

In 2007, congestion caused 4.2 billion hours of travel delay and 2.8 billion gallons of wasted fuel, equaling a cost of more than $87 billion.

On a weekday, the average car driven into Manhattan causes a total of 3.26 hours of delays to other drivers, the equivalent of $160.

It costs $100,000 to buy and drive a Ford F-250 the average amount (15,000 miles/year) for the typical amount of time (5 years).

Americans spend more on transportation than any other category except housing. On average, 18% of household expenditures are for transportation.

The average American household spends an entire three months' pay on transportation.

Excess air pollution in parts of California costs $28 billion annually (up to $1,600 per person) in health care costs, school absences, missed work and lost income potential from premature deaths.

The US is responsible for a quarter of global oil consumption. The transportation sector accounts for two-thirds of this.

In 2000, 76% of workers (97.5 million people) drove to work alone.

Cars are used for 75% of trips under one mile.

The average amount of time an American spends in a vehicle is slightly more than an hour a day.

Between 1995 and 2001, Americans spent about 10% more time in their vehicles but traveled about the same number of miles.

In 1990, the average urban American drove 2 ½ times as much (11,155 +- 1,470 km) as an urban European (4,519 +- 707 km).

Only 5% of households with an income of $20,000 to $39,999 have no motor vehicle.

If all Americans ages 10-64 were to bicycle instead of drive for 60 minutes a day, gasoline demand would be reduced by 48 billion gallons, equal to 35% of 2005 domestic oil consumption.

The U.S. transportation sector is almost entirely dependent on petroleum as an energy source. Nearly two-thirds of the petroleum used in the U.S. is imported.