Environmental Statistics

Increasing the mode share of all trips made by bicycling and walking from 12% to 15% could lead to fuel savings of 3.8 billion gallons a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 million tons per year. This is equivalent to replacing 19 million conventional cars with hybrids.

The air quality improvement and reduced greenhouse gas emissions due to bicycling in Wisconsin is worth more than $90 million every year.

If 20% of short car trips were replaced by bicycle trips in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, it would prevent 57,405 tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted, a value of $1.2 million.

If 20% of Madison, Wisconsin commuters biked to work, it would save 16,687 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, a value of $366,577. If 20% of Milwaukee commuters biked to work, it would save 40,718 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, a value of $821,282.

A 10 cent per gallon increase in the gasoline tax would reduce carbon emissions from vehicles in the United States by about 1.5%.

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.

Bicycle traffic in Copenhagen prevents 90,000 tons of CO₂ from being emitted annually.

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

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

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.

89% of Americans believe that transportation investments should support the goals of reducing energy use.

Bicyclists in Philadelphia ride 260,000 miles daily, saving 47,450 tons of CO₂ from being emitted by cars each year.

If 5% of New Yorkers commuting by private car or taxi switched to biking to work, they could save 150 million pounds of CO₂ emissions per year, equivalent to the amount reduced by planting a forest 1.3 times the size of Manhattan.

If 10% of NYC commuters biked to work instead of driving or taking transit just once per week, they could save 120 million pounds of CO₂ emissions per year, equivalent to the amount released by the homes of 25,000 New Yorkers.

For more research on youth cycling and the environment, check out the Safe Routes to School National Partnership's Research site

If the number of kids who walk and bike to school returned to 1969 levels, it would save 3.2 billion vehicle miles, 1.5 million tons of CO₂ and 89,000 tons of other pollutants annually. This is the equivalent of keeping more than 250,000 cars off the road for a year.

Half of U.S. schoolchildren are dropped off at school in the family car. If 20% of those living within two miles of school were to bike or walk instead, it would save 4.3 million miles of driving per day. Over a year, that saved driving would prevent 356,000 tons of CO₂ and 21,500 tons of other pollutants from being emitted.

A 5% increase in the walkability of a neighborhood is associated with a per capita 32.1% increase in active travel, 6.5% fewer miles driven, 5.6% fewer grams of NO_x emitted, and 5.5% fewer grams of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted.

A 40% obese population requires 19% more food energy, resulting in an extra 0.4-1.0 Giga tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year (for a population of 1 billion).

More CO₂ is emitted by the United States' transportation sector than any other nation's entire economy, except for China.

20 billion extra pounds of CO₂ are released annually due to overweight and obesity in the US.

Bicycling instead of driving for 5 miles a day reduces individual CO₂ emissions by 1,287 lbs annually,* about 6% of the average U.S. individual’s total emissions.¹

*Assuming bicycling 5 days a week, an average car fuel efficiency of 20.2 mpg,² and an average CO₂ content of 20 lbs per gallon of gas³

That’s the energy savings equivalent of:

- Replacing 13 incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs⁴

- Recycling 400 pounds of waste instead of sending it to the landfill⁵

- Replacing 2 old refrigerators with newer Energy Star models⁶

- Flying 2,429 fewer miles a year⁷

 

¹ The average U.S. 2-person household produces 41,500 lbs of CO2 a year, or 20,750 per person. - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator

² U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends 1975 Through 2007

³ U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “How can a gallon of gasoline produce 20 pounds of carbon dioxide”

⁴ Replacing 1 light bulb saves 100 lbs of CO₂ per year. - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator

⁵ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator

⁶ Replacing 1 refrigerator saves 521 lbs of CO₂ per year.   - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Personal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator

⁷ Based on a CO₂ emission factor of 0.15 kg/km (0.53 lb/mi) for short-range flights. - The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative, Business Travel Emissions Calculator

If all Americans between 10 and 64 were to bicycle instead of drive for 60 minutes a day, the resulting reduction in CO₂ emissions would be 11% of 1990 net US emissions.