Here’s a way to add some fitness and sunshine to your day: Commute to work by bicycle.
According to the League of American Bicyclists analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, there has been a 62 percent increase in people who commute by bicycle between 2000 and 2013.
“I think it’s happening for a couple of reasons,” said Elizabeth Murphy of the League. “When more people are riding, it’s safer for everyone. So if you see people riding on the road that you can identify with, who are in your community or your neighborhood, I think that sparks something in some people’s minds, ‘Hey why don’t I try that?’”
People, Murphy says, are telling themselves, “I’m wanting to lose a little bit of weight, I’m wanting to cut out my gym costs. I’m wanting to enjoy the sunshine on my ride to work in the morning.”
Infrastructure changes
Also, communities big and small are putting in place “infrastructure that’s making people feel very safe, and allowing people to get on their bikes and use them,” she said. “So I think it’s a little bit of both. With the infrastructure being added, people are considering it because they believe they’ll be safer there, so more people are trying it out.”
The Census Bureau also reported in early 2014 that commuting by bike was the fastest-growing commuting mode of the past decade.
A long way to go locally
Cincinnati in 2013 ranked 45th among large cities with 0.5 percent of commuters using bikes. That was a 146 percent increase from 2000. Louisville was 46th. But Lexington/Fayette County ranked 27th, with 1.1 percent of commuters riding. Columbus, Ohio, was 29th.
Meanwhile, in Portland, Oregon, 5.9 percent of commuters use pedal power.
Founded in 1880, the League of American Bicyclists is the nation’s largest biking advocacy organization, with a mission of “creating a more bicycle-friendly America for everyone,” Murphy said.
