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This
page last reviewed July 7, 2008
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Bicycle Fact Sheet
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Bicycling is important to the
health of Californians -- and not just to those doing the
cycling. Statewide, about seven tons per day of smog-forming
gases and almost a ton of inhalable particles are spared from
the air we breathe due to use of bicycles rather than motor
vehicles.1
People choosing to pedal rather than drive usually replace short
automobile trips that are disproportionately high in pollutant
emissions. |
| Communities Lead the Way. In some California
communities, bicycling has an especially profound impact on
transportation choices and air pollution reduction. The City
of Davis, for example, has the highest rate of bicycling in
the nation. Among its 64,000 residents, 17 percent travel to
work by bicycle and 41 percent consider the bicycle their primary mode
of transportation.2 City officials place
strong emphasis on provision of adequate, safe facilities for
cyclists -- both travel lanes and properly configured traffic
signals. With over 100 miles of on-street and Class 1
bicycle lanes, the City of Davis provides bicyclists and pedestrians
safe access to and from school, thereby eliminating the need for the
school district to provide school buses, combating child obesity,
encouraging a healthier lifestyle and promoting a community atmosphere. |
| Other California Communities are Leading by Example. In
places like Palo Alto, Pasadena, Chico, Long Beach, Santa
Barbara
and San Diego, innovative projects, good facilities and
bicycle-friendly local policies are boosting the share of trips taken
by these pollution-free vehicles. As a State we can do better,
though -- much better. |
| Untapped Potential. California's
Mediterranean climate supports cycling for most months of the year.
State and federal fiscal support for bicycling facilities is
increasing. And there is tremendous untapped potential for
increased use of bicycles to meet our transportation
needs. Consider: |
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More than half of commute
trips, and three out of four shopping trips, are under five miles in
length -- ideal for bicycling. Forty percent of all trips are under two
miles.3 |
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Past national polls have found
that 17 to 20 percent of adults say they would sometimes bike to work
if safe routes and workplace parking and changing facilities were
provided.4 A comprehensive review of
non-motorized travel data indicates "considerable latent
demand for bicycling and walking will be released if
infrastructural impediments to these modes are removed or
mitigated." 5 |
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About
27.3 percent of the driving age public (age 16 and older) reported they
rode a bicycle at least once during the summer of 2002, which equates
to approximately 57 million persons age 16 or older who rode a bicycle.6 |
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Bicycling
can be an excellent choice for enjoyable exercise. Recent exercise
recommendations include a minimum of one hour of daily moderate
exercise, such as bicycling, for children and adults to promote health
and vigor and to maintain body weight.7 |
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More Bicycling = Less Pollution. The U.S. Department
of Transportation's three-year National Bicycling and Walking
Study, completed in 1994, identified strategies for doubling the
percentage of total trips made by bicycling and walking and
identified scenarios for increasing bicycle trips by 3 to 5 times
current levels. The 1991 Statewide Travel Survey found 1.3
percent of trips were made by bicycle. Here's the air
pollution reduction that would result if Californians were to replace
an additional 3 percent of car and light truck trips
with bicycle trips by 2010:
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Travel and Emission Reductions
in 2010 for Each 1% Replacement
of Light-Duty Vehicle* Trips** with Bicycle Trips (tons / day)8
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Reduction in Vehicle Miles
of Travel**
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Reductions in Smog-Forming Gases
(ROG + NOx)
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Reductions in Inhalable
Particles
(PM10)***
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Reductions in Carbon
Monoxide
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| South Coast Region |
1,027,214
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1.38
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0.25
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7.78
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| Bay Area |
557,308
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0.75
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0.14
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4.22
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| San Joaquin Valley |
255,086
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0.34
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0.06
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1.93
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| Sacramento Region |
167,585
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0.23
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0.04
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1.27
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| San Diego County |
229,525
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0.31
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0.06
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1.74
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| Southeast Desert Region |
57,526
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0.08
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0.01
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0.44
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| Ventura County |
64,974
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0.09
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0.01
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0.49
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| Santa Barbara County |
30,383
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0.04
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0.02
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0.23
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| Monterey / Santa Cruz |
29,401
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0.04
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0.01
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0.22
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| Statewide |
2,656,035
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3.58
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0.65
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20.11
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*Light-Duty Vehicles
= Passenger Cars + Light Trucks (GVWR < 5,751 lbs.)
**Average Trip Length of 1.8 Miles
***PM10 Includes Tire and Brake Wear |
| Funding bicycle facilities and programs can be a
cost-effective means of reducing motor vehicle emissions. Selected bicycle
projects evaluated by the Air Resources Board in 2004 demonstrated
reductions of $5-$10 per pound of smog-forming gases and
particulates. Examples of cost-effective projects include
construction of Class I and Class II bicycle lanes and paths linking
residential areas with employment and shopping centers; bicycle parking
facilities at transit stations, bicycle racks on transit buses; and
bicycle loan programs.9 |
| What steps will achieve reductions in air pollution? The experience of
communities with high rates of bicycling demonstrates the importance of
both facilities and pro-active policies: |
| On-Street Bike Lanes along principal roads raise
bicycle usage by providing official accommodation for the needs of
cyclists and addressing concerns about their
safety. Nationally, cities with at least one mile of bike lane
for every three miles of arterial roadway have 3 to 10 times higher
average bicycle commuting rates than cities with lesser ratios.10 Count data from Santa
Barbara indicate that bicycling has increased by 19 percent above the
rate of population growth over a twenty-year period, with almost all of
the increase on streets with striped bicycle lanes.11 Data collected in
Oregon link bike lane striping to reduced accidents, corresponding with
increased use.12 |
| Secure Bicycle Parking and workplace changing
facilities are important complements to safe and convenient routes of
travel, according to local and national surveys of potential bicycle
commuters. Combining workplace amenities such as bicycle lockers and
showers with good bike lanes will substantially increase cycling to
employment sites.13 Secure and convenient
parking at stores will encourage shoppers to try cycling, especially in
compact, multi-use neighborhoods with reduced trip distances. |
| State and Federal Funding is available to help local
governments complete facility improvements. Through the
Bicycle Transportation Account, the California Department of
Transportation currently provides over $7 million dollars
annually for city and county projects such as new bikeways,
bicycle-carrying facilities, installation of traffic control devices to
improve bicycle travel, eliminating hazardous conditions on existing
bikeways, planning and improvements and maintenance of bikeways.14 More federal dollars
could be "flexed" to support projects such as bike lanes and
bicycle-transit linkages that reduce automobile use
and emissions; California ranks 41st among the states in the
portion of federal transportation dollars used for bicycle
projects.15 |
| Local Support and Education
Programs for cyclists and motorists will help break down
barriers and address safety concerns that limit
bicycling. Bicycle safety education, such as the award-winning
Safe Moves program based in Van Nuys,16 is an important element of a
comprehensive local program. Public awareness campaigns, city
and county bicycle program managers, and the active support of local
officials work in tandem with good facilities to make cycling a safer,
more familiar means of transportation. |
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For additional information, please contact:
Tom Scheffelin
Air Quality and Transportation Planning Branch
Motor Vehicle Assessments Section
Air Resources Board
P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento, CA 95812-2815
(916) 327-7847
(916) 322-3646 (FAX)
E-mail: tscheffe@arb.ca.gov |
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1 Estimate from California travel
survey data (1991) and the April 23, 2003 release of EMFAC 2002,
version 2.2 emissions factors. Emissions impacts of
reduced traffic congestion not considered.
2 California Energy Commission,
Energy Aware Planning Guide, 1993; Environmental Working Group / The
Tides Center, Surface Transportation Policy Project and Bicycle
Federation of America, Share the Road, May 1997.
3 National Personal
Transportation Survey data, 1990.
4 Harris Poll data
published by Bicycling magazine, April 1991 and by Rodale Press, 1992.
5 University of North
Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, A Compendium of Available
Bicycle and Pedestrian Trip Generation Data in the United
States (for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)), October 1994.
6 National Survey of
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Attitudes and Behaviors Highlights Report,
U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2002.
7 Dietary Reference
Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Fat, Protein and Amino Acids
(Macronutrients) (2002); Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), Institute of
Medicine (IOM), National Academy of Science.
8 Calculation with
EMFAC 2002 version 2.2 (April 23, 2003) emission factors.
9 Air Resources Board,
Evaluation of Selected Projects Funded by Motor Vehicle Registration
Fees, December 2004.
10 Goldsmith, Stewart
A., Reasons Why Bicycling and Walking Are Not Being Used More
Extensively as Travel Modes (for FHWA), 1992.
11 Rails to Trails
Conservancy and Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals,
Improving Conditions for Bicycling and Walking: A Best
Practices Report (for FHWA), January 1998; Correspondence with
Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition.
12 Ronkin, Michael P., "About
Bike Lanes," Bicycle Transportation Alliance News, June 1997.
13 Harris and New York
City survey data analysis by Komanoff, Charles and Cora Roelof, The
Environmental Benefits of Bicycling and Walking (for FHWA), 1993.
14 SB 1772 (Brulte,
Statutes of 2000).
15 Surface
Transportation Policy Project, Correspondence, January 2004.
16 Safe Moves, 1121A Erwin Street,
Van Nuys CA 91411; 818/762-5535. |
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Bicycle Awareness Program
Transportation Strategies and
Air Quality
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