HISTORY OF BIKE TO WORK WEEK

National Bike Month was started by the League of American Bicyclist and has been celebrated for almost 70 years. The event was timed to coincide with the arrival of warmer weather. It has inspired countless bike rides, safety inspections, commuter challenges, ribbon-cuttings, "share the road" promotions, and other varied celebrations of bicycling in communities across the nation.

One of the most popular activities in Bike Month is encouraging people to bicycle to work and forsake their motor vehicles for just one day. Bike to Work Week is the third week in May, and the third Friday in May is designated as National Bike to Work Day.

There are many benefits to Biking to Work. The DC.gov website lists the following highlights:

Biking To Work Sustainability Facts

1. Reduce household emissions - Riding your bike to work rather than driving can cut down on your household emissions by at least 6%.

2. Reduce traffic - Cars produce .97 pounds of pollution per mile annually; bikes produce none. Bikes are also up to 50% faster than cars during rush hour.

Biking to Work Health Facts

1. People who bike to work have better blood pressure, insulin levels, and triglyceride levels.

2. Depending on your weight, you can burn between 215-500 calories during a 30-minutes bike ride, based on a 10 mph pace (average commuter pace). The actual calories you burn while riding depends on your weight, fitness level, speed, number of hills, etc.

3. People who bike to work have reduced tiredness and less difficulty sleeping.

4. Just 3 hours of biking per week can reduce your risk of heart disease by 50%.

5. People who bike to work believe their health has improved since they started commuting by bike.

6. The average person loses 13 lbs. in the first year of commuting by bike.

7. Each additional hour spent in a car per day is associated with a 6% increase in the likelihood of obesity.

8. People who bike to work have higher levels of well-being, self-confidence, and stress tolerance.

9. People who bike to work report greater feelings of freedom, relaxation, and excitement than car commuters.

Biking To Work Cost Savings Facts

1. For obese workers, being physically active* 1-2 days a week lowered healthcare costs by $400-$500 per year. (*Physical activity was defined as at least 20 minutes of exercise that increases heart rate and breathing.)

2. The average annual operating expense of a bicycle is just $308, versus more than $8,000 for a car.

3. Helps support local businesses - When you ride a bike, you’re more likely to keep your trips shorter and your shopping closer to home, which is great for local business.

HOW THE PANDEMIC CHANGED OUR WORK COMMUTES

An estimated 731,272 Americans used bicycles as their chief means of transportation to work in 2022, up from 2021 but down almost 75,000 from before the pandemic and 175,000 from the peak year of 2014.  There are some big takeaways when looking at data from before the pandemic and during the pandemic. Based on 2019 vs. 2021 1-year estimates, more than 18 million people changed to working from home, shifting from all other modes except “taxi cab, motorcycle, and other means.” The shift to working from home has decreased the number of people commuting by other modes, including about 14.5 million teleworkers who no longer drive to work alone. Biking, walking, and transit saw similar dramatic shifts to fewer people using them to get to work in most states and cities.

While the overall data shows decreases in bike commuting, there are several bright spots including New York City – which showed a continued increase in bike commuters even as other major cities like Washington, D.C., saw steep decreases. The commute to work is often one of the longest trips that people take in a typical day. According to data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey, the average trip to work is about 12 miles, compared to 7-8 miles for errands, visiting family, and going to church. Trips to and from work make up about 20% of trips but due to their regular pattern of peak travel each day, they have an outsized role in transportation planning, engineering, and policy. 

For biking trips, commute to work data is the only federal data we get. It is valuable data because it comes out annually (usually), and is available for many different geographies allowing us to compare cities, states, and even census tracts with the same data nationwide. However, we know that commutes to work do not represent 90% of bike trips, limiting its insight. There is a profound need for more data about biking trips for other purposes and biking travel generally. 

If the shift to working from home is durable, then there is an opportunity to focus more on planning and engineering for short everyday trips that are shorter distances and easier to do by biking or walking. Overall, 39.4% of all trips are 2.5 miles or less and those are trips that people may choose to do by bike if we build safe and connected places to bike for short trips.

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY, ATLANTA

Starting in Summer 2016, the City of Atlanta joined cities such as New York City, Boston, Birmingham, Chattanooga and Philadelphia in launching its own Bike Share system, Bike Share Atlanta. Bike Share is an innovative, emerging form of public transportation in which bicycles are available for shared use to individuals on a short-term basis. The system provides users the ability to pick up a bicycle at any bike share station located near their destination. Bike share launched in the Summer of 2016 with 100 bikes at 10 stations and expanded in April 2017 with 500 bikes at 75 stations. The program is planned to eventually expand to over 2,000 bicycles and 200 stations located through the various diverse neighborhoods of Atlanta.

Cycling in Atlanta has grown in popularity in recent years, from 0.33% of commutes in 2000 to 1.1% in 2009, aided by improving cycling infrastructure and community support. Although Atlanta has historically been a city defined by the automobile, its increasingly compact urban form and mild climate are encouraging residents to cycle to work, shopping, and recreational destinations. Though Atlanta's famed hilly topography can make cycling challenging—though fun—many parts of the city are relatively flat, including some of the more densely populated areas. 

So, bike to work this week and/or on bike to work day, Friday May 17. If biking to work is not feasible, participate in a bike trip for recreation and exercise, meeting up with friends or enjoying a solo ride. Wear a helmet and if riding at night, remember to equip your bicycle with lights and yourself with reflective clothing. And never bike impaired!  

If you are involved in an accident, contact Dave Thomas at The Thomas Law Firm. Dave Thomas is an experienced personal injury attorney and will provide a free evaluation of your legal right to compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other applicable damages.