Survey of North American Bicycle Commuters: Design and Aggregate Results

Abstract

Although interest exists in promoting bicycle commuting to help meet air quality and commuter-trip reduction goals, there are virtually no data on bicycle commuters. A comprehensive survey, distributed over the Internet and by mail, of such commuters has been conducted, with 2,374 responses received from all regions of the United States and Canada. Information was gathered in seven categories: about your commuting; about the facilities you use; about your bike; about your motivation; about safety/accidents; about your health; and about you and your household. Comments were also collected. Although the average bicycle commuter is a 39-year-old male professional with a household income in excess of $45,000 per year who rides 10.6 months per year, nearly one in five respondents was female. Average annual bicycle-commuting distance was 3100 km, although these same cyclists rode an average of 5500 km for all trip purposes. Just under 10 percent reported having an accident in the previous 12 months. A relative danger index ( RDI) for various bicycle facilities that relates accident frequency to distance traveled on each facility type is presented. A higher number indicates greater danger. Based on the data in this sample, major streets without bicycle facilities have an RDI of 1.26; minor streets, an RDI of 1.04; streets with bike lanes or bike routes, an RDI of 0.50; bike paths, an RDI of 0.67 and sidewalks, an RDI of 5.30. With the 7.3 million km of bicycle commuting reported, an annual accident rate of 37.1 per million km was calculated. The results of this survey should be of interest to policy makers, businesses, and advocates interested in promoting the use of the bicycle for transportation purposes.