66 percent increase in bicycling during commute hour

A county study shows more people are rolling around on bikes these days.

As part of Marin's $25 million federal pilot bike plan, the county took a count of local bicycle and pedestrian trips to create a baseline from which to judge the program.

Overall, there has been a 66 percent increase in weekday commute-hour bicycle traffic and a 33 percent rise in weekend riding, when compared with a similar count conducted in 1999.

The study also looked at pedestrians. Pedestrian activity on average increased 8 percent on weekdays, but dipped 22 percent on weekends during the same period.

Two locations showed dramatic increases in bike traffic: Broadway and Bolinas Road in Fairfax, and Bridgeway at Princess Street in Sausalito.

"These are encouraging statistics," Supervisor Steve Kinsey said. "They indicate that our priority focus and associated investments are improving biking and walking in our county."

...
For cyclists, the surveys indicated 67 percent were riding for exercise or recreation, 22 percent were commuting
Advertisement
to work or school, and 18 percent were running errands or attending to personal business.

If those riders were not able to bike to their destinations, 36 percent would drive instead, 14 percent would take public transit, 18 percent would walk and 28 percent would not make the trip at all, according to survey results.

Sixty-one percent of pedestrians were walking for exercise or recreation, 19 percent were commuting to work or school, and 30 percent were running errands or attending to personal business.

If not able to walk to their destinations, 36 percent would drive instead, 4 percent would carpool, 11 percent would take transit, 27 percent would bicycle, and 16 percent would not make the trip at all. Because many of the identified trips were for multiple purposes, the totals do not add up to 100 percent.

"This upsurge in biking and walking shows that giving people safe alternatives to the car can work in reducing auto trips and congestion," Supervisor Charles McGlashan said.

"The automobile is not always the trip of choice when people see safe and readily available alternatives."

<a href="http://www.marinij.com/ci_7893849?source=rss">http://www.marinij.com/ci_7893849?source=rss</a>;