WHERE WE RIDE Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
report on 2014 American Community Survey data by the league of american bicyclists
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
riding to work By the Numbers
From 2000 to 2014, bicycle commuting has seen
Where is bike commuting growing in the United States?
62%
Every year, the U.S. Census Bureau studies Americans’ commuting habits, including how many people commute by bike. While commuting is only part of the bicycling story, the American Community Survey provides valuable insight into changing commuting patterns and transportation choices. Each year, the League of American Bicyclists digs into the data to assess the state of bicycle commuting in cities across the country — and gives you a glimpse into how your community stacks up. Here’s our analysis of the 2014 numbers.
Cover Photo by richard masoner 2
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
Growth Nationwide Nationwide, in 2014, there were a total of
904,463
Bike commuters The city with the highest % of residents biking to work:
23.2% davis, california
Cities with
the Most Bicyclists in 2014
These cities have the largest number of bicyclists riding on their streets.
% of bike
City
POPULATION Bicyclists
commuters
New York, ny Los Angeles, ca Portland, or Chicago, il San Francisco, ca Seattle, wa Washington, dc Philadelphia, pa Minneapolis, mn San Diego, ca Denver, co Tucson, az Boston, ma Davis, ca Madison, wi Oakland, ca Austin, tx Houston, tx New Orleans, la Phoenix, az Berkeley, ca San Jose, ca Eugene, or Fort Collins, co
8,491,079 3,928,827 619,445 2,722,407 852,469 668,337 658,893 1,560,297 407,181 1,381,083 663,862 527,948 656,051 66,733 245,674 413,782 912,798 2,240,796 384,320 1,537,045 118,851 1,015,796 160,552 156,473
1.1% 1.3% 7.2%
42,806 24,334 23,347 21,362 21,068 14,157 13,330 12,281 10,426 9,262 8,848 8,169 8,141 7,696 7,323 7,231 6,653 6,085 5,701 5,681 5,572 5,310 5,120 5,075
1.7% 4.4% 3.7% 3.9% 1.9% 4.6% 1.3% 2.5% 3.5% 2.4% 23.2% 5.3% 3.7% 1.3% 0.6% 3.4% 0.8% 9.7% 1.1% 6.8% 6.2%
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
bicycle commuting growth by state
4
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
Nationally, since 2005, states have seen, on average, a
46% increase in the share of people commuting by bike. But an average is just that – there are many states that have seen tremendous increases in cycling, including some that might not be expected. This map shows the growth in bicycle commuting for all 50 states from 2005 to 2014
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
50 states ranked by mode share State Oregon Colorado Montana California Idaho Hawaii Arizona Washington Wyoming Alaska Minnesota New Mexico Massachusetts Wisconsin Utah Florida New York Illinois Vermont Rhode Island Maine Louisiana Iowa
6
Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Total commute by bike 2014 2.6% 1.3% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.1% 1.1% 1.0% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5%
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
Total commute by bike 2005 1.53% 0.94% 1.60% 0.71% 1.00% 0.69% 0.78% 0.66% 0.65% 0.89% 0.53% 0.51% 0.39% 0.64% 0.62% 0.44% 0.34% 0.38% 0.52% 0.23% 0.28% 0.27% 0.54%
% change Commute by Bike 2005-2014 69% 43% -27% 64% 15% 59% 40% 50% 45% 2% 67% 67% 106% 25% 21% 70% 84% 61% 17% 128% 76% 80% -10%
50 states Continued State
Rank
Pennsylvania Nevada Nebraska Indiana South Dakota Virginia Michigan New Jersey Maryland Kansas Connecticut South Carolina Ohio New Hampshire Oklahoma North Dakota Texas West Virginia Missouri Kentucky North Carolina Delaware Georgia Arkansas Alabama Tennessee Mississippi
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
District of Columbia * puerto rico *
Total commute by bike 2014
Total commute by bike 2005
% change Commute by Bike 2005-2014
0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1%
0.26% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.41% 0.23% 0.28% 0.27% 0.18% 0.27% 0.27% 0.23% 0.23% 0.20% 0.23% 0.42% 0.23% 0.07% 0.19% 0.12% 0.20% 0.30% 0.16% 0.17% 0.09% 0.07% 0.11%
84% 20% 11% 11% 7% 87% 52% 34% 99% 25% 23% 38% 36% 51% 26% -33% 19% 278% 41% 124% 23% -19% 51% 34% 82% 103% -4%
3.9% 0.2%
1.74% 0.14%
124% 54%
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
70 largest cities with
highest share of bicycle commuters
8
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
Commuting trends have changed dramatically over the years. Here are the 70 largest cities ranked by the percentage of their commuting population that identified as bike commuters.
Photo by richard masoner
City
rank
% of bike commuters
Portland, OR Minneapolis, MN San Francisco CA Washington, DC Seattle, WA Oakland, CA Tucson, AZ New Orleans LA Denver, CO Boston, MA Pittsburgh, PA Honolulu, HI Philadelphia, PA Sacramento, CA Tampa, FL Albuquerque, NM Chicago, IL St. Paul MN Austin, TX San, Diego CA Los Angeles CA St. Louis MO Anchorage, AK Long, Beach CA New York, NY San, Jose CA Fresno, CA Milwaukee, WI Miami, FL Buffalo, NY Cincinnati, OH Phoenix, AZ Santa Ana, CA Detroit, MI Riverside, CA Columbus, OH Lexington-Fayette county, KY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
7.2% 4.6% 4.4% 3.9% 3.7% 3.7% 3.5% 3.4% 2.5% 2.4% 2.0% 2.0% 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% 1.7% 1.7% 1.5% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.0% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.7%
population
% growth from 1990 to 2014
% Growth from 2000 to 2014
619,445 407,181 852,469 658,893 668,337 413,782 527,948 384,320 663,862 656,051 305,434 350,403 1,560,297 485,193 358,684 557,172 2,722,407 297,644 912,798 1,381,083 3,928,827 317,419 301,010 473,605 8,491,079 1,015,796 515,985 599,653 430,341 258,699 298,162 1,537,045 334,924 680,281 319,519 836,293 310,797
518.6% 186.2% 356.4% 412.2% 143.5% 230.1% 25.3% 267.9% 188.7% 174.8% 389.7% 57.3% 236.8% 0.6% 105.4% 47.4% 506.2% 192.4% 72.5% 21.1% 119.9% 380.3% 181.2% 15.8% 260.4% 69.9% 5.9% 200.2% 52.7% 155.0% 313.6% -25.5% -28.9% 662.7% -33.1% 98.2% 115.7%
306.6% 145.9% 120.8% 234.0% 96.6% 199.6% 58.4% 189.5% 161.7% 148.1% 361.3% 57.2% 123.3% 41.4% 107.7% 54.7% 240.5% 128.2% 44.4% 83.6% 115.4% 269.9% 153.4% 54.6% 132.7% 72.0% 34.0% 202.9% 68.0% 104.1% 350.1% -4.3% -28.7% 403.2% -4.0% 123.5% 31.1%
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
top 70 largest cities City
rank
% of bike commuters
Baltimore, MD Bakersfield, CA Cleveland, OH Atlanta, GA
38 39 40 41
0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7%
622,793 368,748 389,524 456,012
196.4% 35.4% 461.1% 145.8%
122.4% 38.0% 238.2% 122.1%
Mesa, AZ Colorado Springs, CO Las, Vegas NV Jacksonville, FL Anaheim, CA Houston, TX Stockton, CA Louisville/Jefferson metro, KY Virginia, Beach VA Tulsa, OK Raleigh, NC Indianapolis, IN Omaha, NE Charlotte, NC Newark, NJ San Antonio, TX Nashville-Davidson metro, TN Fort, Worth TX El, Paso TX Memphis, TN Aurora, CO Dallas, TX Wichita, KS Corpus Christi, TX Kansas City, MO Toledo, OH
42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67
0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%
464,682 445,820 613,590 853,376 346,961 2,240,796 302,405 612,775 450,980 399,274 439,884 851,353 446,618 809,974 280,577 1,436,723 644,008 812,553 679,024 656,876 353,381 1,281,031 388,413 320,431 470,816 281,014
-53.0% 33.5% -6.7% 7.6% -50.2% 59.3% -44.8% 168.0% 15.8% 122.7% 0.5% 156.5% 151.3% 128.7% 56.7% 124.2% 93.7% 46.1% -22.0% 90.4% 19.3% 48.7% -13.3% -6.7% 83.9% 33.2%
-45.3% 25.9% 66.6% 51.0% -52.1% 22.1% -36.1% 13.2% 53.9% 122.2% 32.5% 101.6% 168.8% 141.6% 63.6% 109.9% 98.5% 112.4% 121.2% 130.5% 49.2% 71.0% 28.5% -10.5% 66.7% -22.9%
Oklahoma City, OK Arlington, TX Plano, TX
68 69 70
0.1% 0.1% 0.0%
620,553 383,202 277,910
-4.2% -19.5% -81.5%
17.2% -23.3% -63.9%
10
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
population
% growth from 1990 to 2014
% Growth from 2000 to 2014
Top 20 cities with the
highest share of bicyclists Any ranking of great places to bike must account for the simplest metric of all: what percentage of trips are made by bike. Here’s a list of the top 20 cities with the highest percentage of journeys to work made by bike.
Photo by dave fayram
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
top 20 cities with highest share of bicyclists City Davis, ca Berkeley, ca Boulder, co Somerville, ma Cambridge, ma Palo Alto, ca Portland, or Eugene, or Fort Collins, co Santa Barbara, ca Missoula, mt Bloomington, in Madison, wi Flagstaff, az Ann Arbor, mi Chico, ca Minneapolis, mn Iowa City, ia Gainesville, fl San Francisco, ca Bellingham, wa Mountain View, ca Washington, dc Seattle, wa College Station, tx Tempe, az Oakland, ca
12
rank 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 20 20 20
Total commute by bike 23.2% 9.7% 8.9% 7.4% 7.4% 7.3% 7.2% 6.8% 6.2% 6.1% 6.1% 5.5% 5.3% 5.2% 5.0% 4.7% 4.6% 4.6% 4.4% 4.4% 4.2% 4.1% 3.9% 3.7% 3.7% 3.7% 3.7%
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
Total Population 66,733 118,851 105,101 78,903 109,699 66,968 619,445 160,552 156,473 91,208 69,824 83,423 245,674 68,786 117,759 89,187 407,181 73,424 128,474 852,469 83,363 79,374 658,893 668,337 103,486 172,836 413,782
top 50 large Cities where
bike commuting is growing the fastest City Detroit, MI Pittsburgh, PA Cincinnati, OH Portland, OR St. Louis, MO Chicago, IL Cleveland, OH Washington, DC Milwaukee, WI Oakland, CA New Orleans, LA Omaha, NE Denver, CO Anchorage, AK Boston, MA Minneapolis, MN Charlotte, NC New York, NY Memphis, TN St. Paul, MN Columbus, OH Philadelphia, PA Baltimore, MD
rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
population
% of bike commuters
680,281 305,434 298,162 619,445 317,419 2,722,407 389,524 658,893 599,653 413,782 384,320 446,618 663,862 301,010 656,051 407,181 809,974 8,491,079 656,876 297,644 836,293 1,560,297 622,793
0.8% 2% 0.9% 7.2% 1.3% 1.7% 0.7% 3.9% 1% 3.7% 3.4% 0.4% 2.5% 1.3% 2.4% 4.6% 0.4% 1.1% 0.3% 1.5% 0.8% 1.9% 0.7%
% growth from 2000 to 2014 403.2% 361.3% 350.1% 306.6% 269.9% 240.5% 238.2% 234.0% 202.9% 199.6% 189.5% 168.8% 161.7% 153.4% 148.1% 145.9% 141.6% 132.7% 130.5% 128.2% 123.5% 123.3% 122.4%
Photo by todd mecklem League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
top 50 Cities where bike commuting is growing the fastest City Tulsa, OK Atlanta, GA El Paso, TX San Francisco, CA Los Angeles, CA Fort Worth, TX San Antonio, TX Tampa, FL Buffalo, NY Indianapolis, IN Nashville-Davidson, TN Seattle, WA San Diego, CA San Jose, CA Dallas, TX Miami, FL Kansas City, MO Las Vegas, NV Newark, NJ Tucson, AZ Honolulu, HI Albuquerque, NM Long Beach, CA Virginia Beach, VA Jacksonville, FL Aurora, CO Austin, TX
14
rank 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
population 399,274 456,012 679,024 852,469 3,928,827 812,553 1,436,723 358,684 258,699 851,353 644,008 668,337 1,381,083 1,015,796 1,281,031 430,341 470,816 613,590 280,577 527,948 350,403 557,172 473,605 450,980 853,376 353,381 912,798
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
% of bike commuters 0.5% 0.7% 0.3% 4.4% 1.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1.9% 0.9% 0.4% 0.3% 3.7% 1.3% 1.1% 0.2% 0.9% 0.2% 0.6% 0.4% 3.5% 2% 1.7% 1.1% 0.5% 0.6% 0.3% 1.3%
% growth from 2000 to 2014 122.2% 122.1% 121.2% 120.8% 115.4% 112.4% 109.9% 107.7% 104.1% 101.6% 98.5% 96.6% 83.6% 72% 71% 68% 66.7% 66.6% 63.6% 58.4% 57.2% 54.7% 54.6% 53.9% 51.0% 49.2% 44.4%
top 20 bike commute Cities
by region
Which cities have the highest bike commuting modeshare by region? We’ve categorized cities into four regions: East, Midwest, South and West.
east
City % bike commuters # bike commuters Somerville, ma 7.4% 3,736 Cambridge, ma 7.4% 4,637 Washington, Dc 3.9% 13,330 Portland, me 3.1% 1,196 New Haven, ct 2.8% 1,685 Boston, ma 2.4% 8,141 Bethesda, md 2.1% 658 Pittsburgh, pa 2% 2,987 Providence, Ri 2% 1,607 Philadelphia, pa 1.9% 12,281 Rochester, Ny 1.5% 1,250 Syracuse, Ny 1.4% 783 Silver Spring, md 1.3% 540 Frederick, md 1.3% 478 Norwalk, ct 1.2% 579 New York, Ny 1.1% 42,806 Erie, pa 1% 427 Rockville, md 1% 331 Lawrence, ma 1% 329 Buffalo, Ny 0.9% 955
Population 78,903 109,699 658,893 66,669 130,285 656,051 62,097 305,434 179,142 1,560,297 209,974 144,263 77,726 68,404 88,144 8,491,079 99,466 65,941 78,192 258,699
Photo by richard masoner League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
midwest City % bike commuters # bike commuters Bloomington, in 5.5% 1,967 Madison, wi 5.3% 7,323 Ann Arbor, mi 5% 2,961 Minneapolis, mn 4.6% 10,426 Iowa city, ia 4.6% 1,695 Champaign, il 3.1% 1,301 Evanston, il 3% 1,056 2.5% 1,505 Norman, ok 1.9% 682 St. Cloud, mn Chicago, il 1.7% 21,362 1.6% 492 Muncie, in 1.5% 2,170 St. Paul, mn Rochester, mn 1.3% 760 1.3% 1,859 St. Louis, mo Columbia, mo 1.3% 783 1.3% 1,838 Lincoln, ne Decatur, il 1.2% 389 1.2% 600 Green Bay, wi 1.1% 510 South Bend, in Racine, wi 1.1% 366
REGIONAL RACE
Population 83,423 245,674 117,759 407,181 73,424 84,520 75,657 118,046 64,221 2,722,407 70,580 297,644 111,398 317,419 116,892 273,002 73,081 104,893 103,019 78,054
The average mode share for each region’s top 20 cities paints a clear picture: The West is leading the other regions by far. Only 3 communities in the East, 5 in the Midwest, and 1 in the South would break the Top 20 list when compared against the West’s cities.
6.3% 2.5% 2.4% 2.3% west
16
midwest
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
south
east
south City % bike commuters # bike commuters Gainesville, fl 4.4% 2,470 College Station, tx 3.7% 1,776 New Orleans, la 3.4% 5,701 Charleston, Sc 3.3% 2,284 Miami Beach, fl 3.3% 1,554 Palm Bay, fl 2.8% 1,215 Savannah, ga 2.6% 1,606 Fayetteville, ak 2.3% 1,022 Tuscaloosa, al 2.1% 829 Roanoke, va 2.1% 968 Largo, fl 1.9% 668 Richmond, va 1.9% 2,008 Tampa, fl 1.9% 3,126 Arlington, va 1.8% 2,648 Clearwater, fl 1.8% 944 Homestead, fl 1.8% 497 Athens-Clarke, ga 1.6% 833 Boca Raton, FL 1.5% 705 Austin, TX 1.3% 6,653 West Palm Beach, FL 1.3% 674
Populationnn 128,474 103,486 384,320 130,750 91,721 105,845 144,355 80,614 96,116 99,428 79,028 217,853 358,684 226,908 110,709 65,514 119,841 91,321 912,798 104,017
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
west City % bike commuters # bike commuters Davis, ca 23.2% 7,696 Berkeley, ca 9.7% 5,572 Boulder, co 8.9% 5,015 Palo Alto, ca 7.3% 2,503 Portland, or 7.2% 23,347 Eugene, or 6.8% 5,120 Fort Collins, co 6.2% 5,075 Santa Barbara, ca 6.1% 2,868 Missoula, mt 6.1% 2,253 Flagstaff, az 5.2% 1,863 Chico, ca 4.7% 1,978 San Francisco, ca 4.4% 21,068 Bellingham, wa 4.2% 1,856 Mountain View, ca 4.1% 1,793 Seattle, wa 3.7% 14,157 Tempe, az 3.7% 3,563 Oakland, ca 3.7% 7,231
18
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
Population 66,733 118,851 105,101 66,968 619,445 160,552 156,473 91,208 69,824 68,786 89,187 852,469 83,363 79,374 668,337 172,836 413,782
top commute share
by city size Cities compare themselves to peers of a similar size. In the tables that follow, we break down the list of cities into those with more than 1 million residents, those between 300,000 and 1 million in population, down to small cities between 65,000 and 100,000.
population: 1 million+ City population % bike commuters Philadelphia, pa 1,560,297 1.9% Chicago, il 2,722,407 1.7% San Diego, ca 1,381,083 1.3% Los Angeles, ca 3,928,827 1.3% New York, ny 8,491,079 1.1% San Jose, ca 1,015,796 1.1% Phoenix, az 1,537,045 0.8% Houston, tx 2,240,796 0.6% San Antonio, tx 1,436,723 0.3%
# of bike commuters 12,281 21,362 9,262 24,334 42,806 5,310 5,681 6,085 2,209
Photo by richard masoner League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
population: 300,000 - 1 million City population % bike commuters Portland, OR 619,445 7.2% Minneapolis, MN 407,181 4.6% San Francisco, CA 852,469 4.4% Washington, DC 658,893 3.9% Seattle, WA 668,337 3.7% Oakland, CA 413,782 3.7% 527,948 3.5% Tucson, AZ 384,320 3.4% New Orleans, LA Denver, CO 663,862 2.5% 656,051 2.4% Boston, MA Pittsburgh, PA 305,434 2.0% HonolulU, HI 350,403 2.0% Sacramento, CA 485,193 1.9% Tampa, FL 358,684 1.9% Albuquerque, NM 557,172 1.7% Austin, TX 912,798 1.3% St. Louis, MO 317,419 1.3% Anchorag, AK 301,010 1.3% Long Beach, CA 473,605 1.1% Fresno, CA 515,985 1.1% 599,653 1.0% Milwaukee, WI 430,341 0.9% Miami, FL 334,924 0.8% Santa Ana, CA Detroit, MI 680,281 0.8% Riverside, CA 319,519 0.8% Columbus, OH 836,293 0.8% 310,797 0.7% Lexington-Fayette county, KY 622,793 0.7% Baltimore, MD 20
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
# of bike commuters 23,347 10,426 21,068 13,330 14,157 7,231 8,169 5,701 8,848 8,141 2,987 3,483 3,964 3,126 4,460 6,653 1,859 2,042 2,445 2,065 2,653 1,913 1,202 1,746 1,084 3,252 1,163 1,960
population: 300,000 - 1 million City population Bakersfield, CA 368,748 Cleveland, OH 389,524 Atlanta, GA 456,012 Mesa, AZ 464,682 Colorado Springs, CO 445,820 Las Vegas, NV 613,590 Jacksonville, FL 853,376 Anaheim, CA 346,961 Stockton, CA 302,405 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY 612,775 Virginia Beach, VA 450,980 Tulsa, OK 399,274 Raleigh, NC 439,884 Indianapolis, IN 851,353 Omaha, NE 446,618 Charlotte, NC 809,974 Nashville-Davidson, TN 644,008 Fort Worth, TX 812,553 El Paso, TX 679,024 656,876 Memphis, TN 353,381 Aurora, CO Wichita, KS 388,413 Corpus Christi, TX 320,431 470,816 Kansas, MO 620,553 Oklahoma, OK Arlington, TX 383,202
% bike commuters 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1%
# of bike commuters 1,093 1,051 1,498 1,374 1,434 1,744 2,498 964 563 1,430 1,169 870 1,044 1,680 826 1,472 926 1,006 742 723 443 398 321 475 394 238
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
Where We Walk Every bicyclist is also a pedestrian. Whether your journey is just a few steps from the bike rack or several blocks from the bike share station, people who ride benefit from more walkable communities, as well.
Top 25 Cities: Percent of commute by foot in 2014
Top 25 Cities: Growth in walk commute, 2005-2014 % growth
2014 %
24.9%
City Columbia, SC
754%
21.4%
Columbia, SC
21.4%
Wichita Falls, TX
674%
8.3%
Berkeley, CA
19.6%
Carson, CA
613%
0.9%
Albany, NY
14.5%
Pasadena, TX
438%
1.6%
Ann Arbor, MI
14.4%
Roanoke, VA
436%
2.6%
Boston, MA
14.3%
Fayetteville, NC
403%
5.3%
Jacksonville, NC
13.8%
Lawton, OK
359%
3.8%
Bloomington, IN
13.4%
Clarksville, TN
307%
2.2%
Washington, DC
13.1%
Richmond, CA
287%
1.8%
Iowa City, IA
13.1%
Compton, CA
283%
1.8%
New Haven, CT
13.0%
Abilene, TX
207%
3.9%
Flagstaff, AZ
12.8%
Kenosha, WI
191%
1.9%
Syracuse, NY
12.2%
Tacoma, WA
164%
4.1%
Somerville, MA
12.2%
West Valley City, UT
158%
1.7%
Union City, NJ
11.6%
Bridgeport, CT
156%
3.4%
San Francisco, CA
11.2%
Warwick, RI
151%
1.0%
Pittsburgh, PA
10.9%
Dayton, OH
150%
5.3%
Evanston, IL
10.8%
Canton, OH
149%
2.0%
Miami Beach, FL
10.3%
Norfolk, VA
149%
6.7%
Madison, WI
10.3%
Centennial, CO
149%
1.5%
Provo, UT
10.1%
Redwood City, CA
144%
3.5%
New York, NY
9.9%
San Bernardino, CA
143%
2.9%
Boulder, CO
9.8%
San Angelo, TX
141%
4.9%
Seattle, WA
9.8%
Wilmington, DE
140%
6.0%
Providence, RI
9.7%
Visalia, CA
139%
1.5%
City Cambridge, MA
% walk commute
4,011,094
2.75%
10%
Number of workers who commuted on foot in 2014
Percent of workers who commuted on foot in 2014
Growth in percent of walk commuting from 2005 to 2014
Top 10: 500K+ population City
Top 10: 200K-500K population
Boston, MA
14.3%
City Pittsburgh, PA
Washington, DC
13.1%
Madison, WI
10.3%
San Francisco, CA
11.2%
Newark, NJ
9.6%
New York, NY
9.9%
Jersey City, NJ
9.4%
Seattle, WA
9.8%
Honolulu, HI
9.1%
Philadelphia, PA
8.2%
Minneapolis, MN
7.8%
Chicago, IL
6.7%
Norfolk, VA
6.7%
Baltimore, MD
6.6%
Buffalo, NY
6.6%
Portland, OR
5.4%
Cincinnati, OH
6.4%
Milwaukee, WI
4.9%
Rochester, NY
5.6%
% walk commute
Top 10: 100K-200K population City Cambridge, MA
% walk commute
10.9%
Top 10: Less than 100K population City
% walk commute
% walk commute
24.9%
Albany, NY
14.5%
Columbia, SC
21.4%
Jacksonville, FL
13.8%
Berkeley, CA
19.6%
Bloomington, IN
13.4%
Ann Arbor, MI
14.4%
Iowa City, IA
13.1%
New Haven, CT
13.0%
Flagstaff, AZ
12.8%
Syracuse, NY
12.2%
Somerville, MA
12.2%
Provo, UT
10.1%
Union City, NJ
11.6%
Boulder, CO
9.8%
Evanston, IL
10.8%
Providence, RI
9.7%
Miami Beach, FL
10.3%
Eugene, OR
9.1%
Mount Vernon, NY
9.3%
Walking data compiled in partnership with
population: 200,000 to 300,000 City population % bike commuters Madison, wi 245,674 5.3% Boise, id 216,280 3.3% Huntington Beach, ca 200,814 1.9% Richmond, va 217,853 1.9% Arlington, va 226,908 1.8% St. Paul, mn 297,644 1.5% Rochester, ny 209,974 1.5% 239,282 1.3% Gilbert, az 273,002 1.3% Lincoln, ne Chandler, az 254,275 1.1% Irvine, ca 248,521 1.0% Scottsdale, az 230,502 1.0% Glendale, az 237,529 1.0% Oxnard, ca 205,434 0.9% Buffalo, ny 258,699 0.9% Norfolk, va 245,428 0.9% Cincinnati, oh 298,162 0.9% Spokane, wa 212,067 0.8% Reno, nv 236,995 0.7% Durham, nc 251,872 0.7% 200,246 0.7% Amarillo, tx 205,153 0.6% Tacoma, wa 253,682 0.6% St. Petersburg, fl Des Moines, ia 209,064 0.6% 212,653 0.6% Birmingham, al 200,161 0.5% Glendale, ca 262,396 0.5% Orlando, fl Paradise, nv 237,477 0.5% Henderson, nv 277,458 0.5% 24
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
# of bike commuters 7,323 3,518 1,998 2,008 2,648 2,170 1,250 1,435 1,838 1,431 1,205 1,233 1,019 856 955 1,072 1,158 782 839 864 677 631 755 595 481 498 681 532 588
population: 200,000 to 300,000 City population % bike commuters Lubbock, tx 243,843 0.5% Columbus, ga 200,887 0.4% Fort Wayne, in 256,023 0.4% Chula Vista, ca 260,977 0.4% 200,708 0.4% Aurora, il 209,308 0.4% Modesto, ca 228,909 0.4% Baton Rouge, la 280,577 0.4% Newark, nj 228,760 0.3% Fremont, ca 215,227 0.3% San Bernardino, ca Chesapeake, va 233,371 0.3% Winston-Salem, nc 239,273 0.3% North Las Vegas, nv 230,793 0.3% Montgomery, al 200,486 0.2% Moreno Valley, ca 202,978 0.2% 200,665 0.2% Yonkers, ny 203,939 0.2% Fayetteville, nc 281,014 0.2% Toledo, oh 235,597 0.2% Garland, tx 204,953 0.1% Fontana, ca 282,558 0.1% Greensboro, nc Jersey, nj 262,146 0.1% Irving, tx 232,413 0.1%
# of bike commuters 541 405 468 434 358 303 383 409 282 224 322 300 285 204 161 169 179 201 164 103 151 134 68
Photo by allan crawford League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
population: 100,000 to 200,000 City population % bike commuters Berkeley, CA 118,851 9.7% Boulder, CO 105,101 8.9% Cambridge, MA 109,699 7.4% Eugene, OR 160,552 6.8% Fort Collins, CO 156,473 6.2% Ann Arbor, MI 117,759 5.0% Gainesville, FL 128,474 4.4% College Station, TX 103,486 3.7% 172,836 3.7% Tempe, AZ Charleston, SC 130,750 3.3% 122,198 3.1% Santa Clara, CA Provo, UT 114,807 3.0% Palm Bay, FL 105,845 2.8% New Haven, CT 130,285 2.8% Savannah, GA 144,355 2.6% Salt Lake , UT 190,873 2.5% Norman, OK 118,046 2.5% Clovis, CA 102,190 2.3% Las Cruces, NM 101,405 2.2% East Los Angeles, CA 117,267 2.2% Providence, RI 179,142 2.0% Pueblo, CO 108,439 1.9% Clearwater, FL 110,709 1.8% 161,648 1.8% Salem, OR Costa Mesa, CA 112,793 1.7% 119,841 1.6% Athens-Clarke County, Ga Everett, WA Pasadena, CA San Mateo, CA 26
106,741 140,860 102,885
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
1.6% 1.5% 1.5%
# of bike commuters 5,572 5,015 4,637 5,120 5,075 2,961 2,470 1,776 3,563 2,284 1,950 1,737 1,215 1,685 1,606 2,545 1,505 967 998 1,064 1,607 778 944 1,230 1,021 833 804 1,058 797
population: 100,000 to 200,000 City population SyracusE, NY 144,263 Sunnyvale, CA 149,984 Santa Rosa, CA 174,166 West Palm Beach, FL 104,017 Burbank, CA 105,366 Rochester, MN 111,398 Columbia, MO 116,892 176,018 Fort Lauderdale, FL 139,826 Orange, CA 102,335 Lakeland, FL 104,893 Green Bay, WI 103,019 South Bend, IN 129,280 Visalia, CA Pompano Beach, FL 106,115 184,292 Knoxville, TN Denton, TX 128,200 Pomona, CA 153,381 165,399 Springfield, MO El Monte, CA 116,617 109,478 San Buenaventura, CA Hollywood, FL 148,040 150,575 Alexandria, VA 109,446 Temecula, CA 149,650 Lakewood, CO Coral Springs, FL 127,963 Downey, CA 114,168 Peoria, IL 117,288 Murfreesboro, TN 120,960 Port St. Lucie, FL 174,093
% bike commuters 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.8% 0.8%
# of bike commuters 783 1,005 1,126 674 716 760 783 1,051 793 464 600 510 556 512 906 716 639 803 495 512 726 915 452 725 611 468 432 473 556
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
population: 100,000 to 200,000 City population Columbia, SC 131,758 Victorville, CA 121,911 Wilmington, NC 113,676 Concord, CA 127,511 Hayward, CA 154,633 Rockford, IL 148,996 Fairfield, CA 111,139 Antioch, CA 108,953 Inglewood, CA 111,901 192,113 Spring Valley, NV 108,870 Billings, MT Worcester, MA 183,033 127,223 Topeka, KS Richmond, CA 108,562 Escondido, CA 150,252 181,559 Santa Clarita, CA 148,483 Torrance. CA EnterprisE. NV 126,438 116,572 Fargo, ND Centennial, CO 107,193 139,663 Fullerton, CA 105,125 Brandon, FL 128,283 Stamford, CT 193,793 Grand Rapids, MI 147,608 Bridgeport, CT Rialto, CA 102,740 Cedar Rapids, IA 129,183 Miramar, FL 134,991
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Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
% bike commuters 0.8% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5%
# of bike commuters 483 279 420 444 536 435 340 301 330 617 341 477 351 290 402 495 400 366 382 318 351 296 386 504 362 215 351 336
population: 100,000 to 200,000 City population Tallahassee, FL 188,106 Vancouver, WA 169,303 Peoria, AZ 166,955 Surprise, AZ 126,278 Thousand Oaks, CA 129,344 Ontario, CA 169,085 Dayton, OH 140,995 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 197,465 Garden Grove, CA 175,085 Chattanooga, TN 173,778 Arvada, CO 113,775 Evansville, IN 121,299 Richardson, TX 108,609 Santa Maria, CA 103,414 Hampton, VA 136,879 Norwalk, CA 107,111 Kansas CITY, KS 148,323 Westminster, CO 112,099 Metairie, CO 144,239 Lansing, MI 113,659 Manchester, NH 110,451 Springfield, IL 116,649 Kent, WA 125,547 El Cajon, CA 103,075 Simi Valley, CA 126,873 Wichita Falls, TX 105,107 Sterling Heights, MI 131,729 Salinas, CA 156,678 Olathe, KS 133,059
% bike commuters 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3%
# of bike commuters 457 395 383 244 297 365 248 350 350 346 265 220 229 171 259 193 229 216 262 184 200 192 214 145 212 157 205 210 219
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
population: 100,000 to 200,000 City population Sunrise Manor, NV 189,229 Carrollton, TX 128,342 High Point, NC 107,957 Carlsbad, CA 112,310 Tyler, TX 101,436 Lewisville, TX 102,283 126,068 Lafayette, LA 197,846 Akron, OH Waco, TX 130,191 109,931 Lowell, MA West Valley, UT 134,492 182,965 Newport News, VA 136,426 Bellevue, WA 145,396 Naperville, IL Roseville, CA 128,593 119,105 Allentown, PA 108,371 Murrieta, CA 156,753 McKinney, TX Warren, MI 135,099 Elk Grove, CA 163,560 Cape Coral, FL 169,855 168,604 Sioux Falls, SD 194,670 Mobile, AL 107,972 North Charleston, SC Elizabeth, NJ 128,695
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Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
% bike commuters 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%
# of bike commuters 242 209 140 165 117 153 175 238 139 131 165 223 171 169 131 103 96 166 121 152 148 194 148 91 108
population: 100,000 to 200,000 City population Palmdale, CA 158,274 Davenport, IA 102,431 Round Rock, TX 112,196 Thornton, CO 130,309 Huntsville, AL 187,592 Overland Park, KS 184,524 174,552 Oceanside, CA Jackson, MS 171,146 197,701 Little Rock, AK Clarksville, TN 146,814 102,764 The Woodlands, TX Elgin, IL 116,548 144,289 Mesquite, TX 183,016 Brownsville, TX 153,994 Springfield, MA Joliet, IL 146,578 109,877 Gresham, OR 153,633 Macon-Bibb County, GA 161,036 Lancaster, CA Corona, CA 161,498 Abilene, TX 120,176 Hartford, CT 124,721 Pasadena, TX 153,914 Lehigh Acres, FL 111,416
% bike commuters 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
# of bike commuters 110 83 85 88 113 124 96 82 108 70 46 59 74 67 58 69 42 45 40 54 38 32 43 25
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
population: 65,000 to 100,000
City population Davis, CA 66,733 Somerville, MA 78,903 Palo Alto, CA 66,968 Santa Barbara, CA 91,208 Missoula, MT 69,824 Bloomington, IN 83,423 Flagstaff, AZ 68,786 Chico, CA 89,187 Iowa CITY, IA 73,424 Bellingham, WA 83,363 Mountain View, CA 79,374 Redwood CITY, CA 82,868 Santa Monica, CA 92,989 Miami Beach, FL 91,721 Tustin, CA 80,617 Portland, ME 66,669 Champaign, IL 84,520 Evanston, IL 75,657 Redondo Beach, CA 68,146 Fayetteville, AK 80,614 Bend, OR 84,075 Arden-Arcade, CA 99,903 Rancho Cordova, CA 69,727 Tuscaloosa, AL 96,116 Photo by Allan Crawford 32
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
% bike commuters 23.2% 7.4% 7.3% 6.1% 6.1% 5.5% 5.2% 4.7% 4.6% 4.2% 4.1% 3.5% 3.4% 3.3% 3.2% 3.1% 3.1% 3.0% 2.7% 2.3% 2.3% 2.3% 2.2% 2.1%
# of bike commuters 7,696 3,736 2,503 2,868 2,253 1,967 1,863 1,978 1,695 1,856 1,793 1,523 1,691 1,554 1,333 1,196 1,301 1,056 960 1,022 1,005 922 712 829
population: 65,000 to 100,000
City population Bethesda, MD 62,097 Nampa, ID 88,208 Roanoke, VA 99,428 79,028 Largo, FL 64,221 St. Cloud, MN Homestead, FL 65,514 Hillsboro, OR 99,374 65,203 Millcreek, UT 77,661 Alameda, CA 78,246 Bellflower, CA 91,781 Orem, UT 70,580 Muncie, IN 67,011 South San Francisco, CA 91,321 Boca Raton, FL Turlock, CA 71,246 Livermore, CA 86,856 Delray Beach, FL 65,054 Suffolk, VA 86,806 Silver Spring, MD 77,726 San Leandro, CA 89,347 Frederick, MD 68,404 Buena Park, CA 83,114 Norwalk, CT 88,144 Decatur, IL 73,081
% bike commuters 2.1% 2.1% 2.1% 1.9% 1.9% 1.8% 1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 1.6% 1.5% 1.5% 1.4% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2%
# of bike commuters 658 741 968 668 682 497 858 541 674 577 683 492 567 705 396 618 387 520 540 564 478 484 579 389
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
population: 65,000 to 100,000 City population Redding, CA 91,588 Racine, WI 78,054 Medford, OR 78,560 Santa Fe, NM 70,291 Kalamazoo, MI 75,909 Gulfport, MS 71,747 Erie, PA 99,466 Eau Claire, WI 68,207 66,631 Oshkosh, WI 98,593 Greeley, CO Rockville, MD 65,941 78,192 Lawrence, MA 80,916 Bryan, TX 90,189 Longmont, CO Pleasanton, CA 77,676 79,621 Avondale, AZ 78,759 Bethlehem, PA 87,884 Asheville, NC 98,086 Vista, CA 93,355 Yakima, WA 71,846 Lynwood, CA Parma, OH 80,023 88,705 Fall River, MA 85,778 Kirkland, WA Whittier, CA 87,348 Waterloo, IA 68,365 Bloomington, IL 78,743 Newton, MA 88,298
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Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
% bike commuters 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 0.9% 0.9% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.7%
# of bike commuters 416 366 366 360 374 299 427 383 334 423 331 329 335 398 307 302 297 362 366 317 232 306 294 356 292 236 277 298
population: 65,000 to 100,000 City population Marysville, WA 65,088 Carmichael, CA 66,493 Jacksonville, NC 69,031 Melbourne, FL 78,486 Folsom, CA 75,366 Skokie VILLAGE, IL 65,128 South Gate, CA 96,299 Westminster, CA 92,062 67,058 Kenner, LA 78,509 St. George, UT 85,835 Tracy, CA Renton, WA 98,382 93,399 Yuma, AZ Compton, CA 98,596 97,207 San Angelo, TX CamdeN, NJ 77,317 77,424 Kennewick, WA 75,287 Schaumburg VILLAGE, IL 98,566 Albany, NY 95,113 Beaverton, OR 70,744 Framingham, MA Cheektowaga, NY 73,556 87,258 Nashua, NY Columbia, MD 97,728 Eagan, MN 66,087 CranstoN, RI 81,029 Chino, CA 84,743 91,733 Spokane Valley, WA
% bike commuters 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4%
# of bike commuters 200 174 247 220 208 198 259 258 191 181 207 293 219 213 226 143 177 205 232 231 166 160 211 245 170 162 135 165
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
population: 65,000 to 100,000 City population Loveland, CO 72,647 Quincy, MA 93,391 Federal Way, WA 93,428 Sandy, UT 91,135 Alhambra, CA 85,585 Milpitas, CA 73,679 Jurupa Valley, CA 98,843 Troy, MI 83,120 67,012 Lafayette, IN 79,047 Lynchburg, VA 84,325 Ogden, UT Canton, OH 72,274 80,009 Napa, CA 85,201 Menifee, CA 94,780 Brockton, MA Carmel, IN 87,015 86,319 Bloomington, MN Hesperia, CA 92,744 86,775 Sugar Land, TX 73,608 Union, CA 91,282 Lawrence, KS 78,769 Auburn, WA 98,990 Flint, MI 73,477 Manteca, CA Hammond, IN 78,383 81,739 Merced, CA 97,017 Lawton, OK Citrus Heights, CA 86,147 75,278 Scranton, PA Johnson, TN 65,820 36
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
% bike commuters 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 0.3%
# of bike commuters 147 203 178 172 151 135 139 143 112 121 130 101 134 104 143 144 155 105 129 70 146 108 87 92 90 85 118 107 83 72
City population Appleton, WI 72,654 Livonia, MI 94,959 LynN, MA 92,137 Gaithersburg, MD 66,807 Jackson, TN 67,308 Westland, MI 82,318 Kenosha, WI 99,898 Dearborn, MI 95,546 Vacaville, CA 95,863 Cicero TOWN, IL 84,359 Wyoming, MI 74,820 Duluth, MN 86,242 76,039 Upland, CA 83,999 O’Fallon, MI Waukesha, WI 71,482 94,170 Allen, TX 75,319 San Ramon, CA 76,529 St. Joseph, MO 65,051 Youngstown, OH Portsmouth, VA 96,004 Danbury, CT 83,795 Hawthorne, CA 87,591 Wilmington, DE 71,808 81,641 Lakewood, CA Carson, CA 93,272 Plymouth, MN 75,065 73,121 Boynton Beach, FL 97,231 Mission Viejo, CA Concord, NC 85,571 Pittsburg, CA 68,122 89,490 Toms River, NJ
% bike commuters 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
# of bike commuters 100 107 99 77 64 84 90 70 79 70 68 78 59 78 67 85 58 58 31 63 61 56 43 51 44 40 35 43 35 23 25
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
top 10 Cities
highest bike/ walk/transit share Bike commuting is on the rise. Fewer and fewer Americans are taking cars to get to and from work. More an dmore commuters are turning to their bicycles, their subway systems and their own two feet to get around. Here we break down the top 10 cities, in three population segments, with the highest share of non-drivers by looking at the rates biking, walking and transit all together.
population: 1 million+ city New York, ny Philadelphia, pa Chicago, il Los Angeles, ca San Diego, ca Dallas, tx Houston, tx
population 8,491,079 1,560,297 2,722,407 3,928,827 1,381,083 1,281,031 2,240,796
by bike, walk or transit 68.1% 37% 36.6% 15.3% 8% 7% 6.7%
by bike 1.1% 1.9% 1.7% 1.3% 1.3% 0.2% 0.6%
by walk 9.9% 8.2% 6.7% 3.4% 2.9% 1.8% 1.9%
by transit 57.1% 26.8% 28.2% 10.6% 3.7% 5.0% 4.2%
San Jose, ca Phoenix, az
1,015,796 1,537,045
6.5% 6.1%
1.1% 0.8%
1.4% 1.9%
4.1% 3.4%
Photo by john spooner 38
Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
population: 300,000 to 1 million city Washington, DC Boston, MA San Francisco, CA Seattle, WA Pittsburgh, PA Oakland, CA Minneapolis, MN
population 658,893 656,051 852,469 668,337 305,434 413,782 407,181
by bike, walk or transit 53.1% 50.7% 49.6% 34.7% 30.4% 28.5% 26.5%
by bike 3.9% 2.4% 4.4% 3.7% 2.0% 3.7% 4.6%
by walk 13.1% 14.3% 11.2% 9.8% 10.9% 4.3% 7.8%
by transit 36.1% 34.0% 34.0% 21.2% 17.5% 20.5% 14.0%
Baltimore, MD Portland, OR
622,793 619,445
26.0% 24.4%
0.7% 7.2%
6.6% 5.4%
18.6% 11.8%
population: up to 300,000 city cambridge, ma Jersey city, nj somerville, ma union city, nj Berkeley, ca mount vernon, ny evanston, il
population 109,699 262,146 78,903 68,673 118,851 68,455 75,657
by bike, walk or transit 62% 58% 53.2% 51.9% 50.7% 37% 36.4%
by bike 7.4% 0.1% 7.4% 0% 9.7% 0% 3%
by walk 24.9% 9.4% 12.2% 11.6% 19.6% 9.3% 10.8%
by transit 29.7% 48.5% 33.6% 40.2% 21.3% 27.7% 22.7%
silver spring, md davis, ca
77,726 66,733
36.4% 36.3
1.3% 23.2%
2.8% 5.1%
32.3% 7.9%
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report
how you can access american community survey data Here is a quick tutorial on how we access ACS data and how you can, too. Where we go for ACS data: American FactFinder. We use the Advanced Search feature to find our data. The Advanced Search feature allows us to easily access the data on commuting to work because we are familiar with the topics and geographies that we want to learn about. The information provided below should allow you to use the Advanced Search feature as well. What topics do we use? Topics are displayed in a nested menu and we find commute to work data by navigating from People -> Employment -> Commuting (Journey to Work). In some instances it can also be helpful to select a particular dataset, which is also available as a Topic, especially to look at past years or to limit results to the same type of data (e.g. 1-, 3-, or 5-year estimates). In general, the data we publish is based on 1-year estimates in order to allow us to report on trends over time. 3- and 5-year estimates are better for areas with small populations or if you are interested in particular demographic characteristics. What geographies do we use? Geographies are displayed in a nested menu and we usually report on three types of geographies – the entire United States, states and places. What tables do we use? After you have selected a topic and a geography a list of relevant tables will appear. In the past we have used the B08006 – Sex of Workers By Means of Transportation To Work – table because it provides an estimate for the number of male and female bicycle commuters in most geographies. If you are interested in only the % of commuters who commute by bike you can use the S0801 – Commuting Characteristics by Sex – table, which does not provide estimates for the number of bicycle commuters. This year we learned of the availability of the C08006 – Sex of Workers By Means of Transportation To Work – table, which compresses some categories of commuters in order to report on more places. In the past, bicycle commuters had been compressed with “Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means” in the C08006 table, and bicycle commuters continue to be grouped in this way for many of the other tables that deal with demographic characteristics. This compression or grouping occurs due to data quality reasons. The compression of certain categories in the C08006 table allows it to report on more geographies that the B08006 table, while providing the same type of data on bicycle commuters. For this reason we have chosen to use the C08006 table and issue a revision to our Where We Ride report.
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Where we ride: Analysis of bicycle commuting in American cities
About the Data Source The data in this report is based on estimates provided by the American Community Survey based upon answers to the above question. Each year 1 in 38 households receives an invitation to complete the ACS, you can learn more about the ACS process here. There are at least two limitations to the data: 1) it only measures how someone “usually” gets to work in the “last week” before the question was asked, and 2) it only captures the mode used for the most distance. These limitations mean that occasional bike commuters and multimodal commuters who use bikes are unlikely to be captured by ACS data. This report relies on 2014 1-year estimates and other 1-year estimates to facilitate changeover-time comparisons. There are margins of error for every data sample, ACS included. Because of the limits of the sample size, some of the margins of error are considerable. For more specific information on those margins of error and our methodology, you may consult the American Community Survey website or contact Ken McLeod at ken@ bikeleague.org.
About this report This report was compiled by Ken McLeod, League Legal Specialist. This report was designed and edited by Elizabeth Murphy, League Communications Director. The “Where We Walk” spread was contributed by the Alliance for Biking & Walking.
League of American Bicyclists 2014 American Community Survey data report