Cycling to the Future:

Lessons from Cities across the Globe

John Pucher, Rutgers University Ralph Buehler, Virginia Tech

Photo: Susan Handy

Photo: Raisman Photo: SF Greg Bike Coalition

San Antonio

Photo: Ralph Buehler

Photo: Bike Texas

Photo: Marie Demers

Advantages of Cycling:
Economical: Affordable by everyone, requiring minimal costs for individuals and governments Good for business: Generate retail sales and profits from tourism No pollution: Clean and quiet Energy-efficient: Use up calories we need to burn off from eating too much Healthy: Many studies report on physical, social, mental health benefits Fun: Getting out into the fresh air with family and friends

Cycling Share of Daily Trips in Europe, North America, and Australia, 1999-2008

30.0 25.0 Percent of trips by cycling

20.0

15.0
26

10.0
18

5.0
8 1 3 4 4

10

0.5

0.0

Source: Pucher and Buehler (eds.) City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012

Bicycle Share of Work Commuters in the USA (2007) and Canada (2006)

Source: Pucher, J., Buehler, R., Seinen, M., Bicycling Renaissance in North America? An Update and ReAssessment of Cycling Trends and Policies, Transportation Research A, Vol. 45 (6), 2011, pp. 451-475.

Lots of Potential for Increased Cycling:

Many daily trips in American urban areas are short enough to walk or bike!
~27% of all trips in the U.S. were a mile or shorter in 2009 ~41% of all trips were shorter than two miles

Share of Cycling for Short Trips

40 35 30 Percent of trips by cycling 25 20 15 10 5 0 2 0<2.5km

NL DK GER
35 31 24 29 24 18 12 7 2 2.5km<4.5km 1 0<2.5km 4.5<6.5km 0<2.5km 0<2.5km 2.5km<4.5km 2.5km<4.5km 2.5km<4.5km 4.5km-6.5km 4.5km-6.5km 5<7.5km

USA

16

Trip distance category

Source: Pucher and Buehler (eds.) City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012

Womens Share of Bike Trips in Europe and North America

60% 55% 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% USA UK Canada Germany Denmark Netherlands 25% 30% 27% 49% 55% 56%

Source: Pucher and Buehler (eds.) City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012

Percent of trips by women

Photo Susan Handy

70

60

More women on bikes = More cycling More cycling = More women on bikes
Tokyo Berlin

Copenhagen

Amsterdam 50 Percent of bicyclists who are female

40

Washington Vancouver Montreal Portland Minneapolis

Toronto 30

Chicago

San Francisco Melbourne 20 Sydney

Bicycle share of trips and percentage of female cyclists in 14 large cities

10

Source: Garard, Handy, and Dill, Women and Cycling, in Pucher and Buehler (eds.), City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012
0 0 5 10 15 20 Percent of trips by bicycle 25 30 35 40

50%

45%

40% Percent of cyclists who are female

More women on bikes = More cycling More cycling = More women on bikes
Moreland Darebin Yarra

35% Melbourne

30% Stonnington 25% Maribyrnong Moonee valley 20% Wyndham Frankston Kingston Whitehorse 10% Casey Knox Hume Glen Eira Banyule Boroondara Bayside

Port Phillip

15%

Bicycle share of commuter trips and percentage of female cyclists in Melbourne neighborhoods

5%

Source: Garard, Handy, and Dill, Women and Cycling, in Pucher and Buehler (eds.), City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012
Cycling to work mode share

0% 0% 1% 2% 3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

Bike Share of Trips by Age Group

45 40 35 Percent of trips by cycling

NL
30

DK
25 20 15 40

GER USA UK

32 25 20 23 21 22

10 14 5 0 3 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.5 25-39 40-65 5-15 16-24 65 + 2 0-16 2 17-29 2 30-59 1 60-65 1 18-25 45-59 60-65 9 9 9 11 9

14 14 15 15 15

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

10-19'

26-44

70-74

18-25

0-17

0-17

26-44

45-64

65 +

Age Group

Source: Pucher and Buehler (eds.) City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012

65 +

65+

Cycling for ALL AGES

Photo: NJ Bike Walk Coalition

Ann and Mikes Triple Take Tandem

Cycling facilities should also be safe for persons with disabilities, and bikes CAN be adapted to their needs
Pucher: Walking and Cycling for Health

Make Cycling Safe for Everyone !

Especially important for the young, the old, for anyone with disabilities, for the timid or risk-averse Women more sensitive to safety than men Safety of cycling in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany helps explain high levels of cycling there

20.0

Cylists killed per 100 million km cycled Cylists injured per 10 million km cycled Pedestrians killed per 100 million km walked Pedestrians injured per 10 million km walked

33.5*

18.0

Fatalitities and injuries per trip and per kilometer

16.0

14.0

13.7

12.0

10.0

8.0

Cycling can be made very safe, as in the Netherlands and Denmark

5.7 4.7 5.5 3.3 2.3 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.9 2.4 3.6 3.3

9.7

6.0

4.0

2.0 1.1 0.0

1.6

1.3

1.3

1.6

NL

DK

GER

UK

USA

Source: Pucher and Buehler (eds.), City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012

Trends in Cyclist Fatalities

Source: Pucher and Buehler (eds.), City Cycling. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012

Reversal in Public Policies in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands in 1970s

Pro-car policies in European cities in 1950s and 1960s caused huge decline in cycling and walking Dramatic policy turn-around since 1970s to limit car use and promote cycling, walking, and public transport in Dutch, Danish, and German cities

Bridge in Freiburg BEFORE and AFTER reforms

1960s

Today

Typical residential street in Freiburg BEFORE traffic calming reforms

Typical residential street in Freiburg AFTER traffic calming reforms

40 38

35

30

Rebound of Bike Share of Trips in German, Dutch, and Danish Cities

37 35

29 27 25 25

25 Percent of all trips

20

15 13 12 10 7 6 5 4 6 12

15 14

0 Nuremburg ('76-'12) Berlin ('92-'08) Cologne ('76-'09) Munich ('91-'11) Freiburg ('82-'12) Muenster ('82-'10) Amsterdam ('70-'10) Copenhagen ('98-'10)

Source: Pucher, Dill, and Handy, Infrastructure, Programs, and Policies to Increase Bicycling, Preventive Medicine, Jan 2010, Vol. 50, S.1, pp. S106-S125.

Recent Boom in Pro-Bike Policies in Many Cities

Especially since 2000, European and North American cities without a tradition of cycling for daily travel have dramatically raised cycling levels Improved cycling infrastructure and many other measures to encourage cycling

9.0

8.0

7.8

7.0

6.0

5.0

More and better cycling facilities have dramatically increased bike share of trips in cities without any tradition of cycling for daily travel
3.4 2.8

Percent of Trips

4.0

3.0 2.5 2.0 1.2 1.0 0.8

2.7

1.0

0.8 0.5

0.0 London ('03-'10) Barcelona ('05-'10) Paris ('01-'10) Bogota ('95-'10) Seville ('00-'12)

Source: Pucher, Dill, and Handy, Infrastructure, Programs, and Policies to Increase Bicycling, Preventive Medicine, Jan 2010, Vol. 50, S.1, pp. S106-S125.

Photo: Robin Stallings

Cycling in Sevilla, Spain increased more than 10-fold after these safe cycle tracks were installed

7.0

6.8

6.0

Boom in Cycling to Work in 14 Large US and Canadian Cities

Source: Pucher, J. and Buehler, R. City Cycling, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, 2012.
1990 (USA) / 1996 (Canada) 2011 (USA and Canada)
3.6 3.3 3.7 3.7 4.1 4.1

5.0

Bike Share of Regular Commutes

4.0

3.0

* 2011 figures for Canadian cities are preliminary estimates

2.6 2.4 2.4

2.0 1.5 1.1 1.0 0.3 0.0 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.9

1.8 1.6 1.5 1.0 0.8 1.0

1.7

1.1

0.8

0.9

0.9

Denver

Vancouver

Washingto n

Chicago

Toronto

Seattle

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Minneapoli s

New York

Montreal

Portland

New Orleans

Boston

6-fold increase in bike trips

Sharp increase in cycling safety in Portland as cycling levels rose

70% fall in crash rate

Source: City of Portland (2013)

How to Encourage More Cycling while Improving Safety

Better cycling facilities Integration of cycling with public transport Traffic calming of residential neighborhoods Mixed-use zoning and improved urban design Restrictions on motor vehicle use Traffic education and Safe Routes to School Traffic regulations and enforcement

Most European cities have extensive carfree districts ideal for walking and cycling

Cycling is perfect for getting around car-free college campuses such as here at UC Santa Barbara

Photo: Ralph Fertig Pucher and Buehler: Cycling for Everyone

Santa Barbara coastal path: Safe and attractive both for cyclists and pedestrians

Conversion of two car lanes to bike path and wider sidewalk

Source: Ralph Fertig

Source: Warren Salomon

Bike paths in Dutch cities make it safe and comfortable for all to bike: including women, children, and seniors

One-way cycle track in The Hague

Raised curb between cycle track and traffic lane

Source: Peter Furth

Almost 100km of 2-way cycle tracks in Montreal

Separation from traffic via bollards and parked cars

Separation from traffic via concrete barriers

Photo: Peter Furth

Photo: Velo Quebec

Provision of cycle track at this key underpass in Montreal

Separation from traffic via concrete barriers AND bollards

Photo: Velo Quebec

380 mi of new bike lanes and paths since 2000 Quadrupling in bike trips since 2000 74% decrease in serious cyclist injuries 56% increase in retail sales along cycle tracks

Photo: NYC DOT

Traffic-protected cycle track on 9th Avenue, NYC

Mayor Boris Johnsons planned 15-mile east-west cycle track through the heart of London along Thames River

Physically separated cycle track

Cycle track on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington

Photo: Ralph Buehler

Source: Alta Planning

This cycle track in St. Petersburg, Florida has increased cycling by senior citizens and women

Construction and maintenance financed by private foundation

Photos: Ralph Buehler

Cultural Heritage cycle track in Indianapolis

Tripling in cycling in Indianapolis since 2000

This cycle track in Arkansas was financed by Walmart for employees to bike to its headquarters office.

Source: Alta Planning

Before

After

Photo: Paul Krueger

Transformation of Hornby Street in Vancouver with installation of first-class cycle track

Carrall St

Dunsmuir

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Paul Krueger

Over 6km of cycle tracks in Vancouver with more planned

Burrard Bridge Hornby

Photo: Paul Krueger

Seattles first cycle track in 2013 on Linden Avenue, many more planned

Photo: Warren Salomon

Raised crossing for both cyclist and cars, with special pavement and markings

Improving safety of cycle tracks at road crossings

Photo: Velo Quebec

Safe cycle track crossing at busy intersection in Montreal

Bike lanes are much more typical in US cities

Photo: Ralph Fertig

Photo: Lewis Thorwaldson

All streets should come complete with safe facilities for pedestrians and cyclists

Contra-flow lanes facilitate bike travel in both directions on one-way streets for cars

Photo: Seattle DOT

Photo: Seattle DOT

Bike lanes in Seattle

Photo: Seattle DOT

Photo: Seattle DOT

But bike lanes are definitely better than no separate bike facilities, but they do not provide nearly as much protection of cyclists from motor vehicles as cycle tracks

Bike lanes used for car parking

Bike lanes used for truck deliveries

Dooring of cyclists

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Nick Klein

New York

Vancouver

Buffered bike lanes offer some additional separation from motor vehicle traffic but without physical barriers

Photo: Bob Edmiston

How to destroy the benefits of a buffered bike lane: Dearborn Street in Seattle

Bridge connections crucial for an integrated cycling network

About 20,000 daily bike trips over Portland bridges

Photo: Greg Raisman

Bike paths on the four East River bridges provide crucial connections from Brooklyn and Queens to Manhattan

Source: Transportation Alternatives NYC

Photos: Seattle DOT

Overpass for cyclists and pedestrians in Seattle

Good bike bridge included as part of the Canada Line extension of Skytrain in Metro Vancouver

Source: Translink

Bike path on south entry to Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver

Foto: Gordon Price

Special traffic signals and signs improve cycling safety

Four-way all-green signal for cyclists in Portland

Bike sensor in pavement

Red bike lanes for intersection crossings, connected with red brick sidepaths on both sides of every road

Source: City of Muenster, Germany

Bike lane, advance stop line, and special signal for cyclists in Germany

Bike boxes in Seattle also

Photo: Seattle DOT

Foto: Gord Price

Bike boxes in Vancouver

Foto: Gord Price

Foto: Rich Drdul

Pucher and Buehler: Cycling for Everyone

Why Traffic Calming Saves Lives

Speed Speed kills! kills!

Source: World Health Organization (2008) and OECD Transport Research Centre (2006)

Traffic Calming in Freiburg, Germany

Cheap, easy, fast, and effective improvement in cycling safety

Photo: Peter Berkeley

These streets are, in effect, bike boulevards, neighborhood greenways, and local street bikeways

3,800 km of traffic-calmed streets in Berlin:

ideal for cycling: 78% of ALL streets in Berlin!

7 km/hr speed limit

Shared streets: Typical traffic calming in new German suburbs

Shared street in Indianapolis

Photo: Ralph Buehler

Foto by Peter Berkeley

Blockage of through car and truck traffic but convenient cut-through for cyclists and pedestrians

Photo: Transports Viables

Traffic calming in Quebec City and Montreal

Traffic Calming in Qubec City

Cheap, easy, and very effective traffic diverters

Photo: Velo Quebec

Source: Transports Viables

Source: Eric Anderson

Bollard blocks passage of cars

Traffic diverter in Berkeley which provides a through connection for two bike boulevards

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Paul Krueger

152km of bike boulevards in Vancouver

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Paul Krueger

Cut-thrus along bike boulevards in Vancouver

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Paul Krueger Photo: Paul Krueger

Passage for cyclists through median island at Burnaby intersection in Metro Vancouver

Fotos: Rich Drdul Pucher and Buehler: Cycling for Everyone

Photo: Richard Drdul

Photo: Paul Krueger

Traffic calming in Vancouver that creates bike boulevards

Photo: Paul Krueger

Photo: Mark Seinen

Photos: Jonathan Maus

112 km of bike boulevards in Portland

Dutch bicycle facility selection matrix

Source: Peter Furth, Cycling Infrastructure, in Pucher and Buehler, eds. City Cycling, MIT Press, 2012.

Cycling facilities are much cheaper to build than new or widened roadways
Germany
$12-$150 million per km for new or widened roadway $1.0-3.2 million per km for physically separated cycle track $40k-90k per km for on-street bike lane $100k-250k per km of bike boulevard (also known as neighborhood greenways or local street bikeways)

Roads about TEN times more expensive than even the most elaborate urban cycle tracks!

Economic benefits of this cycle track exceed costs by over three-to-one!

Photo: Fiona Campbell

Cycling has doubled in Sydney, Australia since installation of its cycle track network

Photo: Peter Berkeley

Photo: Translink

BIKE TRANSIT INTEGRATION

Photo: Translink

Over 50,000 buses in the USA now come equipped with bike racks, as here in Santa Barbara

Source: Ralph Fertig

Bike on LRT in NJ and Minneapolis

Photo: John Boyle

Photo: Metro Transit

Capacity: 3,500 bikes

Bike Station next to main train station in Muenster, Germany

Photo: Peter Berkeley

Capacity: 150 bikes

Bike Station next to Union Station in Washington, D.C.

Photo: Ralph Buehler

300 bike parking spaces in two bike cages at northern terminus of subway line in Boston

Bike-transit integration at Alewife Station on Red Line in Boston

Photo: David Loutzenheiser

Bikes on Caltrain in San Francisco

Photo: Ralph Buehler

Photo: San Francisco Bicycling Coalition

Photo: John Pucher

Bi-directional cycle track and bike sharing near metro station in Montral

Metro station

BIXI bike docking station

Cycle track

Source: Vlo Qubec

Nice Ride in Minneapolis

Hubway Bikeshare in Cambridge, Boston, Somerville, and Brookline

Over 50 bike sharing systems in North America by end of 2013

Capital Bikeshare in Washington, DC

Citi Bike in New York

Launched May 27, 2013 6,000 bikes 330 bike stations Over 20,000 annual members

Which is the cheaper and more sensible way to get exercise?

Photo: Alta Planning

Photo by Susan Handy

Innovative directional signs and bike trip counters in Denmark

Photo by Susan Handy

Pucher and Buehler: Cycling for Everyone

Photo: Paul Krueger

Convenient, free air pumps for bikes on local neighborhood bikeways in Vancouver Pucher and Buehler: Cycling for Everyone

27 bike corrals in San Francisco

Good bike parking benets merchants

97 bike corrals in Portland

Children who bike or walk to school learn better:

More attentive and able to concentrate Advanced mental alertness by half a school year More benefit for mental development than having breakfast and lunch
Source: Egelund et al. (2012). Study of over 20,000 school children

Safe Routes to Schools

Photos: Bike Texas

Photo: Warren Salomon

Bike path leads directly to school in NL

Photo: Fiona Campbell

After installation of this cycle track in Sydney, Australia, over a third of children now bike to school!

Photos: Ralph Buehler

Cycling training and testing course in Berlin

Most German and Dutch children take cycling lessons by the 3rd or 4th grade and must pass a police-administered cycling safety test!

Source: NJ Bike Walk Coalition

Bike Training for Children in New Jersey

Buehler and Pucher Promoting Walking and Cycling

Cycling training course for adults

Photo: Bonnie Fenton

Foto: Amy Walker

Source: Troels Andersen

Guided Bicycle Tours for Seniors

Bike to Work Day in San Francisco

Source: San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

GIVE EMPLOYEES FREE BIKES!

The perfect zero emissions vehicles!

Photo: Troels Andersen

Over 100,000 participants at LAs fourth annual CicLAvia in October 2012

Source: Ryan Snyder

CicLAvia: 9 miles of car-free streets in Los Angeles

Expansion of Open Streets (Ciclovias) in the Americas

(cities with at least two events per year)

Source: Sarmiento et al. (2013). Open Streets: A Healthy Epidemic. Bogota, Colombia: Universidad de los Andes. Financed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WNBR in 74 cities in 2010

Photo: Don Miller

The Summer Solstice naked bike ride in Seattle can be fun as well, provided you have the right body!

Implementation Strategies
1. Publicize both individual and societal benefits 2. Ensure citizen participation at all stages of planning and implementation 3. Develop long-range bike plans; regularly update them 4. Implement controversial policies in stages, easiest first 5. Combine incentives for cycling and walking with disincentives for car use 6. Build alliances among ped/bike groups and with transit, environmentalists, public health, business leaders, politicians, and media 7. Coordinate ped/bike advocacy and planning through local, regional, and national organizations 8. Local political leadership is essential

New book with MIT Press

http://citycyclingbook.wordpress.com

About the authors:

http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/ http://ralphbu.wordpress.com

CONCLUSIONS
Many economic, environmental, social, and health benefits of cycling Even in North America, many local trips are short enough to cover by cycling Many cities throughout the USA and Canada are vastly improving their cycling facilities But much more could be done, and there are many ways to do it.