Today, Friday, is National Bike to Work Day, a key event within National Bike Month. Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bike Month is a 31-day celebration of travel by two wheels. Communities big and small are hosting bike-centered events, teaching bike education classes, voting on resolutions to deem May Bike Month in their towns, and much more.
National Bike to Work Day, on 15 May this year, is also a time to take stock of how much bicycling has grown locally and nationally across the US. It’s trending upward: Since 2000, bike commuting has grown by 62% nationwide.
The League analyzes and reports on local, state and national bike commuting rates annually. (More details on commuting rates by city, state or region at bikeleague.org/commutingdata.)
The League notes that, for bicyclists there’s nothing like Bike to Work Day (BTWD), an annual celebration of active transportation. Thanks, in part, to encouragement efforts like BTWD, the number of bike commuters is on the rise, as well — especially in Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC). From 2000 to 2013, bicycle commuting rates in large BFCs increased 105% — far above the national average of 62% and more than double the rate in non-BFCs (31%).
The League of American Bicyclists is leading the movement to create a bicycle-friendly America for everyone. ‘As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn, define standards and share best practices to engage diverse communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.’
