Category: News

There are many studies that show people who ride bicycles in urban areas shop more often and spend more money with local businesses than people who drive cars. This means that in addition to supporting local businesses, bike riders are likely paying more money in local taxes that vehicle drivers.

When advocating for bicycle infrastructure, remember that government representatives, community leaders, and business owners typically underestimate the number of people who bike and how much money they spend. To help with these conversations, the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists is providing these references to bicycle economic impact studies.

• In Pima County’s report on the Loop, they estimated that for every $1 spent on the multiuse path the county received $9.40 in economic benefits. https://www.americancityandcounty.com/2021/11/15/trails-greenways-and-parks-infrastructure-projects-boost-economic-activity-and-help-residents-live-healthier-lives/
• After a road diet on a street in Fort Worth, Texas restaurants showed a 179% revenue increase. Blue, Bikenomics, How Bicycles Can Save The Economy, Microcosm Publishing, 2016
• In an area of Los Angeles, California where motor vehicle lanes were removed and replaced with bicycle lanes, the sales taxes collected almost doubled.https://nacto.org/docs/usdg/yorkblvd_mccormick.pdf
• A study from researchers at New York University (NYU) shows that restaurants closer to bike share stations do better business than those farther away. They found that food retailers (typically restaurants) in the Brooklyn neighborhoods closest to bike share stations saw their total volume of business increase from between .2 and .5 percent in the years after bike share stations were added. Food retailers in the same neighborhoods located farther from bike share stations saw level or slight decreases in retail volume. https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1712/1712.00659.pdf
• Another study in New York, New York found that sales increased 12 percent after a bike lane was added. https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2022/09/30/business-grew-on-queens-street-after-controversial-bike-lane-installed-data-show/
• A third study in New York City found that businesses on streets that remained closed to motor vehicle traffic after the COVID 19 pandemic showed sales increases of 19% over pre-pandemic levels, while businesses on streets that remained open to motor traffic during the pandemic showed reduced sales.  https://www.route-fifty.com/infrastructure/2022/10/what-closing-streets-cars-meant-restaurant-sales-new-york-city/378902/
• A study of 12 Portland, Oregon area active transportation projects showed overall positive impact on local economy. 75% of the projects showed measurable economic improvement for both food and retail businesses. The projects that did not show economic improvement were areas with higher motor vehicle volumes and/or higher motor vehicle speeds. https://trec.pdx.edu/news/active-transportation-projects-offer-solid-returns-investment-economic-study-finds  https://www.oregonmetro.gov/sites/default/files/2022/05/15/Active-Transportation-Return-on-Investment-study-2022.pdf
• A study in San Francisco, California found that bike lanes “rarely produce profoundly negative outcomes, and that they are often associated with positive business performance outcomes” and that “different types of businesses experience bicycle lane interventions differently, [so] transportation planners need to understand and carefully account for the mix of businesses in implementation sites.” https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0361198118792321
• A study conducted in Toronto, Ontario, Canada found that in an area where street parking was replaced with a bike lane there was an increase in both the number of customers at retail businesses and the amount spent.https://www.tcat.ca/business-is-up-on-bloor-after-bike-lane-new-study-finds/  https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/XAKZKXBAV87MIAK4TACP/full?target=10.1080/01944363.2019.1638816

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) both provide guidelines for communities to use when determining the appropriate type of bike lane on streets and roadways. Both agencies recommend that separated or protected bike lanes be used for roads at much lower speeds than are seen in most Arizona communities. Continue reading Is Your Community Following National Guidelines When Installing Bicycle Lanes?