Bike commuting in DC is up 412% over last 25 years

The BikeLeague has a report out that analyzes the 2014 American Communities data on bike commuting. Some DC-centric highlights include:

• DC has the 7th largest number of bike commuters by number, ahead of larger cities like Houston, San Diego and Phoenix
• If DC were a state, it would be the #1 bike commuting state by percentage, and bike commuting is up 124% from 2005-2014 tied for 3rd among states
• DC is 4th among large cities for mode share percentage, behind Portland, Minneapolis and San Francisco; and 19th among all cities in bike commuting.
• DC is 3rd best in the East for bike commuting.Silver Spring is 13th and Bethesda is 7th.
• Bike commuting in DC is up 412.2% from 1990, which makes DC 3rd among large US cities behind Detroit and Chicago. It's up 234% since 2000, which is 8th best over that time period.
• DC is the top bike/walk/transit city among those with between 300,000 and 1 million residents. Silver Spring is 8th best among those up to 300,000.

Arlington is the 14th best bike commuting city in the South, and 5th among cities with between 200,000 and 300,000 people.

Bethesda is the 25th best bike commuting city among cities with between 65,000 and 100,000 people. Silver Spring is 43rd. Frederick is 45th.

 

Comments

[Fong Fong]

This makes me feel old since I was bike commuting in DC back in 1990, before its was hip. Chicks did not dig guys wearing those Bell Biker hard shell helmets with the orange reflective stripes. And there was no yoga then either.

[Crickey7]

I remember, too. And not just the yoga part.

[Smedley Burkhart]

Moved down here from the Boston area in 1989 and started commuting from outer Rockville to Bethesda. After Boston it seemed like a cycling desert--just a few random bums and roadies out there.

I don't mess with no yoga. Good data show that mindfulness is bad for implicit learning and creativity.

[DE]

Was bike commuting in Richmond back then. We didn't need no stinking bike lanes, helmets, carbon, panniers, or waterproof rainwear. We locked our bikes to trees, and if the tree wasn't big enough, someone would snap it in half and take the bike. True story.

[Matt]

If I live in Alexandria, and commute through Arlington and DC to Bethesda, do I get counted 4 times? :-)

[washcycle]

No. You get counted based on where you live.

[Crickey7]

I remember the hills being shorter and less steep then.

That dang earthquake changed everything.

[Smedley Burkhart]

Damn earthquake! We moved to Bethesda after the ride home to Norbeck became uphill (and upwind from Octember through April).