Survey Finds Bike Commuting up 25% in Downtown Denver

An annual survey of downtown Denver commuters found that 8.3% say they bike to work, up from 6.6% a year ago. "The 2017 spike in bike commuting is “one of the most significant, if not the most significant change that we have seen” since the survey began in 2012, said Emily Brett, Senior Manager of Economic Development for the Partnership," David Sachs reports for Streetsblog Denver.

Why the jump? It's hard to say. The city has added more than four miles of protected bike lanes downtown, which may have had an impact. The survey also saw a strong association between employers offering transit benefits and employees riding bikes and transit to work, but the report doesn't offer a "silver bullet" type explanation.

"These statistics are a good weathervane but it’s important to keep in mind that they don’t necessarily reflect citywide trends," Sachs cautions. Of course, commuting isn't the only reason for bike trips (to some, biking for any kind of transport is a foreign concept). And while boosting downtown bike rates is a noble goal for the health and equity of a city, a bump in downtown biking doesn't necessarily reflect city-wide transport use.