2020's Hot Transportation Trend: The Bike

A prominent consequence of the stay-at-home orders and social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States has been a dramatic surge in the popularity of bike transportation.

1 minute read

May 20, 2020, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Active Transportation

Two people take a break from a bike ride near the Ohio River in Cincinnati on May 6, 2020. | Jason Whitman / Shutterstock

"Since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, a cycling boom has been under way across the US," according to an article by Miranda Bryant. 

Data backs up anecdotal evidence from Denver, Philadelphia, New York City, and Oakland of a massive mode shift underway:

The National Association of City Transport Officials (NACTO) says they are seeing an “explosion in cycling” in many American cities. Eco-Counter, which collects bike data, reports that bicycle counts have “significantly increased” across most of North America compared to usual. In the two weeks to 4 May, it found the US region with the most growth was the south-west, which was up by over 100%.

The question of whether the trend toward active transportation will persist as stay-at-home orders are lifted and people return to their normal commute and trip-taking routines is still to be determined, but one source quoted in the article says that any long-term growth in people riding bikes could be considered a silver lining in this public health and economic crisis.


Tuesday, May 19, 2020 in The Guardian

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