New York Bike Census: More Bike Lanes, Please

Results of the New York Cycling Census indicate that, unsurprisingly, cyclists say better bike lanes and other safe bike infrastructure encourage more people to bike, writes Dave Colon in Streetsblog NYC.

“The need for safe bike routes to make cycling more popular might seem like an obvious solution to anyone who’s deep in the street safety fight, but one of the architects of the survey said that the results help make the case that every part of the state should make cycling infrastructure a priority.”

Across all New York counties, respondents expressed “overwhelming demand” for more bike infrastructure, according to the census. The census, which received 13,740 responses, was one of the largest U.S. bike surveys ever conducted. “The survey found that the top three reasons people rode their bike were for fitness (21 percent), fun (21 percent) or mental health (19 percent), and that the top three trip types on bikes were recreation (28 percent), exercise (27 percent) and commuting (17 percent).”

The authors note that data on specific reasons why people ride or don’t ride bikes can be a  useful tool for policymakers and advocates, “as it allows for a new way for governments to figure out how to build bike-friendly communities.”