While biking might be seen as a young person's cause, new data from the National Household Travel Survey show that American's aged 60-79 are responsible for a huge chunk of new riders.
"The national surge in bicycling since 1995 may have more to do with healthy hips than with hipsters," proclaims Michael Andersen in a memorable lede.
"Between 1995 and 2009, the most recent year for which National Household Travel Survey data are available, the rise in biking among people ages 60-79 accounted for 37 percent of the total nationwide increase in bike trips."
Andersen goes on to detail the recent efforts of Atlanta, via the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, the Atlanta Area Agency on Aging, and Streets Plan Collaborative to attract new riders by converting a buffered bike lane to a protected bike lane.
Governing also has a map that provides a visualization of some of the survey data, specifically showing the growth or decline of biking in metropolitan areas.
Read the full story: Surprise! People Aged 60-79 Are Behind More Than a Third of the Biking Boom
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