Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau studies Americans’ commuting habits, including how many people commute by bike. While commuting is only part of the bicycling story, the American Community Survey is a valuable insight into changing commuting patterns and transportation choices

 

More and more Americans are realizing that bicycling is a practical, reliable, and economical means to get to and from work - and it’s also healthy and fun.

 

Multimodal transportation is on the rise. Fewer and fewer Americans are taking to cars to get to and from work. More and more commuters are turning to their bicycles.

 

The popularity of bicycling is skyrocketing nationwide and interest among women is rising, too. More than 80 percent of American women have a positive view of bicyclists and two-thirds think their community would be a better place to live if riding a bike were safer and more comfortable (Princeton Survey Research Associates national poll, September 2012). As the energy and interest to get more women on bike grows, we know that as the decision maker in the family the imagery of a digital signage network will only educate them making them a better buyer as they become move crucial part of this movement.

 

The joys of bicycling don’t change, no matter your age. From your first time pedaling without training wheels to a lazy afternoon ride far into retirement, bicycling is suitable for any age group. That is even more evident in the commuter data, which shows rates of bicycling remaining relatively steady across age groups. In this data set, we segment American cities into three age groups, from the average youngest to average oldest populations.

 

Biking in the rain, snow and cold isn’t always fun, but it’s not stopping American bike commuters from braving the elements. Even in the rainiest, coldest and snowiest climates across the country, people are still getting on their bikes to ride to work.

 

About the data Source

The Census Bureau collects American Community Survey data from a sample of the population. It’s important to note that the bicycling data in the ACS records only “journeys to work,” or commuting. The ACS only counts the “primary” mode. It does not count commuters as bicyclists if they rode only part of the week, or rode their bicycle to transit and the transit portion was longer, etc. In short, the ACS mostly captures the regular, everyday bicycle commuters.