It's no secret that with Portland's booming population, declining transporation revenues and aging infrastructure, we're facing a host of unpleasant issues in the near future.
While the way we address this needs to be, and is, multifaceted, one way that we are fighting the increasing congestion on Portland streets is by encouraging people to get out of their single occupancy vehicles for elective trips (when it makes sense to do so, of course) and onto a bicycle.
In addition to the benefits of contributing to a healthier population, reducing air pollution, and creating safer neighborhoods, bicycling also helps to moderate demand for limited auto parking and reduce congestion. The more people we can get out of their single occupancy vehicles and onto bicycles, the sidewalks, and transit, the less gridlock we'll see on our streets.
Now, some people have been pessimistic about our efforts to encourage people to take the plunge and test the bicycle as their personal mode of transportation. But the data is in, and it seems like we are seeing some pretty stunning success.
Bike Ridership Way Up!
Portland's Office of Transportation recently completed bicycle counts at over 60 locations this past summer.
These counts show significant and sometimes dramatic increases in bicycle use at locations throughout the city.
Among the most notable findings:
- Bicycle trips on the four bicycle-friendly Downtown bridges jumped 18% compared to 2005 (after jumping 15% compared to 2004).
- Over 12,000 bicycle trips are made daily across the Willamette River.
- Women as a percentage of all riders has grown consistently over the years with women now representing one-third of all riders counted.
- Helmet use has also grown from a low of 52% of all riders in 1992 to 73% in 2006.
- The Hawthorne Bridge now carries approximately 5,500 daily bicycle trips, representing approximately 16% of all vehicle trips on the bridge.
- The Broadway Bridge's 2,800 daily bicycle trips account for 9% of all vehicle trips on the bridge.
- Overall, bicycle trips on the Broadway, Steel, Burnside and Hawthorne bridges represent approximately 10% of all vehicle trips on those bridges. This is an increase from the 2% of all vehicle trips they represented in 1991.
All told, the data gathered this year, when compared to that of previous years, points to a robust and growing presence of people using bicycles on Portland's streets.
[0]Bridge Counts are way up!You can read the report outlining these findings below.
With a little encouragement and an assurance of their safety via bike lanes and boulevards, more and more people are getting onto their bikes and doing their small part in helping address some of the largest problems we are collectively facing as residents of Portland: endemic obesity, air pollution, contaminated stormwater, congestion and gridlock.
If everyone does what they can, together we can make a better, healthier, safer, cleaner, and better-functioning Portland!
| Attachment | Size |
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| Count Data 2006 incl gender helmet use.pdf [1] | 255.7 KB |