Bicycle Industry Helps Portland's Economy

By The Office

Not only does growth in bicycle ridership ease the burden on our city's infrastructure and the natural environment as well as increase the health and wellness of our citizens, the industry also contributes to our local economy. In fact, a new report released by Alta Planning + Design, finds that the total economic activity in Portland related to the bike industry is approximately $90 million!

Alta's report expands on a 2006 study sponsored by the Portland Office of Transportation. The report, Alta says, only etimates DIRECT bicycle-related business activity in Portland, and does not include bicycle-related benefits to residents' health, traffic congestion, air quality, or quality of life.

Still, the facts are impressive:

There has been a 38% increase in the value of the bicycle-related industry sector in Portland since 2006.
The fastest growing sector is manufacturing and distribution, currently 20% of the total.
The total number of companies in the bicycle-related sector rose from 95 in 2006 to 143 in 2008, a growth rate of 50%. New businesses are primarily small and locally-owned, with the notable exception of Rapha Performance Roadwear, a national company that relocated to Portland.
The bicycle economy provides between 850 and 1150 jobs in Portland.
Hand0built bicycle manufacturers increased from 5 to 17 (340% growth). This sector of the economy is growing fast and gaining significant media attention.
Portland is currently home to nearly 4000 annual races, rides, events and tours (an average of one ride every 27 minutes). This has nearly doubled since 2006, when the number of rides was 2100.

Read an overview of the report and download the summary report here.

Attachment	Size
2008 Portland Bicycle Industry Growth Brochure.pdf	102.41 KB
Bicycle Industry Growth Brochure.pdf (2006 study brochure)	1.26 MB

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Posted Fri, 10/03/2008 - 3:53pm.

All one sided

Submitted by Terry Parker on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 10:59am.

Once again the propaganda being spewed here is all one sided and ignores how the majority of people travel in the Portland area region. It also ignores the 100 percent subsidy taxpayers shell out to pay for bicycle infrastructure. How do the above figures compare to the auto industry and motor vehicle economy of Portland which includes transportation related jobs at the Port of Portlsnd and on the railroads,new car dealerships which employ an average of 60 workers each, parts distributors and dealers, independent mechanic shops, car related events and swapmeets, ect, etc, etc?

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Response

Submitted by Paul Peterson on Fri, 10/10/2008 - 5:44pm.

The only propaganda on this site comes from you, Terry, from what I've seen. This a nice little story about how the bicycle industry is growing and a small business niche that is succeeding. So what? What's your point? The amount of our taxes that pay for bicycle infrastructure in Portland is so small that it isn't worth complaining about for 2 seconds. Compared to what cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen spend, Portland isn't even in the same galaxy. Instead, what you should be crying for is a well-needed gas tax of at least $2.00/gallon across the country, AT LEAST, in order to maintain our massive and crumbling network of roads and bridges. We pay nothing to drive cars and destroy the roads in just a few years. Nothing! It's so cheap to drive a car here, it's ridiculous!

I challenge you to visit a city that invests heavily in all kinds of transport, such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm...even little 'ol Oslo, and see for yourself how such a system works. Ask the people how happy they are to have friendly, convenient choices of transport like good bicycle networks and fast, efficient, regular trains, trams, subways and buses. The people are happy! I've lived there and have real life experience that makes me believe so. Good for the bicycle industry that they are prospering. Maybe you can wake up out your coma one day and learn a thing or two about investing in people.

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This is an excellent example

Submitted by Lenny Anderson on Mon, 10/13/2008 - 2:07pm.

This is an excellent example of what Jane Jacobs calls "import replacement" in her classic work "Cities and the Wealth of Nations" which should be required reading for everyone on Sam's staff.

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