Bicycling Boom in North America

Bicycling in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Chicago, San Francisco, and many other big North American cities has increased a few times over (or more) in the past couple of decades.

And with more people cycling, more people get the urge to cycle, especially with health, environmental, and economic problems the way they are these days, so I wouldn’t expect the trend to slow down any time soon. NPR reports:

“It’s almost like a snowball effect,” says researcher John Pucher of Rutgers University. “People see other people cycling and they say, ‘Wow!’ ” As part of a three-year research project for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pucher has completed a preliminary report that documents the increase in biking in nine major North American cities.

“It’s almost become a cultural phenomenon,” Pucher says. “It’s become the ‘in’ thing to do.” For many city dwellers, it’s a money saver, a time saver and a way to sneak in daily exercise.

With the health benefits far outweighing the risks these days (and with each additional biker on the road making it that much safer), perhaps it’s time you jumped on a bike and joined this growing wave of cyclists.

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Photo Credit: Thirteen of Clubs via flickr (CC license)