More people are walking or bicycling to get to work, and this is in turn making people safer. These are two of the conclusions presented in the 2014 Benchmarking Report published by the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The report, published every two years since 2003, is one of the Alliance’s key initiatives.
The report is compiled from data from all 50 states, the 52 largest cities and, for the first time in this report, 17 midsize cities. It looks at the rate of walking and biking, accident and injury rates, the level of spending on biking and walking projects and issues, and the level of advocacy support in various regions and communities.
A key figure is the percentage of commuters who bike or walk to work, and although the number is still tiny, the report shows a steady increase: In the 2005-2006 report, the Alliance showed that nationally 0.4 percent of the population biked to work. In the latest report, the number is 0.6 percent. In large cities, the percentage biking to work has grown from 0.7 percent to 1 percent over the same period.
Alliance for Biking & Walking 2014 Alliance Benchmarking Report Official Website