PRESS RELEASE

Released: September 23, 2009

Contact: Roy Kaufmann, Office of Mayor Sam Adams, 503-823-4799

Census data shows record one-year increase in bicycling

Change in mode split compared to 2000-2008

Rising bicycle use - four different measures

(Portland, Ore.) – Portland experienced the largest one-year increase in bicycling as commuters’ primary mode of transportation ever, according to the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey.

“Our small investment in bicycling infrastructure and education are paying off in a big way,” Mayor Sam Adams said. “Once again the data backs up our belief that when Portlanders are given a safe, convenient alternative to driving they will get out of their car and onto a bike.” Adams has been in charge of the Portland Bureau of Transportation since 2004.

The data released Monday showed 6.4 percent responded to the survey that they bicycled to work in 2008. This makes Portland number one in bicycle commuting among the 30 largest cities in the country. The percentage of walkers and transit users also rose.

“The Portland Bureau of Transportation has embraced what is called a multi-modal strategy. We want people to not only use their transportation system in a car, but to get from here to there by bike, on foot, and with mass transit,” Bureau of Transportation Director Sue Keil said. “The census data tell us that this strategy is working, which means we have a safer system enjoyed by more types of commuters.”

The City has been investing in its bicycling infrastructure since the early nineties and seen a consistent rise in the number of cyclists. For example, fewer than two percent commuted by bike in 1996, according to census data. Since then, the number of Portlanders reporting bicycling as their primary mode of transportation has increased by over 250 percent.

#