🚀 go-pugleaf

THX for all the help here Mark! I had needed it asap for a story the "Good
Times" is doing on our National Bicycle Greenway as it relates to the 
8/5  SCCRTC decision to build a bike trail to the Pajaro River and our
upcoming 8/20 Swing for NBG (http://www.bikeroute.com/Swing) that is going
to rock BIG TIME. 

I was on the phone with long time bike industry advocate Andy Clark of the
Association of Pedestrian and  Bicycle Professionals (http://apbp.org/)
who was, as he said, "buried deep within the belly of the Federal Hiway
Admin" in Washington, DC when your post came over the transom. What's more
is that Andy faxed me an additional 4 pages worth of studies that
reinforce the Harris Poll notion below.

One fact, in the Harris Poll that also bears mentioning is that 72% of all
Americans would like a community based planning structure which make
walking, running or bicycling an integral part of their area's
transportation system. And this percentage climbs to 82% when the
residents are from city center/downtown areas!

A 1997 study by Lake Sosin Snell and Associates found, among other things
that 64% of the voting public supports using money from federal gas taxes
for bike trails, bike lanes and sidewalks. A majority who do not ride
bikes or have anyone in their household who does in this survey also
supported using their fuel tax for such non car-related infrastructure!
  
Another study done in 1993 by American Lives, Inc., found that almost
equally ranked  to open space the most important feature that home buyers
want in their community is not libraries, churches, schools, shopping
centers, parks, etc, but **walking and bike paths**!!

> Can anyone tell me the exact # of Americans who say they would bike if
> there were safe places to do so?

Here's some data off the web.  I get the sense these are all referring to
the same poll, but the dates conflict.

>From http://www.fampo.state.va.us/clrp/bikes.htm

  Numerous surveys note the popularity of bicycling in the United States. 
  Specifically, a 1991 Harris Poll noted that 46% of all adults aged 18 
  and older (82 million Americans) had ridden bicycles in the previous year. 
  Of those responding to the survey: 

  o 46% said they would sometimes commute to work by bicycle if safe bicycle 
    lanes were available; 
  o 53% would ride a bicycle if they had safe, separate designated paths on 
    which to ride; 
  o 45% would ride a bicycle if their workplace had showers, lockers, and 
    secure bicycle storage; and 
  o 47% would ride a bicycle if their employer offered financial or other 
    incentives. 


>From http://www.transalt.org/blueprint/chapter4/

  A 1992 Harris poll commissioned by Bicycling magazine found that
  one-quarter of respondents would bicycle to work if safe bicycle lanes 
  were available. [3] 

   [3] Bicycling's 2nd Annual Harris Poll on Bike Commuting, May 18, 1992,
       reported that of the 46% of adult Americans who rode a bicycle in the 
       previous year, 53% "would sometimes commute to work by bicycle if there 
       were safe, separate designated bike paths to use." The product of 46% 
       and 53% is 24%, or approximately one-quarter. Zero interest in bike 
       commuting was assumed among non-cyclists - a conservatism. 


Other links of interest:

 
http://www.trans.ci.portland.or.us/Traffic_Management/Bicycle_Program/BikeMasterPlan/endtrip.htm

  http://www.nd.edu/~ktrembat/www-bike/BCY/LABCommEmployer.html

  http://www.demographics.com/publications/ad/95_ad/9503_ad/9503AF03.htm

-- 
            M a r t i n   K r i e g       
               Attacking with Love         
      Coma, Paralysis, Clinical Death Survivor  
    '79 & '86 TransAm Vet, "Awake Again" Author
   TransAm w/us in 2000: http://www.BikeRoute.com
  N A T I O N A L   B I C Y C L E   G R E E N W A Y