Bicycling is on the rise in the US, reports The Economist. Twice as many commuters used bicycles in 2009 compared to 2000. The share of total trips by bicycle has gone up by two thirds since the late 1970s. The trend is linked to bicycle facilities added to roadways and probably to the rise in gasoline prices — up six times the rate of inflation since 1998. Bikeshare programs in recent years are adding impetus to the trend. The latter target both sexes, and women lag way behind men in bicycle use in the US. As bicycling grows in popularity, safety rises substantially. In Philadelphia, where bicycling has doubled since 2002, total traffic crashes involving bicyclists have amazingly fallen by nearly 50 percent. Traffic safety in general may also rise, research suggests. As 48 percent of trips are under 3 miles, there's tremendous potential for bicycling. Yet the US continues to lag far behind Europe, "where the proportion of local trips done by bike can be as high as 30%," The Economist notes.
