Survey: Newbies encouraged by BTWD

Posted on May 13, 2011 by .
Pin It submit to reddit

Surveys of Bike To Work Day participants in the Washington DC area seem to show the annual event encourages more people to try bike commuting.

Bike to Work Day Survey

Metropolitian planning organizations fund bike to work events to meet Federal mandates that they’re doing something about regional air quality. The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board surveys Bike To Work Day participants to assess the effectiveness of their bike encouragement programs.

According to their survey response from last year, 2010 was the first Bike To Work Day for 32% of participants. 17% of participants had never commuted by bike before Bike To Work Day. 10% of participants continued biking to work after the event, and 22% said they ride more often because of Bike To Work Day.

Via The City Fix: Research Recap, May 9: Biking to Work, Urban Contiguity, Power of Marketplaces. Slide from Metro Washington Council of Governments.



See also:

  1. Interbike 2011: “Nevermind” on Vegas
  2. Bike newbies on Caltrain
  3. San Francisco Bay Area survey shows 7% commute by bike
  4. Women’s cycling survey


  • Anonymous

    Although I started riding my bike to the bus stop in late September 2006, it wasn’t until Kansas City’s “Bike To Work Week” in the middle of May 2007 that I started making the whole round trip (38 miles) by bike. After that week, I did fall back to mostly bike/bus commuting, but I would occasionally ride the whole way. I eventually moved closer to work, reducing my round trip to 29 miles, and rode both ways, every day for a pretty good stretch. Now, I’m a paltry 6 miles from work, so I’m not getting the miles I used to. I credit CommuterDude with inspiring me to keep riding to the bus through winter, but Bike To Work Week really got me to take the bike-only commute plunge. In Kansas City, there’s been a shift lately. “Bike To Work Day” is next Friday in KC, but there are all kinds of “Bike Week” events, with a slant toward commuting, but a more general focus on all things bicycling.

  • http://www.cyclelicio.us/ Cyclelicious

    Thanks Noah. I wasn’t aware of this impact Bike To Work events can have even
    anecdotally so your story is encouraging to hear!

  • http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/05/13/btwd-attracts-new-riders-in-d-c/ EcoVelo » Blog Archive » BTWD Attracts New Riders in D.C.

    [...] [via Cyclelicious] [...]

  • http://bikinginla.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/news-from-the-pro-world-signh-pleads-not-guilty-people-for-bikes-unveils-downtown-bike-video/ News from the pro world, Signh pleads not guilty, People for Bikes unveils Downtown bike video « BikingInLA

    [...] you could use to get your boss to pay for your next tune-up. A DC survey shows Bike to Work Day can lead to lasting changes. Learning the hard way what happens after you get hit by a car. Maryland passes legislation [...]

  • http://continentalgatorskin.com Dan

    You know, sometimes it just takes a little push for people to get the bike bug. A good friend of mine wasn’t really into bikes and I was encouraging him to get into it. A year later and the guy has about $4k worth of bikes in his garage and he probably knows more about components than me. Sometimes you just need a little encouragement. 

  • http://www.cyclelicio.us/ Cyclelicious

    It’s kind of funny how friends will go even crazier than you on bikes like
    that, isn’t it? :-)

    Sent from my Googaw

  • http://www.cyclelicio.us/ Cyclelicious

    It’s kind of funny how friends will go even crazier than you on bikes like
    that, isn’t it? :-)

    Sent from my Googaw