According to the recently released results of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) October 2000 Omnibus Household Survey, 41.3 million Americans (20.0%) have used a bicycle for transportation in the last 30 days. Bicycling is the second most preferred form of transportation after travel by automobile, ahead of all other modes of transportation, including public transportation. Over 9.2 million (22.3%) of the 41.3 million people who bicycled did so more than ten of the 30 days measured in the survey.
The study indicates a growing concern among Americans with the impact of transportation choices on quality of life. Certain figures indicate that, given the proper facilities, more and more Americans would choose to bicycle or walk instead of driving. Some 79.1 million (38%) of all Americans feel that the availability of bikeways, walking paths, and sidewalks for getting to work, shopping, and recreation is very important in choosing where to live. Half of all Americans (99.0 million people) believe that cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans are the primary cause of air pollution in their communities and 65% (135.4 million) are concerned about the level of traffic congestion on the roads in their communities.
BTS is the federal statistical agency for the Department of Transportation charged with improving the knowledge base for public decision making on transportation issues. BTS gathers data each month on a random basis from 1,000 households to determine the general public's satisfaction with the nation's transportation system and to prioritize improvements to the transportation system. For more information from the BTS study, go to the site.