Bikes: The Greenest Transportation Choice
We’ve all heard it before.
Americans are burning too much gas and not enough calories. But how much is too much? We’ve gathered up the facts so that you don’t have to and you might be pleased to know, there’s a simple solution: Ride your bike!
Car Dependency: Costs, Pollution and Climate Change
- 41% of trips in urban areas are 2 miles or less. 89% of these trips are by motor vehicle. (By the way, one can easily cover 2 miles in about 15 minutes by bike)
2001 National Household Transportation Survey - 28.3% of the trips in urbanized areas are only one mile or less, 65.7% are made by auto. That means 18.6% of all trips in metropolitan areas are auto trips that are one mile or less!
2001 National Household Transportation Survey - 21% of all U.S. greenhouse gases come from cars & light trucks.
EPA and Center for Transportation Analysis - Up to 80% of tailpipe health-harming/smog-causing emissions (CO, NOx, Hydrocarbons) happen within a few minutes after starting your car.
Environmental Protection Agency - 1 gallon of gas = 20lbs of CO2.
fueleconomy.gov - The average American drives 15,000 miles and uses 600 gallons of gas per year. That’s 12,000 lbs of CO2 every year!
- At $3/gallon, that’s $1800/year…$4/gallon, that’s $2400/year you spend on gas alone (on avg)! Just think what you’ll save just by leaving your car parked and taking your bike when you can.
- It costs 54.1ยข/mi to own and operate a new car, that’s $8,115 every year!
2008 AAA estimates based on 15,000 mi/year
Health Concerns Associated with Inactivity
- 2/3rds of American adults are overweight or obese.
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services - Annual cost due to people being overweight/obese: $117 billion.
DHHS - Potential annual healthcare savings if Americans were more active: $76.6billion! (Note: Even light cycling can burn 500 calories per hour)
DHHS - 1 in 4 Pennsylvanians are obese.
2007 Trust for America’s Health Report
