A recent survey conducted about Pima County’s Clean Air Campaign revealed some interesting data, which shows cycling for transportation remains largely unchanged from 2008 when the report was last done.

The cycling numbers rise in some instances (using a bike for short errands) and falls in others (riding to work or school.) The data does suggest the most important factor in getting people out of cars and into alternative modes is purely financial.

The survey was conducted in early June and randomly interviewed people 16 and older by phone.

According to the report, 52 percent of the respondents were aware of the county’s clean air campaign.

Here are several interesting questions, many of them directly related to cycling. The report is full of interesting data. You can download the entire thing here.

Below are the most interesting data points:

  • 57 percent of the people were aware of Bike to Work Day, which was down slightly from 61 percent in 2008. Respondents in the northwest part of the region were the most familiar with Bike to Work Day. People in the south had the lowest rate of familiarity.
  • However, awareness about Bike Fest was up substantially. In 2008, the first time the question was asked, only 30 percent were aware of the event. This year, 53 percent knew about Bike Fest.
  • This year, 34 percent of the people asked were familiar with Walk and Roll to School Day, which is basically unchanged from 2008.
  • Fewer people were aware of Bike to the Zoo Day. This year, 20 percent of the respondents knew about the event, which is up from 10 percent in 2008.
  • 13 percent are aware of Cyclovia. The majority of the people familiar were residents who live in the central part of the city.
  • 53 percent said learning how alternative modes of transportation could save them money would encourage them to change the way they get around. This was most important to people in southern ZIP codes.
  • 25 percent said information about how alternative modes could improve air quality would encourage them to consider using another form of transportation. This is down slightly from 2008.
  • 24 percent said knowing how alternative modes could improve their health was an important factor to getting them to utilize another transportation mode.
  • 64 percent said they are driving less because of higher gas prices.
  • 48 percent said they are driving less to reduce pollution.
  • Five percent of the people who are driving less because of gas prices are walking to work or school.
  • Four percent of people who are driving less because of gas prices are using their bikes for short trips. This is down from 10 percent in 2008.
  • Of people who said they use alternative modes of transportation, 54 percent walk for short trips and errands.
  • Of people who said they use alternative modes of transportation, 31 percent said they ride their bikes for short trips and errands. This is up from 29 percent in 2008
  • 17 percent also report using their bikes for transportation more often.
  • Of people who said they use alternative modes of transportation, 15 percent report walking to work.
  • Of people who said they use alternative modes of transportation, 15 percent report riding their bikes to work.
  • Overall, seven percent said they rode their bikes to work or school, down from 8 percent in 2008.
  • 2,739,932 miles are saved each day by the use of alternative travel modes in Pima County.
4 thoughts on “County report shows cycling levels remain largely unchanged.”
  1. From the post:

    “The data does suggest the most important factor in getting people out of cars and into alternative modes is purely financial.”

    To which I say:

    Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

    I’ve been of the mind that economic incentives will do more to get people on bikes than anything else. Happened during the 1970s Bike Boom, and it’s happening all over again.

  2. Wait a minute….how do you interpret numbers like this?
    “Use of bike for short trips or errands” up slightly 29 to 31%.
    “Use of bike for short trips or errands-because of gas prices” down to 4% from 10%.
    A significant drop. In the gas price comparison, more people carpool, walk or just stay home.
    All these numbers can give you a pain between your ears, but let’s see if this years bike count numbers reflect the 36% increase in gas price we’ve had since last year.

    In the Bike Boom era, although there was a 45% increase in the price of gas, people would have paid it had the gas been*available*. From my sense, the bike boom happened because college kids decided European 10-speeds were in vogue.
    American-made ‘Trek’ benefitted from this. Schwinn’s new models were largely off-shore products. Independent frame builders seemed to be on the upswing, too.

  3. zz,
    The irony is that today the European bike is thought to be an upright commuter rather than a racing bike.  I think Schwinn was too slow to sell a 10 speed and when they did, they were too expensive when compared to the competition.

  4. Caveat on this study: it was funded and performed in the context of clean air. That’s a worthy subject, but doesn’t and probably cannot go into what’s immediately upsetting Tucsonans: congestion, stress, potholes, high cost of automobile ownership and operation…all in the context of a relatively low income city.  Those concerns are only touched on tangentially.

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