When people think of biking, they think of the obvious physical benefit, but cycling is a cost-effective alternative for cyclists and a source of sales increases for small businesses like the study states...
Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) May 15, 2013
On May 15, city bike designer, Linus Bike, comments on a study discussing the economic benefits cycling provides for both cyclists and small businesses alike.
Recent studies revealed sales spikes in stores that were located close to installed bike lanes. It has also been proven that cycling can also be economically beneficial for cyclists as well.
According to a November 2012 study titled “Measuring the Streets: New Metrics for the 21st Century,” and conducted by the New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT), cyclists are much more likely to stop and shop than motorists are. The study found that “retail sales on 9th avenue between 23rd street and 31st street grew 49 percent, compared to 3 percent borough-wide. The NYDOT also noted that “small businesses that were near bike lanes have done very well, not just in New York, but also in the nation’s other bike-friendly cities.”
The study says people who travel by bicycle have “fewer barriers to stopping at a local business than people who travel along the same street by car.” Bikers can easily secure their bike and run into a store, whereas drivers cannot.
Sally Embrey, a representative from city bike designer Linus Bike, agrees with the study. “In a city like New York, where parking is rare, biking seems like an obvious choice,” he says. “It’s easy to hop off a bike and run into a store, rather than try to find parking on the side of the street. Gasoline is also extremely expensive in cities, so it’s more cost-effective to ride a bike.”
John Pucher, a professor at Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, told NBC News that, “biking can save individuals up to three months’ worth of salary that is used to buy, insure, drive, park, repair, and maintain a car. It’s a tremendous cost for the average American, about $10,000 a year per car."
Embrey says she is happy to see that additional benefits of cycling are being brought into the spotlight. “When people think of biking, they think of the obvious physical benefit, but cycling is a cost-effective alternative for cyclists and a source of sales increases for small businesses like the study states,” he says. “Cities investing in bike installments boost small businesses. What town or city doesn’t want that economic boost?”
Linus Bike is a California-based bicycle manufacturer that specializes in creating vintage style city bikes and commuter bikes. Not simply a bicycle company, Linus Bike sells a complete line of accessories for the environmentally conscious and for those who have a fondness for European style bicycles and the great tradition of European cycling.
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