Economic Benefits of Bicycling

Ginny SullivanAdventure Cycling Association

South Dakota Bike SummitJanuary 22, 2011

Adventure Cycling: Who We Are

• “America’s Bicycle Travel Experts”

• Started as Bikecentennial in 1973

• Largest cycling membership group in North America: 45,000 globally

• Non-profit mission: to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle

• 28 staff and many volunteers

• Outside Magazine ’08 Best Place to Work

• Create some of the best bike route maps, publications, special cycling routes (40,000+ miles), tours in North America

40,000+ miles of routes

Why Promote Bicycling in

South Dakota?

Jim Books

Tourism Trends

• Chadwick, Martin & Bailey travel trends:

Active vacations

Sustainable travel

Experiential travel

• New York Times Travel Magazine (March 2010):

50% of American travelers want a culturally authentic experience

Bike Travel Demographics

• Highly Educated

• Higher Discretionary Income

• Bike travelers spend more than average tourist ($100+ daily versus $60+ in 2005)

• Typically stay longer in an area

• Less direct impact on local environment

• Green travel potential and linkage with trains/buses

• Becoming sweet spot for 50-64 demo, which as of 2010 accounts for 43 percent of increase in consumer spending

Why travel by bike?

• It’s Hip!

• Liberating – independent or group

• Easy to set your own budget

• Fitness

• A chance to eat all you want

• Truly “learn the landscape”

• Easy to meet incredible people

• Great for communities

• Eco-friendly

• Pedal for a purpose

• Relaxing

• Exhilarating

• Life-changing

“During this economic crisis we have heard a lot about people getting back to basics.  From gardening, to carpooling and bicycling, to swap meets and barter, to mending clothes and appliances instead of throwing them out and buying new, people are rediscovering traditional values of frugality and community.  The unanswered question is how much of this will stick once the economy recovers and people find themselves feeling a bit flush.”

John StermanDirectorMIT System Dynamics Group, Sloan School of Management

Affordable www.adventurecycling.org

Gas-Free Vacations

$85/bbl for oil and going up ($10/bbl in last month)

"I can't tell you how much I enjoyed Cycle Montana. It truly was 'life-changing' for me as I came away knowing that is how I want to enjoy a number of days each year the rest of my life. I've changed habits to give myself the best chance of enjoying future multi-day tours as much as possible: I eat better, dropped 15 pounds and kept it off ..”

David May (Akron, OH)

Generosity www.adventurecycling.org

Accomplishment www.adventurecycling.org

Financials

• WI -- $534 million from out-of-staters for cycling (out of $1.5 billion total for cycling)

• Quebec -- $160 million annually along La Route Verte – for hospitality alone

• MN -- $427 million for recreational road and mountain biking – sizable chunk for tourism

• Great Allegheny Passage – $40.6 million gross revenue in 2008. Tracked $98/day spending by overnight cyclists.

• CO – nearly $200 million for summer biking in ski country

• NC – Nine-fold return on Investment: $6.7 million in infrastructure = $60 million in economic impact

Wisconsin•Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinators (State & Local)

•Govt. – Private Partnerships

•Farm to Market Roads

•Trails: City, Suburban, Rural •State Bike Maps

•Strong Advocacy

•Tracked Health Related Cost Savings

Minnesota

•Bike Friendly State

•Minneapolis: “Most Bicycle Friendly City in America”

•Extensive Trail System

•DOT – Multi Modal Division

•Home to QBP & Numerous bicycle related industries

$240 million event revenue

$137 million in participant spending

> $1 billion annually

~ $193 million annually

• 260+ Miles• Multi-Agency & Orgs (including NPS)• Connects DC to Pittsburgh• Track Economic Impact: spending, jobs, business growth

4,377 Km when complete3,618 Km Signed 493 Km to be signed265 Km to be developed

Quebec and La Route Verte

• $160 million-plus spent on bicycle travel along the network

• ROI: $134 million-plus per year

• Urban-suburban-rural system

• Hospitality certification program

• Virtuous cycle: as the network grows, serious injuries and fatalities have dropped by half – and by much more in per rider terms – total number of riders is mushrooming in all demographic categories

• Velo Quebec – 1970’s• Tours & Promotion • Quebec Province: Mode Share Goals• Significant Government Investment

Bicycle Friendly AccommodationsBicycle Friendly Accommodations

Locked bike shelterHearty meals ToolsInformation (repair, bike rental, suggested routes, etc.)

Farmington, MO

TransAmerica Trail Cycler’s Inn (aka Al’s Place)

Twin Bridges, MT

Cyclists Camp Montana Quarterly Magazine

Dalbo, MN

Bicycle Bunkhousewww.vibespread.com/content/bicycle-bunkhouse

2008The National Cycle Network Open National Route Proposed National Route Regional Route Local Route

National Cycle Network

20004,269 miles85.5 million trips

2005~10,000 miles236 million trips

200812,000+ miles 386 million tripsCar displacement =134 million trips (~35%)

A recent study for the European Parliament (2009) concluded that cycle tourism has a role to play In more sustainable future for domestic and international tourism, and

“that cycle tourists bring major benefits to localities which currently do not enjoy mainstream tourism development.”

Yet the barriers continue to be • Poor integration with public transport • Lack of consistent infrastructure

Demand tends to occur where good networks of cycle routes exist; in a European context this tends to be Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

Where to Begin

Urban Bike Networks

Local Service

+

Global tourism

=

Portland, OR

The best of all bicycling worlds

Hospitality and Services

Active Transportation Systems

Complete Streets

Signage

Connections

Destination Routes and Trails

• Black Hills!

• George S. Mickelson Trail

• State Scenic Bikeways: Oregon & Minnesota

• State Route Networks: Pennsylvania & Georgia

• East Coast Greenway Alliance & Mississippi River Trail

• Bikeways on Byways: Colorado & Washington (under development)

Jim Books

Destination Events

Sioux Falls Argus Leader

~ $3.1 million over 6-years

Jim Books

ADVOCACY

• Rumble Strips

• Equal treatment of bicycles

• Multi-Modal Access

• Amtrak, Motor coaches, Airlines

• Coalition Building: Transportation, Health, Environment, Tourism

• Projects, Programs & Policy

• Economic impact study and promotion

Join the South Dakota Bicycle Coalition!

Public Lands & Park Systems

Jim Books

Sioux Falls Argus Leader

• National Coalition of eight organizations including ACA, LAB, RTC, IMBA, Bikes Belong

• “When America Bikes, America Benefits”

• Focused on Federal transportation bill

• And building National Support through studies, counts, and more

• Major support from Bikes Belong, based in Colorado

“You have a friend in the President” – Secretary Ray LaHood

USBR M1-9 MUTCD

USBR M1-9AlternateNCUTCD

2009

The winding road forward

• Inventory completed

• National Corridor Plan approved

• Designation and application process in place

• Congressional interest

• New partnerships – APWA, ASHE, League of Cities

• States surveyed -– only one with no interest

• 29 active states plus DC

• Who will be first to establish a new US Bicycle Route?

Active States

• California

• Florida

• Georgia

• Maine

• Michigan

• Missouri

• Minnesota

• New Hampshire

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Washington

• Alaska

• Wisconsin … and more!

Georgia and Florida

Michigan: USBRs 20 & 35

• Local interest and support – 23 towns

• Mix of existing facilities +Multi-Use Pathways+Paved Shoulders+Low-volume roads

• Adjacent state links

• Local groups & vols

Overall: Remarkable Progress

• 29 states working on implementation

• Innovative state-level engagement

• California – legislated state network

• Oregon – coordinate with state bikeways

• East Coast Greenway – triple route? – city-country linkages

• Opening new partnerships galore for bicycling: DOT’s, American Public Works Association, National Association of Counties, new linkage with trails community for hybrid routes

• Congressional language?

State & Local Tourism

http://vimeo.com/9654326

http://vimeo.com/12769622

http://www.vimeo.com/15533022

Bike Overnights

State and Federal Investment and Policy

• Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts

• “Share the road” signage, safe shoulders on highways

• Improved local web and print promotion of South Dakota and bike-friendly communities.

• Statewide trail and route systems

• Support for federal and state funding programs to facilitate bicycling and active transportation – such as transportation enhancements.

• US Bicycle Route System

Local Investments and Actions

• Bike/Pedestrian Master Plans

• Apply or at least audit communities for Bike Friendly Community status

• Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts

• Clear, distinctive signage

• Expand and maintain trail systems.

• Ensure connecting public roads are bicyclist-friendly – traffic, shoulders, rumble strips

• Bicycle Travel Friendly Communities

• Bicycle Hospitality Networks (example: Bienvenue Cyclistes)

• Track Economic Investment - Impact

• Creative use of social media and marketing.

Your Thoughts? www.adventurecycling.org