Eugene Ranks Second In National Survey for Bicycle Commuting

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~ T t T~ 1• Tue.= T T 7~ ~T~?~. T~~__ _ ~ ~ ...1 . ; October 3, 2008 CONTACT: Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Lee Shoemaker, 541-682-5471. i From Public Information Section, 682-5523 or 954-2938 j FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE I Eugene Ranks Second in National Survey for Bicycle Commuting Recently released results from the 2007 American Community Survey show that Eugene ranks second in the nation in the percentage of workers who reported using a bicycle as their primary means of transportation to work. Survey data was collected from 442 cities nationwide with populations greater than 57,000. The American Community Survey is produced every year by the U.S. Census Bureau to capture demographic data on the U.S. population. The survey is sent to approximately 3 million addresses in the U.S. and Puerto Rico every year, contrasting the decennial U.S. Census, which is sent every 10 years. Data released in September 2008 was collected during the 2007 calendar year. Out of the 442 cities surveyed, Eugene ranked second with 8.5% of its population reporting using a bicycle as their primary means of transportation for work trips. This was second only to Boulder, Colorado, which came. in at 8.9%. While this marks a significant improvement from the 2006 result of 5.2% for Eugene, it is only slightly greater than the 2005 result of 8.4%. Greater proportions of the population using a bicycle for daily trips benefits the entire community. These benefits include better air quality, reduced congestion and wear and tear on our roads, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Those individuals choosing to use a bicycle for their daily transportation needs also reap the benefits of better health and a reduction in spending on vehicle fueling and maintenance. Eugene Public Works • www.eugene-or.gov/pw 858 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon 97501 • 541-682-5523 • fax 541-682-6826 • e-mail pwadmin@ci.eugene.or.us