Editorial: Bicycling is having a moment—let’s use it to make riding more safe and inclusive

Editorial: Bicycling is having a moment—let’s use it to make riding more safe and inclusive

As we celebrate a World Bicycle Day like no other—let's keep the momentum and attention the coronavirus pandemic has brought to bicycling.

When you're a member of the media you receive notice of a lot of "days"—Pancake day, National Lame Duck Day, Textiles Day. But today is World Bicycle Day, and that means something to me. And, if you care about the environment, it should to you as well.


I love bicycling. As a child it was the freedom. When I moved to big cities it was the convenience (traffic sucks and it was a way to avoid it). Now, in my rural surroundings, it's for exercise and a way to observe and understand my region from the relatively slow pace of a road bike.

But bicycling goes far beyond the lycra-clad obsessives like me—and it spans generations. In the past month, I've spoken to my young nephew about his progress on riding neighborhood hills, and my soon-to-be-retired mother about how she's looking into the electric bike market.

The personal health benefits of riding a bicycle are well established—but what truly sets bicycling apart from other sports or recreation activities is its ability to have a massive positive impact on the local environment.

Pedal for the planet 

Roughly 872,000 people in the U.S. bike to work and many more use bikes to run errands and get around town (for comparison, one quarter of all trips made by Dutch residents – 4.5 billion trips – are on a bicycle). This matters—in the U.S. vehicle emissions account for roughly a third of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. An estimated half of car trips are just a few miles from the home.

Every one of these bike commuters is helping the planet. A study from the European Cyclists Federation in 2011 compared the CO2 emissions of bicycling versus other motorized transportation. It went beyond emissions and even considered production, maintenance and fuel (for bicycling this means calories eaten).

For the entire life cycle researchers found: bicycling accounts for 21 grams of CO2 per passenger per half mile traveled, while a car accounts for roughly 271 grams (based on short car trips that could be replaced by a bike).

There are also built-in economic gains to be realized from expanded cycling: A landmark 2015 report from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy found that a dramatic increase in cycling as transportation could save the planet $24 trillion over the next 35 years and cut worldwide carbon dioxide emissions by 11 percent over the same time compared to a scenario without expanded cycling.

There is the air pollution problem—cyclists are out on streets sucking in air and can be exposed to toxics during their commute or leisure ride. However, recent research shows cycling commuters are exposed to less air pollution on daily commutes than people walking or in cars and buses.

We've established that cycling is awesome for us and helps the planet, so why, in a nation of more than 328 million people, are only 872,000 commuting to work via bike?

There are all kinds of reasons and, for many people, riding a bicycle simply isn't an option. But among those that can one of the major issues is lack of bike infrastructure.

Cars are big, drivers are distracted, and our cities shamelessly prioritize automobiles.

Bicycle lanes in downtown Washington DC. (Credit: Elvert Barnes/flickr)

Crisis uncovers bicycling convenience

But across the world the COVID-19 crisis has prompted concerns over mass transit, emptier streets and cleaner air—sending people dusting off their bikes and rummaging through their garage for air pumps.

Some U.S. cities have recognized this and responded. In one of the most ambitious moves, Oakland, California, closed 74 miles of streets—many along existing bike routes—to through traffic. Milwaukee will close 10 miles of streets to cars to create more cycling and walking space. Boston, Minneapolis and other cities closed streets and some parkways as well.

In New York City, cycling increased by 52 percent over the city's bridges once quarantine started. Chicago's bikeshare use doubled in March.

It's impossible to know if it'll last, or if any of these riders will turn into bike commuters.

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is hard at work thinking of ways to ease the pain felt by the oil industry during the pandemic. And there's talk of possibly another bailout for the auto industry.

Of course—right or wrong—the oil and automotive industry are key cogs in our economic machinery so the feds have an interest in keeping people employed and cash flowing.

What if our economic considerations took health and environmental gains into account?

  • Obesity related illnesses cost the U.S. hundreds of billions per year.
  • Air pollution costs the U.S. economy roughly 5 percent of its GDP per year.
  • As climate change continues its impacts, though hard to quantify, are estimated to cost the U.S. hundreds of billions per year.
  • Stress costs the U.S. an estimated $500 million annually.

Bicycling simultaneously tackles all of these issues.

However, it's not as simple as keeping roads closed to traffic and building more bicycle lanes—bicycling and related policies need to be more inclusive.

Black and Hispanic bicyclists are often underrepresented in bicyclists counts, as Julian Agyeman, a professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, points out, because data is often taken in downtown areas neglecting outer neighborhoods.

Because of this skewed data, urban planners see the need is greatest downtown and that's where bicycle lanes and other infrastructure goes.

There's also racial profiling issues: investigations in Chicago and Tampa Bay, Florida, show that Black and Hispanic riders are much more likely to receive bicycle citations than white bicyclists.

COVID-19 and the killing of George Floyd have been a wakeup call for society and have caused tremendous pain and suffering.

Here's to hoping that as we emerge society places more value on healthier bodies, racial equity, cleaner air, quieter streets, a slowing down of our fast-paced lives, and the bicycle, which can help us achieve all of the above.

Banner photo: Bicycle event in Detroit, 2013. (Credit: Russ/flickr)

A vehicle exhaust pipe with smoke emitting from it.

Senate GOP maneuvers to block California’s plan to ban gas cars by 2035

Republicans in the Senate used a controversial procedural tactic to advance legislation that would block California from enforcing its planned ban on new gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035, challenging both state environmental authority and longstanding Senate rules.

Carl Hulse reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
blue lake with glacier in the middle of the mountains.

As glaciers vanish, salmon gain new habitat and mining companies race for gold

Salmon are moving into lakes and streams newly formed by melting glaciers in Alaska and British Columbia, even as mining firms rush to exploit mineral-rich lands newly exposed by retreating ice.

Max Graham reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
Purple flowers with the U.S. senate building in the background.

EPA chief clashes with Senate Democrats over Trump-era cuts to pollution and health programs

A bitter Senate hearing erupted into shouting as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin defended sweeping grant cuts and environmental rollbacks under President Trump, sparring with Democrats over transparency and health impacts.

Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.

Keep reading...Show less
Tom's Restaurant sign on a corner diner on Broadway in New York City.

NASA shutters iconic New York climate lab as Trump slashes Earth science budget

A once-vital NASA climate lab perched above Manhattan’s Tom’s Restaurant will shut down at the end of May, displacing scientists and reflecting the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle federal climate research.

Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
View of the Vatican dome in Rome with a bridge and river in foreground.

Pope Leo signals strong support for climate action and environmental care

The first U.S.-born pope, Leo XIV, has indicated he will continue the Catholic Church’s growing focus on environmental stewardship and climate responsibility, building on the legacy of Pope Francis.

Aynsley O’Neill reports for Living on Earth.

Keep reading...Show less
A dry landscape with a dust storm and a rainbow in the distance.

Drought and heat drive a surge in dangerous dust storms across the Southwest

El Paso is experiencing its dustiest year in decades, as drought, vanishing vegetation, and rising temperatures send choking clouds of dirt across the Texas border region.

Martha Pskowski reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
A downed tree in the middle of a city street.

Tornadoes tear through Black neighborhoods in St. Louis as FEMA delays and warning systems fail

A deadly tornado system ravaged Black neighborhoods in St. Louis, exposing long-standing failures in emergency alert infrastructure and the federal government’s disaster response.

Adam Mahoney reports for Capital B News.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.