Bikenomics
In This Series
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Bicycling our way into work and out of the Great Recession
Bicycling creates a little wealth. But more importantly, it creates a lot of well-being. That's what the bicycle economy is all about.
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Bicycling's gender gap: It's the economy, stupid
Why don't more women in the U.S. ride bikes? Hint: it's not just about fear and fashion.
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The grand tour: How bike tourism helps local economies
This is the eighth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Bike-friendly cities, off-road paths, and scenic country roads where cyclists can spin along in comfort aren’t just good for the people who live in those places. They also attract tourists. And tourists mean money for the local economy. Tourism is one […]
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Freewheeling: Bicycling and the art of being broke
This is the seventh column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. More and more of us have less and less money these days. Fortunately, there are a lot of things you don’t need money to do, and bicycling is one of them. When you’re broke, a bicycle can help a lot. Financially, […]
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How employers can encourage happy, healthy bike commuters
This is the sixth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Miles Craig of Portland, Oregon applied for an hourly call center job at movie rental by mail empire Netflix last January. “My phone interview went incredibly well,” he said. “And the lady said, ‘Well, let’s get you in for a face-to-face […]
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How the bicycle economy can help us beat the energy crisis
This is the fifth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Libya. Bahrain. Iraq. Afghanistan. Canada. Fukushima. North Dakota. The Gulf Coast. Pennsylvania. Each of these stories stands alone as an urgent parable about our increasingly fragile reliance on affordable, plentiful energy. Take them together, and the myth of abundant fuel that our […]
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The economic case for on-street bike parking
This is the fourth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Bicycling and driving have one thing in common that is almost universally frustrating, time consuming, friction causing, and potentially expensive. Parking. No matter how seamless your ride across town, no matter how well-timed the traffic lights or low-conflict the bike lanes, […]
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Pedaling away from the health care crisis
This is the third column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. In the United States, we have the most expensive health care system in the world. We collectively invest more than 15 percent of our GDP — that’s around $2 trillion, or $5,700 per person — into health care every year. The […]
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Tearing down urban freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy
This is the second column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Here’s one way to fund bicycle infrastructure: Stop building freeways in cities. Better yet, tear down the ones we already have. Cities are starting to catch on that becoming bicycle friendly is one of the best investments they can make. Cities […]
