How Biking Can Improve Arizona Communities Economically

In 1956, the League of American Bicyclists aimed to showcase the many benefits of bicycling and encourage people to go for a spin. Since then, May has been celebrated as National Bike Month!

Arizonans already know how great bicycling is! In fact, Visit Arizona says, “With 300-plus days of sunshine and thousands of miles of cycle-friendly roads, Arizona is consistently ranked as a top destination for serious cyclists.”

There are many ways to get involved with National Bike Month, including making a commitment to commute during Bike to Work Week, happening on May 13-19. Or choose May 17 to participate in Bike to Work Day!

In addition, you can join the Make Every Ride Count campaign, which gives cyclists incentives to log their rides through the Love to Ride app. The built-in benefit of this campaign is that the app has the potential to make biking better and safer for everyone in communities across the country. It generates anonymous data that helps planners make infrastructure decisions based on real-time, crowdsourced information.

The Benefits of Biking Are Numerous
One of the obvious benefits of biking is that as a common form of physical activity, it can keep a person active. But the benefits go much deeper than that. The League of American Bicyclists offers these additional advantages of biking:

  • Supercharged physical health: A simple 10-minute ride boosts your immune system, improves cardiovascular health, and increases longevity.
  • Improved mental health: Biking fosters mindfulness, triggers the release of endorphins, and reduces the root causes of depression.
  • Decreased stress and anxiety: Biking calms the mind, improves self-confidences, and elevates your mood.
  • Protecting the planet: Reduce your carbon footprint by leaving the car at home!
  • Saving money: Reduce transportation expenses and car maintenance costs.

And it’s fun! Biking brings people together, encourages discovery, and fosters community engagement.

Biking Can Also Improve Arizona Communities Economically
An event like National Bike Month is just one way to keep 27 million Arizona residents more physically active. It also has the potential to improve communities in Arizona economically. Consider these statistics:

  • Inadequate levels of physical activity are associated with $117 billion in annual healthcare costs.
  • Only one in four adults fully meet physical activity guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. 
  • The 2017 National Household Travel Survey says more than 45% of motor vehicle trips are three miles or less, while the average bicycle trip distance is 2.4 miles.

Then there’s the safety element. Approximately 21% of all pedestrian fatalities and 17% of bicyclist fatalities in the United States occur in the 50 largest cities in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Road changes to provide more bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure can reduce total crashes by 19% in urban areas and 47% in suburban areas according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration.

Stay Safe While Biking This Month – and Every Month
With potentially more bike riders on roadways during National Bike Month, the Arizona Department of Transportation reminds riders to stay safe while sharing the road with motorists. Check out Share the Road for more safety tips on how to coexist legally and safely on state highways and local streets.

If you have been injured in a bicycling or traffic accident and you wish to discuss the specifics of your case in a free consultation with an experienced Tucson personal injury lawyer, please contact us today.