Walk or bike to work?

Production of electric bicycles—with electric motors that make longer and hillier rides possible with less exertion—continues to boom. Introduced in the mid-1990s, global sales rose to 12.1 million units by 2005.9 China accounted for as many as 11 million of these and is expected to remain the strongest engine of demand: Chinese consumers were expected to buy 15 million electric bikes in 2006.10 Meanwhile, electric models could receive a boost when new standards to be finalized in Europe make components of different producers compatible.11

Government support for bicycles—typically in response to concerns about climate change, traffic congestion, energy conservation, and fitness—is increasingly evident. Taiwan announced in 2006 a plan to build 2,600 kilometers of bicycle lanes over the next five years and to adopt bicycle-friendly traffic rules.12 In London, a congestion tax on autos produced a 50-percent increase in bike trips in the city, while use of the 16,000-kilometer-long National Cycle Network rose by 15 percent between 2004 and 2005.13

In Australia, the state of Victoria committed in 2006 to triple its funding of bikeways over the next decade.14 France created the position of “Monsieur Velo”—a Cycling Czar—whose chief responsibility is to increase biking rates, likely through promoting measures to increase cycling safety, provide more bicycle parking, and offer greater bike access to public transportation. 15 And in San Francisco, the city has set a goal of raising commuters’ bicycle use from 2 to 10 percent of trips by 2010.16