Why Our Work Matters

Health: why Bike Erie’s efforts are important to Erie

We’re unhealthy and overweight

Measured against the rest of Pennsylvania’s counties, Erie County’s health rankings keep dropping. Erie County ranked 30th in 2010, the first time the list was compiled; 35th in 2011; 40th in 2012; 49th in 2013; and 50th in 2014. This is an alarming trend.[2] [3]
In 2013, Erie ranked among the top 10 fattest cities in the U.S.[1]

We don’t exercise regularly

Many people in Erie suffer from poor health and lack of exercise. One survey found that only 45% of Erie residents exercised at least 30 minutes a day for at least three days a week. Finding a safe place to exercise is one of the major issues in Erie.[4]
PA ranks in the bottom 12 states for frequent exercise.[5]

Our children are overweight and obese

Nearly 1 in 3 young children in Erie County are overweight or obese.[6]
Childhood obesity is increasing among low-income children in PA[7]

The health and quality of life benefits far outweigh the risks

The British Medical Association published an article showing that the health benefits of bicycling outweigh the health risks in an urban environment by a ratio of 77 to one.[8]

Poverty and economics: why Bike Erie’s efforts are important to Erie

We spend a lot of our hard-earned income on driving

The three largest costs in most people’s lives are housing, transportation and food. The average American family spends nearly 20% of household income on transportation.[9] In 2009, monthly transportation costs for the typical household in Erie County accounted for over 31% of household income.[10]

We don’t have a lot of money to spend on driving

Approximately 29% of the City residents are below the poverty level and 18% of County residents are as well. Both the City and County’s poverty rates are above national and state averages.[11]
In the city, 38% of all households are asset poor, which is twice as high as Pennsylvania’s 19% of households. Of these numbers, individuals under 35 years old hold the highest share at 48%. This issue is more persistent and prevalent than income poverty.[12]

Most of the money we spend on driving leaves Erie

85% of money we spend on driving leaves the local economy.[13]

Driving can result in many negative social impacts that affect everyone

Pennsylvania’s economic loss due to traffic crashes in 2010 was $14.5 billion – that is $1,148 to each man, woman, and child in PA.[14]

It just makes sense: why Bike Erie’s efforts are important to Erie

We are driving fewer miles

A study by Philadelphia-based PennPIRG, showed that Pennsylvania is among the leaders in the trend of Americans getting out of their cars, with a 10.44% drop in the number of vehicle miles driven per person between 2005 and 2011. The state was ninth overall in the drop of vehicle miles driven per capita.[15]

Forty-percent of our trips are 2 miles or less

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway, a 2009 survey showed that 40% of all trips are two miles or less.[16]

We need to protect all road-users – especially people who bike and walk

The 2010 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Crash Facts and Statistics report lists on page 50 that 1,443 crashes (out of 121,312 reported vehicle crashes) involved a cyclist in 2010. Of these, 950 (66%) were caused by another vehicle striking a person riding a bike.[17]

Our aging populations depend on other modes of transportation

By 2040, the state’s share of senior population (those aged 65+) is expected to increase from 16% today to over 23%. In addition, 22 percent of Pennsylvania residents are under the age of 18. Both the under age 18 and over age 65 populations are typically more dependent on other modes of transportation such as bicycling, walking, and public transportation.[18]

Driving a car is hugely wasteful

The combustion engine is very inefficient – every time you put a dollar’s worth of gas in your car, 70% of gas which leaves your exhaust as heat.[19]
One hundred calories can power a cyclist for three miles, but it would only power a car 280 feet (85 meters).[20]

Education and support: why Bike Erie’s efforts are important to Erie

Education is among our major weaknesses

According to an Alliance for Biking and Walking national report completed in 2012, Pennsylvania ranks in the bottom one-third of states when it comes to bicycle education and encouragement.[21]
According to Erie Vital Signs, an initiative by the Erie Community Foundation, spending on education in Erie County has decreased. Erie County schools spent about $1,100 less per ADM than the statewide rate in 2011-2012, the most recent school year for which there is data.[22]
The Erie School District is trying to recover from substantial financial problems, which has led to cutting many programs. To our knowledge, there is no comprehensive bicycle safety curriculum and no comprehensive bicycle safety education is occurring in Erie schools.

Key support is missing: we have zero bike shops and bike cooperatives within the City of Erie

The City of Erie is currently a “bicycle desert”. There are zero bike shops within the city limits to serve the over 100,000 residents.
There are no low-cost or affordable options for bike repair. Unlike the rest of the state of Pennsylvania in which more than ten bike cooperatives currently exist, and many of which are in cities with smaller populations, Erie has no cooperative or like option.^{^[23]} [24] We believe that a bicycle cooperative is an essential institution of bicycle education and support that the City of Erie needs, which is why we’re helping the Sisters of St. Josephy to develop one.

Most of us don’t have access to a bicycle

According to a government survey of nearly 10,000 Americans:[25]
- Just 29% of those with household incomes less than $15,000 had regular access to a bicycle
- 47% with incomes $30,000-$49,000 had access
- While 65% with incomes $75,000 or more had access

Policy and infrastructure: why Bike Erie’s efforts are important to Erie

We need better bicycle amenities

Nearly 60 percent of people surveyed for the Erie County Long Range Transportation Plan said that bicycle amenities need to be improved.[26]

We simply don’t have the facilities and infrastructure

Not including multi-use paths, there are fewer than 2 miles of bike lanes within the City of Erie.
There are major gaps in the pedestrian and bicycle networks and few designated bike lanes in Erie. Connectivity between neighborhoods and transit is lacking for people who bike and walk. Likewise, key destinations can be inconvenient, difficult and stressful to access. In addition, there are few shared-use paths located in areas other than the along the waterfront.[27]

Erie’s biking and pedestrian ordinances and zoning are outdated and irrelevant

We don’t have Complete Streets policy.
A significant number of City of Erie ordinances related to biking and walking do not reflect current Pennsylvania State Laws, many are outdated, and, in most cases, no longer make sense as they were likely written many decades ago – a significant number appear to have been written prior to the 1960s.

When we invest in healthy transportation infrastructure, we invest in Erie

Research suggests that “Complete Streets” — those carefully designed, multi-modal travel corridors that often include bike lanes — can yield handsome returns on investment for cities. Like millions, sometimes realized in no more than a year, because shared streets reduce collisions, which in turn saves money on medical costs and property damage. And there’s more. These street alterations are also correlated with increased property values and even higher employment numbers.[28]
Investing to support multiple types of transportation – cars, bikes, public transit and pedestrians is the best way to support a regional economy and create jobs locally. Bicycle and pedestrian projects create many more jobs per dollar than road-only projects. Likewise, with bicycle and pedestrian projects, a higher percentage of materials can usually be purchased in-state, creating more jobs locally. Additionally, bike and pedestrian projects result in increased revenues and jobs for local businesses, and there are non-economic benefits such as reduced congestion, better air quality, safer travel routes, and improved health outcomes.[29]
Typically, bicycle and pedestrian projects offer high value for low cost, but their benefits extend beyond their dollar value. Improved connectivity between bicycle and pedestrian facilities and other uses such as public transportation stations, schools, community centers, and residential centers improves the ability to walk or bicycle. These improved connections can make walking and bicycling a more appealing and reasonable mode of choice.[30]

Encouragement and fun: why Bike Erie’s efforts are important to Erie

Encouragement is among our major weaknesses

According to an Alliance for Biking and Walking national report completed in 2012, Pennsylvania ranks in the bottom one-third of states when it comes to bicycle education and encouragement.[31]
Walking and bicycling also currently constitute 4.3 percent of all the state’s journey to work trips, representing nearly a quarter of a million Pennsylvania workers.[32]

We need to create events and opportunities for fun

Top bicycle education and advocacy organizations from around the U.S., like Bike Pittsburgh, have said that a significant portion of their success can be attributed to their focus on encouraging people to bike and have fun doing it. At number 21, Pittsburgh is nearly among the top 20 most bike-friendly cities in the U.S.[33] Likewise, the U.S. Census ACS data shows a 269% increase in Pittsburgh bike commuters in 10 years and says Pittsburgh has the 5th highest biking+walking commuter rate in the nation.[34]