University of Minnesota
HHH
http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/hhh
myU OneStop



The Humphrey School of Public Affairs is the University of Minnesota's school of policy and planning.


State and Local Policy Program

Bicycling and Nonmotorized Transportation

Economic Benefits of Bicycling

Argys, Laura, and H. Naci Mocan (2000). Bicycling and Walking in Colorado:  Economic Impact and Household Survey Results.  Technical report commissioned by the Colorado Department of Transportation.  Colorado survey results providing baseline bicycling statistics for use in the development and improvement of bicyclist and pedestrian transportation facilities.

Fix, Peter and John Loomis (1997). The economic benefits of mountain biking at one of its Meccas: an application of the travel cost method to mountain biking in Moab, Utah. Journal of Leisure Research, 29, 3: 342-352.  This paper estimates the value of a relatively new form of recreation: mountain biking. Its popularity has resulted in many documented conflicts, and its value must be estimated so an informed decision regarding trail allocations can be made. A travel cost model (TCM) is used to estimate the economic benefits, measured by consumer surplus, to the users of mountain bike trails near Moab, Utah. The TCM estimated accounts for several issues including substitutes and endogenous stratification. An individual per-trip value and an annual value of a trail were estimated with the estimates ranging from $197 to $205 and $8,422,800 to $8,770,900, respectively, depending upon the model specification.

Victoria Transport Policy Institute (2002). Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis:  Techniques, Estimates and Implications, Victoria Transport Policy Institute.  Comprehensive study of transportation cost and benefit research and guidebook for applying this information in planning and policy analysis.

Komanoff, Charles, Cora Roelofs, Jon Orcutt and Brian Ketcham (1991). Environmental Benefits of Bicycling and Walking in the United States.  Transportation Research Record, 1405: 7-12.

Lindsey, Greg, and Knaap, Gerrit (1999). Willingness to Pay for Urban Greenway Projects. Journal of the American Planning Association, 65, No. 3, Summer: 297-313.  This article reports the results of an experiment to estimate the value of an urban greenway and to test the validity of contingent valuation (CV), and discusses the implications of the results for greenway planning.

Litman, Todd (1999). Quantifying the Benefits of Non-Motorized Transport for Achieving TDM Objectives. Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria, BC, Canada. This paper examines the degree to which non-motorized travel (walking and cycling) help achieve Transportation Demand Management (TDM) objectives, including congestion reduction, road and parking facility cost savings, consumer cost savings, and various environmental and social benefits. The potential of non-motorized travel as a transportation mode is considered. Potential barriers and problems associated with increased walking and cycling are examined. Specific pedestrian and bicycle transportation encouragement strategies are discussed. This paper updates and expands on the paper “Quantifying Bicycling Benefits for Achieving TDM Objectives,” published in Transportation Research Record, No. 1441 (Nonmotorized Transportation Around the World), 1994, pp. 134-140.

Maine Department of Transportation (2001). Bicycle Tourism in Maine:  Economic Impacts and Marketing Recommendations. Maine Department of Transportation, Augusta. Study to ascertain the total economic impact of bicycle tourism in Maine and to make marketing recommendations to increase tourism in the state.

Moore, R.L., A.R. Graefe and R.J. Gitelson (1994). The economic impact of rail-trails. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 12, 2: 63-72.  Study examining the economic impacts generated by three diverse rail-trails in Iowa, Florida, and California. Economic impacts were broken down into users' expenditures on more durable items related to their ongoing trail use.

Moore, Roger L. and Kelly Bartholomew (1998). The Economic Impacts and Uses of Long-Distance Trails. North Carolina State University, Raleigh. Report investigates use patterns and economic impacts of long-distance trails. The project goals were to review the existing literature related to the economic impacts of trails and trail use; to adapt existing research methods for use in documenting the use patterns and resulting economic impacts of long-distance trails, and to apply those methods to one of these trails, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.

National Bicycle and Pedestrian Clearinghouse (1995). The Economic and Social Benefits of Off-Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities. Technical Assistance Series, No. 2. National Bicycle and Pedestrian Clearinghouse.  National Bicycle and Pedestrian Clearinghouse technical brief on the economic and social benefits of off-road facilities.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (2007). Benefits of Rail-Trails. Fact sheet of benefits of open-space corridors reserved for conservation and recreation purposes.

Schneider, Ingrid, Andrea Schuweiler and Theresa Bipes (2009), Profile of 2008 Minnesota Recreational Trail Users, prepared for The Minnesota Recreational Trail Users Association.

Schutt, Alicia M. (1998). Trails for Economic Development:  A Case Study. Journal of Applied Recreation Research, 23, 2: 127-145.

Sumathi, N.R. and David A. Berard (1997). Mountain biking in the Chequamegon Area of Northern Wisconsin and Implications for Regional Development. University of Wisconsin-Extension.  Study profiles mountain biking user characteristics from the Chequamegon Area Mountain Biking Association trail system located in northwestern Wisconsin.