A new report released by the European Cyclists' Federation says that a quarter of the required emissions reduction target for 2020 could be met if all of the European Union had bike ridership levels like Denmark.
The Danish people ride on average 2.6 km per day. If all of the EU hit that mark, it would reduce emissions by 55 million to 120 million tons a year. By 2020, that would represent five to 11 percent of the emissions target of a 20 percent reduction below 1990 levels. If that level of ridership continued, by 2050 it would represent a slash of 63 to 142 million tons or 12 to 26 percent of the transportation sector targets.
Meanwhile in New York City, the transportation department is proving that adding bike lanes and making a city more bike-friendly will in fact increase ridership. Since making major bike lane improvements in 2007, ridership in the Big Apple has doubled. With a huge bike sharing program on its way, those numbers should continue to go up. See a breakdown of the increases in bike ridership here.
via Yale e360
