Study: Bike lanes improve business for stores asking streets, and improve road safety for all road users

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WHAT DID WE LEARN?

This study provides policymakers and planners with a robust analytical
framework and evidence to support non-motorized transportation infrastructure
investment.

Overall, the study found very little evidence of active transportation street improvements having a negative impact on business or economic outcomes. In many cases, improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure was shown to have positive impacts on sales and employment in the retail and food service sectors.

IN GENERAL WE FOUND:

Street improvements had either positive or non-significant impacts on corridor
employment and sales.

The food service industry seems to benefit the most from the addition of active transportation infrastructure. Even in cases where a motor vehicle travel lane or parking
was removed to make room for a bike lane, food sales and employment tended to go up.

The retail industry benefits somewhat from the addition of active transportation
infrastructure. In nine of our 14 case studies, retail sales and/or employment
were positively impacted by the street improvements. Two case studies showed
no impact, and three of the case studies generated mixed results, with some positive
and some negative impacts on retail.

Link: 

Study: Bike lanes improve business for stores asking streets, and improve road safety for all road users

MoBikeFed comment: This study comes at a time when some businesses in areas where bicycle infrastructure such as bike lanes is being added to streets, complain that the changes to the street and (sometimes) removal of parking spots to create safe places for people who bicycle to operate, will "destroy" or reduce their business.

In some cases, business owners have been able to reverse decisions to implement safe bicycle infrastructure or change the design in ways that add more parking but reduce safety for people who bicycle.

This study gives hard evidence to support the addition of bicycle lanes and other bicycle infrastructure.

Not only does the infrastructure rather dramatically improve the situation for people who bicycle - making it safer and also increasing by a large amount the bicycling on streets where good infrastructure is added - these facilities also improve safety for ALL road users, not just people who bicycle, but people who walk, drive, and use other transportation modes.

And - in addition! - these changes are generally beneficial to the businesses along these roads, and beneficial to the economy of cities and towns that install bicycle facilities.

In short, bicycle infrastructure is a win/win for communities and the business community. It is a way of bringing added value to our streets and roads, or communities, and our neighborhoods at very low cost.