In Pennsylvania, 12% of all trips occur on foot or on bike. In addition to fixing our crumbling roads and bridges and encouraging mass transit, we need to diversify our transportation options by passing a modern, 21st century bill that includes bicycle and pedestrian funding.
Increasing bicycling and walking reduces traffic congestion, cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions and reduces air pollution. Cars produce more than 30 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, more than 80 percent of carbon monoxide, and about half of the nation's nitrogen oxide emissions each year. A short, four-mile round trip by bicycle keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe.
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows that while most Pennsylvania regions have improved air quality, places like Lehigh County, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia all receive failing grades.
And there's more: increased bicycling and walking isn't just a health and wellness issue. It makes economic sense. A comprehensive transportation bill with dedicated funding for biking and walking opens Pennsylvania up to a larger share of the bicycle tourism industry – a thriving, $50 billion per year industry.
