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Last year, a case study from Baltimore showed that bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure created twice as many jobs as road-only construction projects. Now, a larger study confirms those job creation numbers on a wider scale. With the debate on a federal transportation bill imminent, this report provides valuable insight about the important economic benefits of biking and walking. Read the press release from our partners at America Bikes and download the report below.

Washington, D.C. (June 20, 2011) — Bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects create more jobs per dollar spent than other road construction projects, according to a new study, Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts, conducted and released this month by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

The report builds on an earlier PERI case study of Baltimore, Maryland, and is the first national study to compare job creation of bicycling and walking infrastructure with other roadway construction projects. Using actual bid price and cost data, the study compares 58 projects in 11 cities and finds that bike projects create 46 percent more jobs than road projects without bike or pedestrian components.

On average, the “road-only” projects evaluated created 7.8 jobs per million, while the “bicycling-only” projects provided 11.4 jobs per million. For example, a roadway-focused project with no bicycle or pedestrian components in Santa Cruz, Calif., generated 4.94 jobs per $1 million spent. In contrast, a bicycle-focused project in Baltimore produced 14.35 jobs per million. The PERI reviewers attribute the difference to the simple fact that bicycle and pedestrian projects are often more labor intensive.

“It’s no secret that investing in transportation infrastructure creates jobs and helps the economy,” said Caron Whitaker, Campaign Director at America Bikes. “This study proves bicycle and pedestrian projects are no exception — in fact, they are especially efficient in creating jobs.”

The study arrives as Congress is writing a six-year Surface Transportation bill, and struggling to continue robust reinvestment in infrastructure while moderating federal spending. Funding for bicycling and walking is part of that debate.

“This report adds to a wealth of studies demonstrating the many economic benefits of investing in bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs,” said Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists.

Download the full report from the Alliance Resource Library.

We’ve been telling you for weeks that our movement is facing a critical moment in the U.S. Congress. The time to act is now just days away.

We expect that early next week the U.S. House will be voting on the 2011 budget. It’s very possible amendments to that bill could devastate or eliminate programs and funding for biking and walking. We hope the efforts of America Bikes, and groups like yours, will prevent the inclusion of such shortsighted amendments, but we need you to be prepared to mobilize your organization, members and supporters. It’s almost certain that we will have less than 24 hours to act!

It’s going to be an incredibly tight window, but the stakes are high. This first vote will inform and influence all the others, so it’s critically important we present a strong, unified voice for biking and walking. Please keep your lines of communication open and ready to blast this crucial action alert as quickly as possible.

Thank you in advance!

The actions of the U.S. Congress can sometimes feel distant from your day-to-day advocacy. But the dollars your state receives from critical federal programs play an integral role in building the infrastructure that you and your members use every day. In coming weeks, we expect these critical programs to come under fire in Congress.

So, now more than ever, building and cultivating relationships with your Congressional delegates is critical to protecting and advancing bicycle and pedestrian issues. Are you gearing up for the National Bike Summit in March? Are you mobilizing members in your home community to defend key bike-ped programs, like Transportation Enhancements? Sign up for our “Working with your Congressional Delegates” Mutual Aid call tomorrow Wednesday, February 9, at 2 p.m. EST for insight into successfully engaging your members of Congress and making a difference in Washington, DC.

Our panelists will include:

• Tyler Frisbee, legislative assistant to Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), who has an insider’s perspective on how to engage and influence folks on Capitol Hill
• Lois Moss, executive director of Walk+Roll, who recently swayed a key conservative to become the first Republican cosponsor of the federal Complete Streets bill
• Robin Stallings, executive director of Bike Texas, who helped set the foundation for the federal Safe Routes to School program and knows how to talk bike-ped issues with red state politicians
  

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain knowledge about the inner workings of Capitol Hill, hear from successful advocates, ask questions and share your experiences. Register by 3 p.m. EST today to ensure you get the briefing memo and then join us tomorrow at 2 p.m. EST for this engaging, interactive discussion.

The nationwide mobilization to protect federal funding for biking and walking is on.

With the very real threat that bike-ped programs could get the ax as Congress members look to cut the budget, a number of Alliance member organizations have stepped up to meet with their congressional delegates and reiterate the importance of popular programs, like Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancements.

One of the first report-backs on these critically important meetings came from the New York Bicycling Coalition. Brian Kehoe, NYBC’s Program Manager, was joined by two members of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign in a meeting with the staff of Democratic Congressman Maurice Hinchey in late January.

“Hinchey is an ally and his staffer’s knowledge of TE, SRTS and other programs was impressive; so we didn’t have to do a sales pitch,” Kehoe says. “I think it was effective, though, that we had two organizations, which, together, represent a broad spread of the transportation agenda.”

For Kehoe, Hinchey was just a warm-up for more difficult meetings to come. “My real challenges will be making sales pitches to Representatives without knowledge — or perhaps even interest — in these programs,” he says. For advocates, like Kehoe, preparing for those more demanding meetings, the following resources provide useful and convincing facts and figures.

• America Bikes’ has put together a number of National Factsheets, including “Transportation Enhancement Myths,” “Biking and Walking in Rural Communities” and “Why Are Bicycling and Walking a National Issue”
• Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has some helpful resources, including a list of TE projects by Congressional district
• Bikes Belong has an incredible array of stats on the economic, environmental and health benefit of biking and walking
• A new study from the Political Economy Research Institute shows biking and walking projects create twice as many jobs as traditional road projects.
• If you need a little inspiration in creating an effective leave-behind for your member of Congress, check out these two summary sheets from the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
  

And, for pointers from Congressional staff and experienced advocates, don’t miss our “Working with Congressional Delegates” Mutual Aid Call this Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST.