Bicycle Infrastructure is Economically Sound

Posted by Shayna Pollock on July 11, 2011

The CEOs for Cities' Connectivity Challenge convened national leaders in Chicago to discuss ways to create communities where a car is not a necessity. There, participants focused on the value of alternative transportation in vibrant cities. A recent report by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts found that building bicycle infrastructure also adds assets beyond a connected community; it bolsters the local economy. An article in GOOD reports that bicycle lane construction yields "11.4 local jobs for each $1 million spent, while road-only projects generate just 7.8 jobs per $1 million." Bicycle infrastructure proves to be a solid community and economic investment for cities.