Transportation by bicycle or walking may be better for business, according to a new report from Portland, Oregon.
Researchers led by Professor Kelly Clifton at Portland State University released an early report of their study comparing spending behavior and methods of transportation.
In the summer of 2011, customers exiting places such as bars, convenience stores and restaurants were surveyed. The surveys showed that those who traveled by foot or bike spent less than motorists per trip at each place. However, the walkers and cyclists frequented those places more often, spending more on average than those who traveled by automobiles.
Although the study is ongoing, the early reports indicate great news for communities with large cycling populations. Businesses may now benefit by appealing to customers’ modes of transportation. With the numbers of cyclists and walkers on the rise in North America, transforming a community to be cycle-friendly can be rewarding both economically and environmentally.
For more information about this study, please visit Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium.
Photo by Fotolia/nicknick_ko
Victoria Pitcher is an Online Editorial Assistant at Ogden Publications, the parent company of MOTHER EARTH NEWS. Find her on Google+.