Bike Traffic Up 14% Since May

 With the assistance of 27 local volunteers, the Baltimore Department of Transportation tabulated bicycle commuter traffic at 8 different locations around the City of Baltimore on September 18th, 19th & 20th, 2012.  Locations were selected based on active bicycle routes at:

• Falls Road and Maryland Avenue (on the Jones Falls Trail)
• Guilford Avenue and Mt. Royal Avenue (junction of bicycle boulevard & future Jones Falls Trail)
• Aliceanna Street and Boston Street (Inner Harbor to Brewer’s Hill bike route)
• Aliceanna Street and President Street (Inner Harbor to Brewer’s Hill bike route)
• Pratt Street and Market Place (Future Jones Falls Trail & Inner Harbor to Brewer’s Hill bike route)
• Roland Avenue and University Parkway (junction of two bike lanes)
• Keswick Avenue and Wyman Park Drive (junction of bicycle route & Jones Falls Trail)
• Guilford Avenue and 32nd Street (northern end of bicycle boulevard)

Parked bicycles were also tabulated at two high-demand bicycle parking areas at Penn Station and the Candler Building (111 Market Place)

The results of the bicycle counts confirmed the trend of increased bicycle ridership:

• 3,002 bicycles were counted
• 381 parked bicycles were counted at Penn Station and the Candler Building
• 14.89% increase from May 2012 (up from 2,613)
• 0.08% decrease from September 2011 as Tuesday, September 18th afternoon featured severe thunderstorms (compared to three fair weather days in September
• 2011)
• 48% increase when comparing fair weather days this September with sunny days in September 2011 at the same locations
• 63% increase at the southern end of the new Guilford Avenue Bike Boulevard (when comparing fair weather days this September 2012 with September 2011)
• Percentage of woman cyclists is up 2% from 22% in September 2011
• Helmet use remains constant at 67% overall

According to the chart above, the greatest increase in cycling occurred where bicycle infratstructure improvements have recently been made .  Numbers are up at both ends of the Guilford Avenue bicycle boulevard (at both 32nd Street and Mt. Royal Avenue).  As the Jones Falls Trail around the Inner Harbor continues construction, noticable bike traffic increase has taken place at Pratt & Market.  These are both examples of  ”If you build it, they will come” theory in action.

The next bicycle counts in Baltimore will take place January 15th, 16th and 17th.