Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Bike Sharing

Study: D.C. Bike-Share Cut Neighborhood Congestion 4 Percent

11:28 AM EST on January 9, 2017

Bike-share provides a healthy, inexpensive transportation option and can help get places that would be hard to reach on transit alone. But does it reduce congestion?

Researchers with the environmental group Resources from the Future concluded last year that local traffic decreased 2-3 percent on streets near Washington's Capital Bikeshare stations [PDF], but that congestion increased on streets farther away from stations.

Now the researchers have revised their findings, and the results suggest a more consistent traffic-reduction impact [PDF], reports Wash Cycle. Where Capital Bikeshare is available, local congestion has declined about 4 percent, they say. That may not sound like a big number, but it can result in some pretty significant benefits. The authors write:

This would reduce annual congestion costs for Washington area automobile commuters by approximately $57 per commuter, and total costs by $182 million.

In terms of social benefits, a 4% reduction in traffic congestion for our study area would imply an annual benefit of roughly $1.28 million from reductions in congestion-induced CO2 emissions.

Wash Cycle notes that this understates the case:

This value ignores any benefits from cleaner air (like NOx emissions), private cost-savings from mode-switching and any health benefits that may accrue to bicycle commuters. They also found that congestion mitigation occurs primarily in areas with relatively high congestion and that there was actually almost no spillover effect.

What we're also reading this morning: Modern Cities explains the connection between Charlotte's 10-mile Lynx light rail -- which opened 10 years ago -- and the city's boom in walkable development. And the Transportist shares the result of a study finding that if transit stops are in areas with high pollution and traffic, the wait will seem longer.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Getting Warmer

EVs and renewables are not going to be enough to stave off a climate catastrophe, scientists are warning officials at an international conference.

December 5, 2023

How (And Why) To Start a Delivery Bike Revolution

Delivery vans and trucks are responsible for nearly a third of urban emissions, and a lot of congestion and traffic violence, too. Here's how cities can replace many of them with clean, safe cargo bikes.

December 5, 2023

Monday’s Headlines Are For the Children

For the 1 billion children who live in cities worldwide, the streets are too dangerous for them to play outside.

December 4, 2023

The Explainer: What’s Next for Congestion Pricing?

Let's run through the major issues still looming over New York City's first-in-the-nation congestion toll.

December 4, 2023

How To Build a Car That Kills People: Cybertruck Edition

The Cybertruck represents a lot of what's wrong with the U.S. transportation system — even as it purports to address those problems.

December 2, 2023
See all posts