PDOT is close to releasing their 2006 bridge counts and so far the results are very exciting. In 2005, the average daily bicycle traffic over the four main downtown bridges was up over 10,000 for the first time ever and showed a three-fold increase from 1995.
This year, preliminary reports show a 20% increase over last year (the bridges included in the count are the Steel, Broadway, Hawthorne and Burnside).
PDOT has yet to release final numbers on the Burnside, but according to city bicycle coordinator Roger Geller, all the numbers are way up,
“What we’ve seen on the other 3 bridges—as well as at other locations throughout the city—is pretty impressive. On the Steel, Broadway, and Hawthorne, we’ve seen an increase from last year of 12%, 37%, and 15%, respectively. On these 3 bridges overall we’ve seen a 20% increase in bicycle trips compared to last year.”
Geller is currently at a professional conference in Madison Wisconsin, but I expect final numbers from PDOT sometime this week.