Study shows bicycles are huge boon to Oregon

The numbers confirm it.
File photo: 4/13/07

State-by-state numbers of the Outdoor Industry of America’s landmark Active Recreation Economy Report have just been released and they show that bicycling plays a significant role in Oregon’s economy.

Here are the key, bicycle-related numbers for Oregon (all are annual):

• Total number of participants: 773,028 (28% of the state population)
• Total expenditures (food, lodging, activites, etc…): $464 million
• Total number of trips (both day and overnight): 9 million
• Total number of jobs: 6,663

As evidenced by last weekend’s Oregon Bicycle Summit (and the National Bike Summit before that), there is a major effort underway to establish Oregon as the country’s premiere state for bicycling.

It is essential that we have numbers to back up our enthusiasm and this study is likely to become a major weapon in our arsenal as we make the case for bicycling to policy-makers and politicians.

These numbers have already been sent to Governor Kulongoski and other key lawmakers in Salem. Hopefully they’ll realize how important it is to maintain funding for our State Bicycle Recreation Coordinator.

For a more detailed look at the numbers, you can download a PDF of the full, 165-page report from OutdoorIndustry.org.