Alameda Countywide Bike Count Data:

The Alameda County Transporation Commission (Alameda CTC), along with several regional agencies and educational institutions, has been collecting data on the number of bicyclists and pedestrians throughout the county since 2002. This data, while useful, was not always collected in a consistent manner. In 2010, the Alameda CTC established an annual count program with the selection of 63 sites at which to conduct counts every year using the same methodology. The primary goal of the count program is to provide countywide trends in bicycling and walking over multiple years. Where there is sufficient data, the goal is also to assess trends at the sub-county level using the North, Central, South and East planning area groupings.

In 2011, Alameda CTC published the first report analyzing data collected from 2002 to 2010. This report provides the second update to this initial report, an analysis of count data collected in 2011 and 2012.

Bicyclist Count Trends

Annual Count Data – 2010 to 2012

• Bicyclists counted in the PM period increased by 12% from 2011 to 2012 (and 42% from 2010 to 2012).

• The mid-day period counts also show a 12% increase from 2011 to 2012 (and a 54% increase from 2010 to 2012).

• The school period saw a more significant increase of 94% from 2011 to 2012 at the 16 count sites within at least a half mile of a K-12 school, (and a 115% increase since 2010).

• By area of the county, the percent change in bicyclists from 2011 to 2012 shows increases in all planning areas. Central County saw the highest percent growth, with a 56% increase over 2011 counts, East County showed an increase of 25%, and the North and South had increases of 8% and 6% respectively. While the North shows one of the lower percent growth rates, it has the highest increase in the number of bicyclists counted.

• The pilot AM period bicyclist counts were 23% higher than the school period counts at the same sites. The variation by site did not correlate to distance from the school, suggesting that the higher AM counts are likely due to non-school-related bicycle commuters and not to significant differences in school-related bicycle trips.

Gender and Helmet Data

Bicyclist gender and helmet use is also collected as part of the manual count program. The following summarizes the trends in these two areas.

• Women accounted for 49.6% of pedestrians in 2012. This is down less than 1% from the 2011 counts, which is likely not significant at this aggregated level. At the planning area level, women made up 49% of pedestrians counted in the North planning area in 2012, and 48% and 50% in the Central and South planning areas. In the East planning area, females made up 42% of pedestrians in 2012.
• Women made up 33% of bicyclists counted in 2012. However, the proportion of female cyclists has risen steadily and significantly over the last three years, from 26% in 2010. By time period, female bicyclists made up 33% of bicyclists counted during PM period in 2012, 36% during the school period, and 31% of mid-day period bicyclists. By planning area, females made up 36% of bicyclists counted in the North, 27% in the Central planning area, 31% in the South, and 14% in the East planning area.
• Helmet usage increased between 2011 and 2012 from 58% to 61% of all bicyclists counted. Increases in helmet usage were seen in all time periods except the mid-day where it remained even with last year, and in all areas of the county except the South planning area where it decreased from 62% to 55%.
• Helmet use among women is 11% higher than among males, as seen in the count data. At the planning area level, the difference is most distinct in the Central planning area where 22% more females than males wore helmets. The increase in females bicycling may be one explanation for the increase in helmet use.

Contextual Data and Trends

The bicyclist and pedestrian count trends are compared in this report to various other data sources, as summarized below.

Collisions

• While pedestrian injuries and fatalities due to collisions decreased 20% in Alameda County between 2002 and 2010, pedestrian volumes in the PM period increased by 41% during this same period. This suggests a significant decline in the number of fatal or injury collisions per pedestrian in the county.

• From 2002 to 2010, the total number of bicycle injuries and fatalities due to collisions rose by 17%. During this same period, bicyclist volumes increased by 50% suggesting a lower collision rate per bicyclist.

Access to BART

• Increased walking and biking in the county has coincided with increases in the percentage of people walking and biking to BART stations in Alameda County.

Population

• The total increase in the population of Alameda County from 2002 to 2012 was 4.9%, as compared to the 59% and 64% increases in pedestrians and bicyclists counted, respectively, during this same period.

California Gasoline Prices

• From 2002 to 2012, gas prices rose by 161%, as compared to the 59% and 64% increases in pedestrian and bicycle counts, respectively, suggesting that increasing gas prices could be influencing the changes in walking and biking.

Unemployment Rate

• From 2002 to 2012, the unemployment rate rose 36%, and in the same period walking and biking increased 59% and 64% respectively. While there are correlations, there is not enough data to make conclusive assessments on the impact of unemployment on walking and biking in the county.

Full Alameda Countwide Bike Count Report

 

Oakland Citywide Bike Count Data:

The 2012 results are in and the numbers are up with 6% more bicyclists from 2011 to 2012 at the 36 locations Oakland is now monitoring on an annual basis. The counts are collected each September for two hours at each location. Pedestrian volumes increased by 5% while motor vehicle volumes decreased by 7%. For more information, check out http://www2.oaklandnet.com/OAK033011

In addition, as a percentage of all traffic, people on bikes made up 3.65% of traffic in Oakland in 2012, up 11% from 2011. And as a percentage of all traffic, driving was down 1% in 2012, all good trends.

Walnut Creek Citywide Bike 2013 Bike Count Data:

Bike Walnut Creek counted bicyclists and pedestrians at 45 locations over 3 time periods and found a 7.5% increase in the number of people bicycling in 2013 over 2012.

Contra Costa Countywide Bike Count Data:

[coming soon]