We’ve all heard it all before

Americans are burning too much gas and not enough calories. But how much is too much? We’ve gathered up the facts and you might be pleased to know that there’s a simple solution: Ride your bike or walk to replace car trips when you can.

Car Dependency: Costs, Pollution and Climate Change

• 41 percent of trips in urban areas are 2 miles or less. 89 percent of these trips are by motor vehicle. (By the way, one can easily cover 2 miles in about 15 minutes by bike)
  2001 National Household Transportation Survey

• 28 percent of the trips in urbanized areas are only one mile or less, 65 percent are made by auto. That means nearly 20 percent of all trips in metropolitan areas are auto trips that are one mile or less!
  2001 National Household Transportation Survey

• 21 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gases come from cars & light trucks.
  EPA and Center for Transportation Analysis

• Up to 80 percent of tailpipe health-harming/smog-causing emissions (CO, NOx, Hydrocarbons) happen within a few minutes after starting your car.
  Environmental Protection Agency

• 1 gallon of gas = 20lbs of CO2.
  fueleconomy.gov

• The average American drives 15,000 miles and uses 600 gallons of gas per year. That’s 12,000 lbs of CO2 every year!

• At $3 per gallon, that’s $1800 a year. $4 per gallon means $2400 a year one spends on gas alone on average. Just think what you’ll save just by leaving your car parked and taking your bike or walking when you can.

• It costs on average 59.2¢ per mile to own and operate a new sedan, that’s $8,876 per year. At an average 73.6¢ per mile cost for an SUV, it’s an exorbitant $11,039 per year!
  2014 AAA estimates based on 15,000 mi/year

Health Concerns Associated with Inactivity

• Two thirds of American adults are overweight or obese.
  U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

• Annual cost due to people being overweight/obese: $117 billion.
  DHHS

• Potential annual healthcare savings if Americans were more active: $76.6 billion! (Note: Cycling can burn 4-500 calories per hour)
  DHHS

• 1 in 4 Pennsylvanians are obese.
  2007 Trust for America’s Health Report