What's New!

Biking is Good for New Hampshire

Getting more people on bikes in New Hampshire and helping them use their bikes more is good for people, our economy, and our planet. BWANH is working on it!

The benefits are clear

First, it’s obvious that bicycling is good for your health. While it’s great to hit the gym to get your American Heart Association-recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity cardio per week, exercising outdoors provides greater benefits such as increased activity with less perceived exertion, stress reduction, reduced mental fatigue, and improved mood and self-esteem. Cycling on a flat road counts as moderate-intensity cardio, while hitting hills or going faster than 10 mph counts as vigorous-intensity activity. And bicycling is an activity that most people learn as children Through our Kids Bike Safety Program, BWANH is working to ensure that more kids learn about bike safety concepts.

For those who might not feel fit enough to commit to a bike ride, e-bikes are a great way to get exercise. You can get as much or as little of a workout as you want on an e-bike, and I find that I bike farther and more often with my e-bike than I would with a regular bike. Once I get going on my e-bike, I tend to dial up my workout (by dialing down the electric assist) without having to worry about getting too tired to comfortably ride home.

When it comes to economic benefits, bicycling, walking, bike-packing, and multi-day biking trips draw people who spend a lot of money on overnight stays, restaurants, outdoor outfitters, bike shops, grocery stores, and other retail stores.  New Hampshire DOT’s “Statewide Pedestrian & Bicycle Transportation Plan and Economic Impact Study Technical Memorandum #4, Economic Impact Analysis” (January 10, 2020) found that “[w]hen multiplier impacts are included, New Hampshire’s pedestrian and bicycle-oriented businesses are responsible for an estimated 335 jobs and $48.7 million sales.”

The economic benefits of non-motorized recreation have been overlooked in the state’s tourism planning and promotion, however, because it does not generate fees that go directly to state agencies such as the Bureau of Trails. We hope that is about to change in light of recent economic impact studies. BWANH has posted a summary of the relevant economic studies on our website.

Among those is a study of the economic contributions of nine rail trails to New Hampshire’s economy by a team of researchers from the UNH Cooperative Extension to support the preparation of the New Hampshire Rail Trails Plan (NHDOT, August 2022). Key findings from that study included:

• Annual economic contribution of rail trials to the NH economy: $18.7 Million.
• Annual tax revenue: $2.7 Million.
• Jobs supported: 164

In contrast, the Plan notes that state funding for rail trails for the period 2017 through 2020 amounted to only $190,000. That needs to change!

As far as the environment is concerned, biking is an obvious choice to reduce pollution. In contrast with cars or buses that have internal combustion engines, bikes (including) e-bikes have next-to-no greenhouse gas emissions. Using Portland, Oregon as a case study, shifting 15% of passenger-miles to e-bikes “could result in a 12% reduction in transportation CO2 emissions, with an average CO2 savings of 225 kg per e-bike per year.” And looking to rural areas, another study found, “CO2 saving capability per person and per small area are highest (over 750 kg CO2 per person p.a.) for residents of rural areas and the rural urban fringe.” BWANH has urged NH Department of Environmental Services to make biking and other micro-mobility an important part of its climate change action plan.

What we need to do

We need to make our streets and roads safer for bicycling and walking. NH Department of Transportation, in its 2022-2026 Strategic Highway Safety Plan states, “The need for safe access for non-motorized transportation is increasing as roadways become more congested and as people make lifestyle, health, and/or financial choices that do not include automobile ownership. Increasing access to non-motorized transportation also helps connect more people with goods, services, active recreation opportunities, and jobs. However, while the number of non-motorized roadway users continues to increase in many communities, there is little to no infrastructure to support safe transportation of those users. As the demand for and use of these modes increase, the need for safe infrastructure and roadway user education does as well.”

Many people feel that the best (safest) type of infrastructure for biking is bike paths or trails that are separated from auto traffic. Next best are bike lanes on roads that are shared with cars, if the bike lanes are protected with bollards or other physical barriers. Next are unprotected bike lanes (paint only). Intersections also need to be designed to make biking and walking safe.

In cities, bike lanes can be good for business. See this recent article  on BWANH’s website.

And bike lanes don’t have to create congestion for cars. Properly designed bike lanes can reduce travel times for cars; we’re not talking about cars moving faster, but rather reducing the time cars wait to make turns, etc.

Another major part of safer streets and roads is slower speeds. Lowering speed limits alone doesn’t work; cities and towns need to redesign streets and roads to slow down traffic where people on bikes and/or on foot share the space with cars.

Along with safer infrastructure, we all need to do a better job of sharing the road. People on bikes as well as drivers need to follow the rules of the road. Education is a major part of BWANH’s mission, and we offer a wide range of safety resources and training – for kids and adults on bikes and for drivers.

To help BWANH in our work to make New Hampshire a better place for biking and walking, consider a donation. Increasing our membership helps us expand our work and have a greater impact. And please help spread the word and encourage your friends to become members and supporters of the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire.