Iowa Bicycle Coalition presents new $1.4 billion statewide cycling economic estimate and local programs to Urbandale council

Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, told the Urbandale City Council at a May work session that a renewed statewide study estimates recreational cycling and trails now generate about $1.4 billion in annual economic impact and involve roughly 900,000 Iowans who ride a bike each year. Hoffman said the updated study replaced earlier trail-counter methods with federal and peer-reviewed sources and a 2,700-response survey covering 94 of Iowa’s 99 counties.

Hoffman said the study expands on a 2012 estimate of $364.9 million by including broader data sources and regional case studies and by quantifying health and climate impacts. “Cycling is a top 50 industry in Iowa,” Hoffman said. He told councilmembers the study links cycling to reduced health risks and cited an analysis indicating bike commuters are 49% less likely to report poor mental health. Hoffman…