This Is How Much Money Biking to Work Really Saves You
National Bike Month is over, but we’re still thinking about the benefits of biking. The health perks are an obvious; peddling on a 10 speed burns way more calories than sitting in rush hour traffic. A new study via Lund University recently found that cycling on a regular basis may be saving you more money than you realize. They found that it is six times more expensive to travel by car than it is by bike. The savings aren’t just for the individual commuter — they also benefit the entire community. What!
It’s a given that not having to spend money on gas, tune-ups and auto insurance will save you major dough. But the Lund study took things a step further by considering what cars cost the local economy in terms of air quality, noise pollution, road wear and traffic congestion. If you combine those factors with what it costs the individual, the impact of traveling by car is 0.50 euros ($0.54) per kilometer vs 0.08 euros ($0.09) by bike.
The study also took into account the benefits to the local community in terms of commerce and the positives that biking has on the local environment. If you factor that into the math, biking actually saves society 0.16 euros ($0.17) per kilometer. Even taking economic benefits into account, auto owners still cost the local economy 0.15 euros ($0.16).
With personal and societal savings as a coup, it may be worth leaving your car in the garage and cycling to the office instead.
How often do you bike to get to where you’re going? We’d love to know.
(h/t Eureka Alert)
