The Benefits

Save money

Every year, the typical Twin Cities driver spends hundreds of dollars just to get to work. Fuel and maintenance add up fast when drivers put on those miles day after day. And that doesn’t include parking expenses or ownership costs like depreciation, insurance, financing, registration or taxes.

In fact, The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates that the real cost to drive one mile is 57 cents. At 15,000 miles per year, that adds up to nearly $8,500.¹ Use AAA’s approach to determine your annual costs.

You can save money by simply driving less. Use the savings to invest in a bicycle and pay for maintenance and commuter-friendly gear.

Save on parking too — bring your bicycle into your workplace, lock it up outside or store it in a locker. For $4 per month, you can rent secure, weatherproof bicycle lockers at dozens of locations.

Stay fit

Lack of activity contributes to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other diseases that decrease quality of life and/or reduce lifespan. Bicycling provides low-impact exercise as you travel. You choose your pace and can continue to ride at any age.

You don’t need to schedule time for workouts or pay for a health club membership — your commute is your workout. Plus your employer may provide incentives for bicycle commuters; ask at work.

Save time

More than 41 percent of Twin Cities trips are less than three miles; over a quarter are less than two miles.² A bicycle is often the fastest way to take these trips.

For longer trips, combining a bicycle with a bus or train ride can provide time-saving options. All Metro Transit buses and trains have free bicycle storage racks. Bicycling for part of the trip can eliminate the need for transfers or allow you to reach a transit stop faster than on foot. Or ride transit one way and ride your bicycle the other.

Reduce your impact

An average passenger vehicle produces tons of emissions each year, affecting air quality and climate change. Because bicycle travel is virtually emissions free, every car trip you can replace cuts greenhouse gas emissions and improves air quality. For every mile you pedal instead of driving, you save about a pound of CO2, the primary greenhouse gas.³

Enjoy yourself

You’ve heard “you never forget how to ride a bicycle” — the fun of riding comes back just as readily. The freedom of bicycling is a unique experience and the pace allows you to develop a new relationship with the areas you travel through. Bicycling is also an activity that is suited to socializing — it’s easy to ride and chat.

AAA derives these figures from average fuel, routine maintenance, tires, insurance, license and registration, loan finance charges and depreciation costs. 2010 Your Driving Costs American Automobile Association

2000 Travel Behavior Inventory Table 58A, Metropolitan Council

Green Power Equivalency Calculator Methodologies U.S. Environmental Protection Agency