Studies in Toronto and Berlin show that bikes and buses don’t kill businesses – but parking does. In fact replacing parking spots with bus or bike lanes can increase patronage while reducing car usage, congestion, accidents and helping the environment reports Newsroom in NZ.
Both studies found that people on foot, on bikes, or taking public transport spend more money when they go to local shops and visit much more often than those who travel by car.
Business owners also underestimate the number of local customers that live within 1km and overestimate the number of customers that need parking. On-street parking benefits a couple of dozen individuals whereas a single 1.8m bike lane can accommodate 12,000 people per hour, and a local bus lane can carry up to 5,000 people per hour.
Read the full report here.
