Active transportation - Commuting by bicycling & walking
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Active transportation measures commuting by bicycling and walking
Commuting by bicycling and walking
Commuting by bicycle: Based on national data, bicycle commuting has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels. This trend is expected to continue as many employers require workers to return to the office, prompting commuters to avoid traffic. Cycling offers healthy exercise and easier parking for shopping trips.
Commuting by walking: Based on national data, the percentage of people walking to work has returned to pre-pandemic levels. For those near their workplaces, walking often outweighs driving and parking issues. Walking also boosts health, reduces traffic, and enhances quality of life.
The available data on commuting undercounts the contributions of walking and bicycling to commuter travel and may undercount its contribution to all travel. Commuting data for walking and bicycling does not capture the use of these modes to get to bus stops, ferry terminals or commuter rail stations.
Source: U.S Census Bureau - American Community Survey
Note: 2023 data considered preliminary.
Performance highlights
In 2024, 3.3% of all Washington commuters walked to work while 0.8% bicycled. The percentage of commuters walking increased 0.2 percentage point from 2023 and 2024 while the percentage of commuters bicycling increased by 0.1 percentage point.
In 2023, 3.1% of all Washington commuters walked to work while 0.7% bicycled. The percentage of commuters walking remained the same between 2022 and 2023 while the percentage of commuters bicycling increased by 0.1 percentage point.
In 2022, 3.1% of all Washington commuters walked to work while 0.6% bicycled. The percentage of commuters bicycling stayed the same between 2021 and 2022 while the percentage of commuters walking increased by 0.3 percentage points.
In 2021, 2.8% of all Washington commuters walked to work while 0.6% bicycled. The percentage of commuters bicycling decreased by 0.2 percent between 2020 and 2021 while the percentage of commuters walking also decreased by 0.8 percentage points.
In 2020, 3.6% of all Washington commuters walked to work while 0.8% bicycled. The percentage of commuters bicycling decreased by 0.1 percent between 2019 and 2020 while the percentage of commuters walking increased by 0.1 percentage points.