An estimated 786,000 people biked to work in 2008-12, up from 488,000 people in 2000, the bureau said.

 

Cyclists account for about 0.6% of all US commuters, compared to 2.9% in England and Wales, a 2013 report found.

 

The rise comes as a growing number of states and local communities build infrastructure³ such as bike lanes to promote cycling.

 

"In recent years, many communities have taken steps to support more transportation options, such as bicycling and walking," Census Bureau sociologist⁴ Brian McKenzie wrote in a statement accompanying the report.

 

The US West had the highest rate of bicycle commuters at 1.1%, and the South the lowest with 0.3%.

 

The city of Portland, Oregon, registered the highest rate of bicycle commuting⁵ with 6.1%,, up from 1.8% in 2000.

 

Men were found to be more likely to bike to work than women, and the median commute¹ time for bicyclists was found to be 19.3 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, the study found that 2.8% of commuters walk to work, down from 5.6% in 1980.

 

The North-East was has the highest rate of commuters who walked to work, at 4.7%.

 

Boston, Massachusetts, was the top walk-to-work city at 15.1%, while the US South had the lowest regional rate at 1.8%.

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