There's little doubt that Iowans love their bicycles, as demonstrated
by the thousands who cross the state river to river each summer for the
Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.But when it comes to RAGBRAI Nation bicycling to work? Not so much, according to new U.S. Census data.
Workers
who bike to their jobs account for 1 percent or more of commuters in
just four Iowa cities. Leading the way is Iowa City, where 3.9 percent
of commuters pedal to work, followed by Ames, 2.5 percent; Marshalltown,
1.3 percent; and Mason City at 1 percent.
Less than a half percent of Des Moines commuters — 0.4 — bicycle to their workplaces, the data released Thursday showed.
The
place where commuters were the least fond of biking to work? Dubuque.
Just under one-tenth of a percent of Dubuque workers — about 43
bicyclists — are willing to brave the bluffs to and from their jobs, the
data suggest.
NATIONAL TREND: Bike-commuting popularity grows
Nationally, the Census Bureau reports that many U.S. cities noted an increase in commuting by bicycle from 2008 to 2012.
Here is how many commuters bicycle to work in 22 Iowa cities of 20,000 population or more.
| City | Bicycling commuters | Percent of Workforce |
| Iowa City | 1477 | 3.9 |
| Ames | 808 | 2.5 |
| Marshalltown | 157 | 1.3 |
| Mason City | 138 | 1 |
| Burlington | 98 | 0.9 |
| Ottumwa | 75 | 0.7 |
| Cedar Falls | 146 | 0.7 |
| Fort Dodge | 69 | 0.6 |
| Clinton | 58 | 0.5 |
| Marion | 79 | 0.4 |
| Des Moines | 431 | 0.4 |
| Davenport | 168 | 0.4 |
| Council Bluffs | 132 | 0.4 |
| Cedar Rapids | 262 | 0.4 |
| Waterloo | 68 | 0.2 |
| Bettendorf | 34 | 0.2 |
| Ankeny | 52 | 0.2 |
| West Des Moines | 31 | 0.1 |
| Urbandale | 26 | 0.1 |
| Sioux City | 35 | 0.1 |
| Muscatine | 9 | 0.1 |
| Dubuque | 43 | 0.1 |
A new Census Bureau survey reveals data about the amount of people who
ride bikes to work. USA NOW's Carly Mallenbaum reveals the study's
findings. Among them: Biking to work has more than doubled in popularity
since 2000.