Berkeley CA Poll Results: Appetite for Increased Cycling Infrastructure

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A 2024 poll of Berkeley, California residents found widespread interest in cycling in the city and strong support for safer cycling infrastructure.

Select key findings:

A majority of residents (54%) already bike or want to bike

• Over half either currently bike (27%) or would like to (27%)

• Only a third (34%) do not want to bike

• 12% have a physical limitation preventing biking

 

Safety from crashes was a top deterrent to cycling. 

Nearly two thirds (65%) cited safety from traffic/crashes as “very important” when deciding their form of transport. The top three concerns about cycling were:

1. Drivers who don’t follow the rules of the road (33%)

2. Lack of safe bike lanes or other cycling infrastructure (31%)

3. Having to share the road with drivers (31%)

 

Residents are overwhelmingly most comfortable cycling on bike paths with barriers separating cyclists and pedestrians from car traffic and not very comfortable with paint. 

• Over two thirds (69%) are very or somewhat comfortable with vertical posts. 

• Over three quarters prefer something more solid: parked cars(74%), concrete barrier (86%) or  totally separate paths (91%).  

• Painted bike lanes make barely over half (58%) comfortable on 25 MPH streets and drop quickly next to high speed traffic (37% at 35 MPH and 19% at 45). 

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Almost three quarters (73%) of voters support expanding cycling infrastructure 

• Almost all voters who want to bike (91%) and those who currently bike (82%)

• Over half of those who do not or cannot bike (57%)

 

These findings suggest that there is

• a large pool of people ready and wanting to bike if safe cycling infrastructure is improved, particularly with protected lanes, and

• widespread voter support for bike lane expansion, even among non cyclists.

 

Download the complete Berkeley Cycling Infrastructure Attitudes Poll report (pdf)

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The poll was commissioned by Marc Hedlund and conducted by Embold Research. It is based upon 420 interviews in Berkeley, CA from September 24-30, 2024

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The short URL for his page is www.tinyurl.com/BerkBikeInfraPoll