USDOT releases major survey on biking and walking.

Nearly 80 percent of adults in the United States take at

The survey, conducted jointly by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, revealed that only half of all adults are satisfied with the design of their communities for safe bicycling. But three out of four adults are satisfied with their communities in terms of pedestrian safety.

Findings from the survey show a steep decline in bicycling and a more gradual decline in walking as people age. Some of the reasons cited for not walking or riding a bike include lack of access to a bicycle, disability or other health problems, unfavorable weather, and lack of opportunity.

The National Survey of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Attitudes and Behaviors involved phone interviews with more than 9,600 adults age 16 and older throughout the United States. USDOT conducted the survey during a 10week period in the summer of 2002.

For more details about the survey results, visit www.bicyclinginfo.org or www.walkinginfo.org.