Growing Trend of Biking to Work

Portland, OR (NBC News) - Any number of American cities and towns could be, and in some cases are, following the example of Portland, Oregon, a place where what works is good old fashioned pedal power.

Sean Bannon is one of the city's many bicycle commuters. He now leaves his station wagon in the driveway, and uses pedal power to commute to his law firm in Portland, Oregon each day. "My main reason is the environment, but the price of gas has also pushed me to do this as well," Bannon said.

His 5 mile trip takes about 20 minutes. He is part of a sea of cyclists that travels across Portland's Hawthorne Bridge. The city is widely regarded as the most bike friendly city in the country. Six percent of the people who live there commute by bicycle, using 170 miles of dedicated lanes.

"What we're finding is that more and more businesses are trying to actually cater to bicyclists," Scott Bricker from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance said. Some are removing parking spots for racks that hold as many as 50 bikes. Some low-traffic streets are being turned into bike boulevards.

In the past five years, bicycle traffic has doubled and is expected to grow 30 percent this year. Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer says the trend has built its own momentum. "The more people see other cyclists, the more pressure to calm streets, to be able to get to work."

Nationwide, one million Americans now bike to work. Boston, San Jose, New York, Indianapolis and Louisville, KY are just some of the cities that are agressively investing in trails, lanes and bike facilities.

In Washington, DC, a new bike rental program was about to be unveiled. For $40 a year, users would swipe their ID card, pick up a bike, and ride it for a few hours, then return it at any drop off rack in the city.

The Federal Government now spends $600 million on bike and pedestrian improvements. However, cycling advocates want more. "Andy Clarke from the League of American Bicyclists says they want to see every community made more bicycle friendly.