Blog
The Millennial Mile: How Do We Turn Less Driving Into More Bike Advocacy?
On Tuesday, I sat down with more than 20 active-transportation professionals and allies at the Moving Millennials workshop hosted by Transportation for America. The aim of the full-day session: Learn about trends in transportation for 18-35 year-olds — and figure out how to turn the decreased interest in driving into an increased energy around bicycling.
For those of you who attended the 2012 National Bike Summit, the subject may sound a bit familiar. We had a compelling keynote by Jason Ryan Dorsey, The Gen Y guy, who highlighted the distinguishing factors of this generation; many of which point to increased interest in active transportation.
The conversation was kicked-off by Phineas Baxandall, Senior Analyst at U.S. PIRG, who gave a great run-down of transportation trends across the board. A recent report from his organization, Transportation and the New Generation, put some compelling data behind what we already know: Millennials are driving less than the generations before them.
The chart Baxandall returned to again and again showed a 6 percent downturn in vehicle miles traveled since 2007 (below). “This is not a blip” he said.
So what’s the cause of the decline in driving? A lot of it stems from the millennials.
The under-35 age group is 25 percent of the transport population, and there was a 23 percent decline in VMT in that age group between 2001 and 2009. During that same span, biking rates shot up 25 percent, and walking rates rose 16 percent.
David Metz, a partner at the public policy research group Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3), shared some helpful insights into millennials’ values. Instead of donating time or effort, he said, millennials are more likely to support causes through monetary contributions. FM3′s research demonstrated that millennials value social ties and interconnectedness. They rated “success” not by how much money or material possessions they own, but by personal relationships such as a happy marriage, supportive friends, and strong family ties.
Between data, inspiring speakers, and insightful discussions, a question emerged: How do we get millennials engaged in bike advocacy? Of course, a question this big couldn’t be answered during a one-day workshop — but the conversation was energizing. Here at the League, we’re trying to get more youth involved through a consistent Facebook and attentive Twitter presence, as well as youth-rate memberships and a reduced registration fee for the National Bike Summit. We’re also planning a Club Leadership webinar focused on getting millenials involved in bike clubs.
But we also know there are miles to go before we sleep, and there’s a lot of work to be done to get millennials involved in making biking better. But the future is certainly bright. As Marc Gorton, founder of OpenPlans said in his speech: If millennials keep decreasing their VMT, “we’ll need to change the way we think about transportation.”
Do you have any insights or stories to share?
Katie Omberg
Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
Subscribe
October 26th, 2012 at 12:28 am
As a Millennial and bike advocate interested in bike travel and tourism, I can think of my early involvements and frustrations with bike advocacy.
-Many young riders like bikes because its fun. There does not seem to be an engaging way to channel that initial bliss. “Bike fun” is often not taken seriously by the more policy-oriented side of advocacy.
-I would also argue that Millennials are more goal oriented and need tangible results. Perhaps in part showing the popularity of sites like Kickstarter and Instructables. We’re not going to sit and wait passively for the grass to grow. So more short-term goal oriented campaigns to keep people engaged.
-Lastly, bike advocacy can be terribly intimidating. For many, it still appears to be the realm of the “old white men” types (no offense). How do you even get involved in serious bike advocacy? Is there a glossary of terms or a primer? Take down the intimidating walls and barriers to entry.
My two cents
October 26th, 2012 at 8:49 am
Great points, Russ — and, honestly, all things we’re very much working on right now. Stay tuned!
October 26th, 2012 at 9:40 am
[...] Can Millennials’ Multi-Modal Transpo Habits Translate to Stronger Advocacy? (Bike League) [...]
October 26th, 2012 at 9:52 am
I’m on the older edge of the Millenials, but I, too, feel that it’s important to address the Millenial mode shift. I am working to implement a bike plan at an institution to address the increase of cyclists on campus. I would love to discuss some insights, opportunities and the role of higher education in shaping young adults.
October 26th, 2012 at 10:21 am
[...] The Millennial Mile: How Do We Turn Less Driving Into More Bike Advocacy? [...]
October 26th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
An honest question: How many millennials were a part of this meeting with the 20-some professionals? Were any millennials invited to be a part of this conversationl and talk freely about why they’re not involved? Or was this a sit-down of older folks, pondering what to do with the kids?
I would argue that most millennials aren’t involved because there’s no room for them at the table. They have never been actively courted as important members of society, whose opinions and ideas would actually be heard and respected. Instead, we’re often referred to as this confusing “other” instead of talked to on a one-on-one basis, like a normal person.
October 31st, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Hi Laura,
Thanks for your comment! Judging by nothing but looks alone, I think maybe 1/3 of the people at the meeting were under 35.
November 1st, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Responding to Russ as one of those old white men. First, no one likes to sit and watch the grass grow, least of all me. But realistically, it does take time for grass to grow and it doesn’t grow by itself but through nurture, both short and long term. Its less about being passive than about being more persistent than anyone else while also running the rest of one’s life.
As far as intimidation. The LCI (League Cycling Instructor listserv had a fair number of complaints about the cranky nature of some advocates/LCIs and how intimidating it could be to new or less egotistic member. I’m sure some of those were directed at Yours Truly. I admit its tough for me to put a lid on the Statler and Waldorf act 100% of the time, especially when debating new concepts that still have growing pains. But politics and advocacy are a relay race, and even old white men don’t want to have to run around the track holding that baton forever.