It’s always nice to see still more reports about the counterintuitive fact that catering to customers on bikes is a really smart business plan.
The latest study from researchers at New York University shows that restaurants closer to bikeshare stations do better business than those farther away.
The study, which took place in various New York City neighborhoods, is even more convincing because the researchers used a control group of restaurants in the same neighborhoods but not close to bikeshare stations.
The researchers tracked retail sales volumes in the period after Citi Bike stations were installed in Brooklyn, New York and Jersey City, New Jersey neighborhoods between 2013 and 2016.
Researchers have documented a generally positive relationship between bike lanes and local economic activity. For example, after protected bike lanes were installed in Salt Lake City and New York City, retail sales went up. And, cyclists spend as much or more than drivers on shopping trips.
The NYU study is one part of a larger research initiative that examines the economic benefits of “smart city innovations.”
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