Unlike motorized forms of transit, bicycling and walking do not produce air or noise pollution.

A 4 mile bicycle trip keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe (Source: International Bike Fund).  In the United States, 27% of total greenhouse gas emissions are accounted for by the transportation sector, up from 24.8% in 1990 (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2006).

Fewer people cycle per capita in the U.S. than in many other parts of the world, and the U.S. is a leader in petroleum consumption (Sources:John Pucher, Transportation Quarterly, 1998;  Central Intelligence Agency, 2009). This high level of consumption has led to increased emissions of harmful gases including:

> Carbon Dioxide

> Carbon Monoxide

> Methane

> Nitrous Oxide

> Volatile Organic Compounds

> Hydrofluorocarbon

> Perfluorocarbon

> Sulfur hexafluoride

These emissions are believed to be causing warming through the “greenhouse effect” depletion of the ozone layer, and a reduction in general air quality. Vehicles also cause noise pollution. Source: Merced County Association of Governments