Bicycle traffic in Portland continues to increase, according to a

.

Bike traffic on the four bridges friendliest to bikes increased 12 percent. At 109 other locations, bike traffic jumped 7 percent.

The total number of bicycle trips in the city grew 8 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, according to

Southwest Portland and East Portland lead the growth in bicycle trips with 19 percent and 9.5 percent increases respectively.

Bike traffic on the Broadway, Steel, Burnside and Hawthorne bridges showed the highest number of bicycle trips since

.

Cyclists represented about 14 percent of all vehicles crossing those bridges, a 1 percent increase compared to 2009. On the Hawthorne, 20 percent of all vehicles crossing were bikes, a 1 percent decrease compared to 2009.

On the Broadway the number of bikers was 16 percent; on the Steel, 17 percent; and on the Burnside, 5 percent.

“The count is a method for us to track our progress,” said Roger Geller, bike coordinator for the city. “As we have added miles of bikeways, the number of bicycle trips has increased.”

Geller said another interesting finding from the count is that the number of bikers crossing the Hawthorne in winter is as high, or higher, than the number crossing in summer of 2005 and 2006, which means more people are riding year round.

The count also revealed that helmet use remained about the same with 77 percent of the riders counted wearing one. A higher number of women wore helmets compared to men -- 83 percent compared to 74 percent.

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