US immigrants and bicycling: Two-wheeled in Autopia

Immigrants to the United States—particularly new immigrants—are more likely than the native born to travel by bicycle. This paper explores the extent to which the use of bicycles by immigrants can be explained by variables such as income, age, automobile availability, and neighborhood characteristics. Results from multinomial logistic mode choice models suggest that, even after controlling for these factors, a large and significant “immigrant effect” remains. The effect size is large for all immigrant groups by sending country, though some immigrant groups—such as those from East and Southeast Asia—are more likely than are others to use bicycles after controlling for other factors. Several avenues for further research are introduced, and policy implications are discussed.