It seems that the rising price of petrol in the United States is causing an increasing amount of commuters to leave their cars behind and pick up their bicycles.

Cycling systems established years ago are now being used more regularly in many major cities in the US such as Washington, Oregon, Chicago and Portland. The current citizens of these cities are making the most out of designated bicycle lanes, bike-locking areas and bike transit systems. Stopping at an intersection just a decade ago would usually be a lonely experience for any cyclist, but today this is extremely unlikely. Chicago's bicycle program coordinator, Ben Gomberg, said: "Today, there are often as many as 17 or 18 riders stopped at the intersections."

Americans have always favoured their cars over cycling - in Europe it is common for many people to rely solely on their bicycles for all of their transportation needs. In fact, less than 1 per cent of personal trips are made by cycling in the United States compared to 30 per cent in some parts of Europe (despite the fact that 40 per cent of personal trips made in America are less than 2 miles). Campaigners claim though that there are significantly more people travelling by bike in many US cities. These tend to be the cities that have already established good cycling networks and systems. Portland is a city which stresses the economic, environmental and health benefits of cycling. 5.4 per cent of its citizens cycle to work according to a 2006 survey. The city also educates its citizens on cycling safety and actively encourages the activity.

"Bicycle boulevards" are also the key to introducing more and more people into the world of cycling in Portland. These areas are usually quiet streets where the cyclist always has priority over any vehicle on the road and traffic speed is restricted. These "boulevards" allow cyclists to roam in increased safety and are preferred to regular roadside cycle lanes because the speed of adjacent traffic is often too intimidating for many of them.

Other measures are being taken by US cities to encourage picking up the bicycle rather than firing up the SUV. In Washington, plans to launch a bicycle-sharing program this summer have been made. This program allows users to own a swipe card which allows them to pick up a bike from any bike-rack and return it to any other bike rack in the city. To be enrolled in the program will only cost $40 per year.

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