Cities should embrace power of the pedal.

• Position: Transportation - Biking

Even though half of all trips in the U.S. are three miles or under, less than two percent are made by bicycle while 72% are made in cars. In stark contrast, a number of European cities with vigorous bike-centered initiatives boast cycling rates greater than 20%, which result in benefits for cities and cyclists alike. Worldwatch Institute, Washington, D.C., reveals that the fault line between cycling and noncycling countries or cities is created not by industrialization, but a suite of robust transportation policies.

"Advances in cycling infrastructure, marketing programs, financial incentives, and zoning are being leveraged to increase cycling rates in more and more cities," documents senior researcher Gary Gardner. "Not since the automobile hijacked transportation planning decades ago has the bicycle had so many arguments and allies for claiming its natural niche in urban transportation ecosystems."

A combination of bike-centered initiatives has proven most effective in increasing cycling rates and subsequently addressing a wide range of urban challenges. Among them are pollution, obesity, and budget shortfalls.

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A bicycle commuter who rides four miles to work five days a week in the U.S. avoids 2,000 miles of driving and about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This amounts to...