That's because they go to the market less often.
Pointless.

WHO THE FUCK CARES? It is a bike. It will not offer you salvation. It will not give you a personality. It will not stop global warning. It will not get you friends. It is a fucking bicycle. Like the one you had when you were six. Can we please stop talking about bikes?

Michael, the descriptive models are on page 27 of the report (sorry if that's the most boring kickoff to an online comment ever). The "Person Size of Purchase" model translates to: every extra person the purchaser is buying for (i.e. parent buying for 2 kids), the spending increases 29% (i.e. 58%). So people buy less by bike but then the same person may return the next week in a car and buy more for the family. I don't think this report was able to dig deeper than that. Most people do a bit of everything, as you know, depending on context (most boring end to an online comment).

When I go to the store I think I can fit a wee bit more in my car than my bike.

I think this article is implying that cyclists are a bunch of drunks.

i am way more likely to spend more money at a bar if i arrived by bike or foot -- doing so allows me to not have to worry about being one of those assholes who drive drunkenly.....(although i understand that i can earn myself a DWI whilst riding a bicycle, too, which would be just my luck.)

The word "bike" is only mentioned 12 times, and there's not a single quote from Maus. Smirk is slipping. Won't someone think of the children?

@D, the graph in the post combines the frequency of visits with the amount spent per visit. People biking and walking make more trips to stores, bars, and restaurants than drivers, but they often spend less there on each visit.

I thought the average 'Merikan spent more like $8k / year on their car? At any rate, and as you pointed out before, that is a lot of extra $$$ to drop at Bamboo Sushi, or Bikebar, or whatever place is close to home and polishes your fancy.

Other economic studies have suggested that for every $ in bike infrastructure, the local community makes more back, while car infrastructure gets flushed out to global corps that would love to see PDX wiped from the map with all our socialism and shit.

@Blabby - I'm sorry you never learned to ride a bike. But this is Portland, you could probably even find some hott and scantily clad dude or lady to teach you so you wouldn't have to harbor such a grudge? Cause bikes actually have a whole host of benefits for individuals and society, from health outcomes (makes your mustache grow bigger!) to congestion and economic security. Live a little!

Wow people buy food; that's fucking brilliant. This is unbelievably stupid.

It's a conveyance. Nothing more, nothing less.

Does that $5000-ish figure exclude the costs of maintenance and accidents?

@GeezRilly and @Reid - That $5000 is Portland-specific, using AAA numbers on average gas and maintenance cost per mile, insurance, depreciation, financing, and registration costs. It doesn't include parking costs.

I'd like to second jake's comments. I have seen other cities in the word where biking is part of the transportation scene. Portland seems to be stuck on wanting it to just be a status scene.

If Portland could get their act together and focus more on biking as a practical mode of transportation rather than something to be seen cool doing, it might appeal to more people.