> • 72% of visitors to the Study Area usually arrive by active transportation (by bicycle or walking). Only 4% report that driving is their usual mode of transportation.
> • Merchants overestimated the number of their customers who arrived by car. 42% of merchants estimated that more than 25% of their customers usually arrived by car.
Similarly, Toronto compared credit card transaction volume by mode in evaluating the Bloor bike lane. The area with the new bike lane saw increased card transaction volume, by slightly more than the control areas [2]. Merchants did report an increase in customers at this time.
[1] https://www.tcat.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Bike-Lanes-On...
[2] https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2017/pw/bgrd/backgroundf... (Page 15 for Moneris data).
e.g. https://thevillagesun.com/busway-is-a-bust-for-stores-along-...
1. They drive to work and erroneously assume their customers also arrive by car
2. They're more likely to be old and dedicated to a car-centric society
3. They're more likely to live in outer boroughs and don't care much about neighborhood walkability
4. They heavily protested the changes and are invested in the idea that it wouldn't work
5. The minority of their customers who do drive are very loud. They hear them complain whenever they come in and so erroneously assume they're representative.
6. Self-reports are generally unreliable and inferior to actual measurement
I think I could probably think of more, if I had to.