There’s no lack of divisiveness over bicyclists in Philly. Philly’s a car city, they say. Bikers break traffic laws more than drivers, they say. But biking is better for everyone, they say. We need more bike lanes, they say.

Environmental incentives abound, yet there’s been relatively little discussion about the economic incentives — especially for small business.

Citylab, an imprint of The Atlantic, has compiled 12 studies from around the world that make a case for the business of bike lanes.

From Melbourne, Australia, comes a study that compared hourly retail spending of drivers versus bikers. While drivers spend more per hour (about $27) than bikers ($16.20), researchers said that six bicyclists can dock in the space of one parked car, allowing for a larger consumer base that would spend close to $100 an hour.

There are a lot of variables to consider — do that many people in Melbourne even ride bikes? Is the lack of bike lanes and parking spots really what stops them from spending more money? — but the figures are interesting nonetheless.

Here’s an argument a little closer to home. Granted, New York City’s transit infrastructure is significantly more developed than Philadelphia’s. But in a study of the East Village’s First and Second Avenues where protected bike lanes have been implemented, they found that non-drivers made up 95 percent of retail spending.

It doesn’t make a wholesale argument for more bike lanes in our city, but there’s enough evidence for consideration. Would Philadelphians spend more money if encouraged to travel on two-wheels? Maybe it’s something one of our research institutions could look into.

Check out the rest of the studies on Citylab.