Bicycle commuting is not a goal, it is a choice.
The mentioned article focused a bit on statistics and figures (ROI etc), as with lots of economists and politicians. If they are concerned with numbers, it might help to address some important statistics -
1)
WHO | The top 10 causes of death
2)
Number of Abortions in US & Worldwide - Number of abortions since 1973
3)
WHO | Evolution 1950-2000 of global suicide rates (per 100'000)