Thinking about moving to a new city for school, a job or to retire? If you’re a cyclist, you may be interested in knowing how certain cities stack up in terms of bicycle friendliness.
Commuters and recreational cyclists look for a number of things in a city, including a network of trails, ample parking racks, dedicated bike lanes, and bicycle friendly signage to promote safe sharing of roads. While European cities have long been known as bicycle friendly, American cities are starting to make a name for themselves. Here is a list of our favorites:
Portland, OR
Portland calls itself “Bike City USA” for good reason, and tops our list of most bike friendly cities. It sports 300+ miles of designated bicycle pathways (or “bike boulevards”), and lays claim to having the nation’s highest percentage of bike commuters (7%). Portland is also no stranger to bike share programs, and its Biketown network provides over 1,000 bikes. In June, Portland’s popular bike festival Pedalpalooza features over 200 locally-led, themed rides that are open to the public - an event not to be missed.
Minneapolis, MN
Believe it or not, Minneapolis was the first city in the nation to be included in the Copenhagen Index, which rates the most bicycle friendly cities in the world. It’s still the only American city to rank in the top 20. Copenhagen, the ultimate bicycle friendly city where the number of bikes outnumbers cars, knows a thing or two about being bicycle friendly. The city of Minneapolis has also been aggressively building its bicycle infrastructure, and spent almost $1 million in 2015 to build dedicated bicycle pathways around the city. It too has a popular bike share program called Nice Ride Minnesota, sporting 3,000 bikes across 400 stations.
Austin, TX
The Portland of Texas, Austin is another bicycle friendly city with strong commitment from the city government to grow the local biking community and bike tourism. The city’s Bicycle Master Plan is dedicated to ensure the city stays safe for cyclists and to encourage more bicycle commuters. Austin already has over 200+ miles of dedicated bike lanes, four major bike paths in the downtown area, and ample bike racks throughout the city. In 2015, Austin was awarded Gold status by the League of American Bicyclists on its list of bicycle friendly communities – the only city in Texas to be given such a distinction.
Chicago, IL
The Windy City may not immediately pop up in your mind as a top bicycle friendly city, but it is. In fact, Bicycling Magazine ranked Chicago as the best bike city in America in 2016. With access to over 200 miles of paths and a 20-mile trail around Lake Michigan, commuters and recreational cyclists have no shortage of options. The city has installed thousands of bike racks and parking garages throughout the downtown area, particularly near rail stations and other commuting hubs. The city government has also put in place programs to educate the public about bicycle safety. If that’s not enough, Chicago has committed to providing over 600 miles of dedicated bike lanes by 2020.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco has historically been a favorite for cyclists, and in 2016 was rated the second most bicycle friendly city in the nation by Bicycle Magazine. The city provides 200+ miles of bike lanes and offers ample bike racks and storage garages throughout the city for commuters. San Francisco is hilly, but that doesn’t stop millions of residents and tourists each year from using the cities popular bike share program.
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