In this article, we look at the 15 most bike friendly cities in the US. You can skip our detailed analysis on green cities and companies that enable them, and head over directly to the 5 Most Bike Friendly Cities in the US.
According to estimates by the World Bank, cities contribute 80% of the world’s GDP and are home to 4.4 billion people, which equates to more than half of the world’s population. This trend is expected to continue, and by 2050, nearly 70% of the global population will be living in cities. The economic potential of cities has led to increasing levels of rural to urban migration, which has presented the modern world with pressing challenges such as traffic jams, environmental degradation, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of basic facilities. However, if managed properly with innovation and improved productivity, urbanization can play a significant role in sustainable development.
Goal 11 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls on governments to take measures to make cities safe, resilient and sustainable. This involves reducing air pollution, dedicating 45-50% of the space in cities to public spaces and streets, providing convenient and sustainable modes of public transport, and ensuring basic services like clean water, sanitation, and waste management.
Several large corporations have been undertaking measures to enable green, or sustainable cities by adopting environment-friendly practices. While the automobile industry remains a heavy polluter, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) was the first company in the industry to adopt sustainable measures 24 years ago. Apart from focus on fuel efficiency, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) manufactures its cars using eight sustainable fabrics. As a result, two of its vehicles, Focus and Escape are recyclable. On the other hand, paint fumes are also recycled into fuel in the company’s Michigan plant. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050, and is planning to base all manufacturing of vehicles on 100% renewable electricity by 2035.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has made it a mission to reduce carbon emissions, not just for itself but also for its partners. Since 2015, the company’s emissions are down by 40% through efficient use of green technology and environment-friendly measures. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has called on firms in its global supply chain to completely decarbonize. Over 200 companies that supply materials to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have already committed to using clean power for their productions. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s Clean Energy Program offers e-training to its partners that have committed to reducing carbon emissions.
Environmentalists have also urged communities to adopt sustainable modes of transportation to help address the problems of traffic congestion and air pollution. Biking produces ten times less emissions in a kilometer than traveling the same distance in a car. A research by the University of Oxford in 2021 highlighted that using a bicycle instead of car could reduce an individual’s carbon emissions per day by as much as 67%.
Bogota, in Colombia, reduced its carbon emissions by 40% in 10 years between 2000 and 2010 by promoting the use of public transport instead of cars, and encouraging the residents to bike to commute. Bogota’s rapid-transit-bus program carries 1.5 million passengers every day and the government has converted several kilometers of road sections into bike lanes to promote cycling as a mode of transportation. Barcelona, in Spain, has established a low emission zone that bans high emission vehicles from entering, and is only open to pedestrians and bikers. Oregon’s Portland city has seen a drop in per-capita car mileage by 4% due to an increase in use of bikes and electric vehicles. The city’s 2015 Climate Action Plan targets to have 80% of its residents living in neighborhoods with biking and walking infrastructure by 2030.
The e-bikes market has been thriving for some years now, especially since the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020. Improved technology and designs have bolstered sales which are expected to grow by over 6% till 2025. American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) recorded a revenue of $73.9 million between 2019 and 2021 in e-bike sales. Of this, more than 50% came from selling kids e-bikes, which signals an encouraging trend of bike-riding among the youth. In 2019, Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) launched its first electric motorcycle, called LiveWire and also acquired StaCyc, a brand of kids bikes. Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) aims to have zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Methodology
We have ranked the 15 most bike friendly cities in the US using consensus method by analyzing rankings of top cycling cities on five websites – LawnStarter, TowerElectric Bikes, Ecowatch, Travel Channel, and The Travel. Weights were assigned to cities depending on where they ranked on each of these websites, and then the weights were aggregated to get an overall score. Cities were then ranked in ascending order of these scores.
Copyright: deklofenak / 123RF Stock Photo
Let’s now head over to the list of the most bike friendly cities in the US.
15. Oakland, CA
Score: 1.40
Oakland, situated on the east of the San Francisco Bay in California, has been one of the most bike friendly cities in the US for a long time. The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) gave the city a bicycle friendly community award in 2022, after earlier receiving bronze in 2010 and silver in 2014. Oakland has been widely acclaimed for creating a favorable environment for cyclists through the city’s infrastructure and bikers-friendly policies and programs.
14. Tucson, AZ
Score: 1.45
Tucson is famous for being home to the University of Arizona. The city is also a cyclist’s paradise, with over 700 miles of designated bikeways – including mountain bike trails. Tucson ranks on Travel Channel’s list of the top cycling cities in the United States. Fantasy Island, Arizona Trail, and Julian Wash Greenway are regarded as some of the best biking trails in Tucson.
13. Louisville, KY
Score: 1.46
Louisville is the largest city of the southeastern state of Kentucky. Although the city does not have a huge biking infrastructure, it is fast becoming a hub for cycling. The Louisville Loop, which is a 100 mile trail, is the highlight of the city for bikers. It connects parks and neighborhoods, and there are plans that it will someday be linked to the entire city in the form of a highway for cyclists.
12. Minneapolis, MN
Score: 1.49
Minneapolis, known for its parks and lakes, is a major city in Minnesota. It ranks 12th on our list of the most bike friendly cities in the US. Minneapolis has more than 37% bike shops than an average city in the US, and has four times the number of bike share docking stations compared to other cities. It ranks 10th in LawnStarter’s list of top cycling cities.
11. Austin, TX
Score: 1.58
Austin is the capital city of the state of Texas. The city is home to a bike zoo and has a 6 mile long bikeway named after cyclist Lance Armstrong which runs through Austin. Just outside the city, bikers also have the option of riding through the picturesque Texas Hill Country, which has several trails and parks.
10. Portland, OR
Score: 1.68
Portland is the largest city in the state of Oregon, and is one of the most bike friendly cities in the US. According to Ecowatch, 6.3% of the population in the city by 2017 commuted by bike, which is the highest percentage for any major city in the US. The national average is just 0.5%. Portland’s biking infrastructure is 385 miles long, and includes bike lanes, shared roadways, paths, and greenways. It is the tenth most bike friendly city in the United States with an aggregate score of 1.68 according to our analysis.
9. Madison, WI
Score: 1.70
Wisconsin’s capital Madison is one of the greenest cities in the United States, and is also often referred to as the bike capital of the Midwest. An urban bike-sharing program called Madison BCycle offers cyclists to checkout their bikes across 70 locations in the city.
8. San Jose, CA
Score: 1.74
San Jose, in California, is incredibly-bike friendly with nearly 500 miles of bike trails in the city. A large number of travelers come to the city during summer time and enjoy biking. San Jose has received several awards for being a bike-friendly city. It is ranked 12th on LawnStarter and 3rd on The Travel’s list of the most bike friendly cities in the US.
7. Seattle, WA
Score: 1.75
The Pacific Northwest offers some of the best biking cities in the United States, and Seattle is one of them. Cyclists ride through this city with a diverse terrain of hills, beaches, forests and parks, enjoy a refreshing experience and create unforgettable memories. It ranks seventh on our list of the most bike friendly cities in the US.
6. Washington, D.C.
Score: 1.81
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. It ranks as the sixth most bike friendly city in the country. Washington’s Capital Bikeshare program offers more than 1,800 rentable bikes which you can take and ride through the scenic spots and historic monuments in the city. Washington ranks fifth in LawnStarter’s list of the best cities for biking in the US.
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Disclosure: None. 15 Most Bike Friendly Cities in the US is originally published on Insider Monkey.