PeopleForBikes creates league table of most cycling friendly cities in America

Two years in development, People For Bikes has published a league table of America’s most cycle-friendly locations.

Based on 184 separate calculations per city the comprehensive study uses both existing and new data gathering techniques to score cities across five key areas; Ridership (how many people bike and how often?), Safety (how safe is it?), Network (how extensive is the network?), Acceleration (how fast are they expanding the network?) and Reach (does the network serve all neighborhoods in the community?).

“PlacesForBikes City Ratings are much more than just a ratings system—they’re a helpful tool for cities, “ said Jennifer Boldry, PeopleForBikes Director of Research. “What gets measured gets done. We can use the data to benchmark where cities stand today, set goals, and identify where significant improvements can be made quickly.”

The top five cities, as judged by the new criteria are:
Fort Collins, Colorado
Wausau, Wisconsin
Boulder, Colorado
Portland, Oregon
Tuscon, Arizona

It is hoped that city officials will now turn to the PlacesForBikes City Ratings to better understand where successes have been had and where progress can be made.

“PeopleForBikes’ goal is to create communities where people of all ages and bicycling abilities can ride safely and easily all across town,” said Tim Blumenthal, PeopleForBikes President. “Our City Ratings will help cities make quick, cost-effective progress towards that vision.”

Trek Bikes are among the backers of People for Bikes’ work in creating the PlacesForBikes City Ratings analysis.

“This City Ratings system is the key to the future of bike riding in America,” said John Burke, CEO of Trek Bicycle. “It will get more people riding bikes and it will create healthy communities and a stronger bike industry.”