How Bike Friendly is Your Town?

With the number of bike commuters on the rise, people are showing quite the concern for bike safety in towns all across America. What exactly is it that gives a city that bike friendly title? And, what can you do to help your town get there? One thing I've noticed is that climate doesn't have a thing to do with it!

Here are the top 50 bike friendly cities according to Bicycling Magazine:

    1. Minneapolis, Minnesota
    2. Portland, Oregon
    3. Boulder, Colorado
    4. Seattle, Washington
    5. Eugene, Oregon
    6. San Francisco, California
    7. Madison, Wisconsin
    8. New York, New York
    9. Tucson, Arizona
    10. Chicago, Illinois
    11. Austin, Texas
    12. Denver, Colorado
    13. Washington, D.C.
    14. Ann Arbor, Michigan
    15. Phoenix/Tempe, Arizona
    16. Gainesville, Florida
    17. Albuquerque, New Mexico
    18. Colorado Springs, Colorado
    19. Salem, Oregon
    20. Scottsdale, Arizona
    21. Louisville, Kentucky
    22. Chattanooga, Tennessee
    23. Long Beach, California
    24. Cary, North Carolina
    25. Milwaukee, Wiscosin
    26. Boston, Massachusetts
    27. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    28. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    29. Charleston, South Carolina
    30. Arlington, Virginia
    31. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
    32. Boise, Idaho
    33. Kansas City, Missouri
    34. Columbus, Ohio
    35. Tulsa, Oklahoma
    36. Grand Rapids, Michigan
    37. Billings, Montana
    38. St. Louis, Missouri
    39. Cleveland, Ohio
    40. Greensboro, North Carolina
    41. Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
    42. Omaha, Nebraska
    43. Salt Lake City, Utah
    44. Miami, Florida
    45. Indianapolis, Indiana
    46. Fargo, North Dakota
    47. Anchorage, Alaska
    48. Baltimore, Maryland
    49. Little Rock, Arkansas
    50. Rochester, New York

As it turns out, the Twin Cities have quite the bike infrastructure. Not only do they have 84 miles of dedicated bike paths, as well as 44 miles of designated bike lanes on streets, but they also have plans for another 40 miles of designated bike lanes. Busses and trains have bike carrying capabilities and office buildings are required to have bicycle storage. In addition to their infrastructure there is also a huge community of cyclists.

So, all that being said, how bike friendly do you consider your town? Do you have dedicated bike lanes, municipal bike racks, and public trans equipped with bike carrying capabilities? Is there a local bike culture? What about a bike co-op, bike shares or swaps? What would cause you to leave your car in the driveway and start taking riding your 2 wheels to work?

Bikepath Country is working to help municipalities raise money for parks and recreation departments in order to help preserve and expand our country's bike path system. If you're looking for some ideas on how to help your town raise money, be sure to contact us today!