Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

A New Way to Rank America’s Best Cities for Bicycling

A new ranking of America's top cities for bicycling, courtesy of the bike industry-funded advocacy organization PeopleForBikes, has a slightly different take on the usual suspects.

Fort Collins, Colorado, gets the top spot in the new ranking, while Portland scored the highest among large cities. No surprises there.

But Tucson and San Diego landed in the top five among large cities, ranking ahead of Minneapolis, Seattle, and San Francisco, which is a bit of a curveball.

And PeopleForBikes stresses that even America's best bicycling cities leave a lot to be desired. Nowhere ranked higher than a three on the organization's five-point scale.

People for Bikes new ranking of top biking cities gives Fort Collins, Colorado, the top honors.
false

The new PeopleForBikes rating system attempts to ground the results in hard metrics. It's based on several spatial and quantitative factors, including the availability of high-quality bike infrastructure, traffic injury rates, and how much people bike.

Because the ratings also take recent public investments in cycling into account, PeopleForBikes expects them to be volatile.

"It rewards cities not just for what they did 20 years ago, but also what they’re doing right now," Michael Andersen writes at the PeopleForBikes' blog. "As a result, these ratings will change. Cities will move both up and down."

top-5-by-city-size
false

The ranking formula also assesses cycling levels by looking at how much people bike within concentric zones emanating from the city center. That helps to control for city size, meaning cities with a large geographic area like Austin won't be inherently disadvantaged versus cities with tighter boundaries.

While the rankings only include American cities, they're also intended to hold the U.S. up against the world's best places for biking. No city received more than three stars out of a potential five-star rating.

"As much as it might hurt not to have any superstars, that’s honest," PeopleForBikes President Tim Blumenthal told Andersen.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Mayor Adams Abruptly Calls Off Planned Queensboro Bridge Pedestrian Path Opening

The Queensboro Bridge's long-awaited pedestrian path was in the works to open this weekend — until Mayor Adams intervened.

March 14, 2025

DOT Report Reveals How Eric Adams Kneecapped Progress on Bus and Bike Lanes

The agency offers an explanation for its shortcomings, even trotting out a "We told you so" from the former mayor's transportation commissioner.

March 14, 2025

Public Grilling: Queens Panel Berates Opponents of Bob Holden’s E-Bike Registration Bill

Queens cyclists who came out to oppose an e-bike registration bill faced hostile questions from their local community board.

March 14, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Ms. Hochul Goes to Washington Edition

Gov. Hochul "wants to talk about congestion pricing" when she meets with President Trump on Friday. Plus more news.

March 14, 2025

Open Streets Won’t Survive Without More Money From the City, Organizers Warn

Open streets have shrunk significantly — and more cuts could be coming if the city doesn't cough up more funding, volunteer organizers warned.

March 14, 2025
See all posts