The annual results for People For Bikes Best Places To Bike just came out, and we’re up a few notches from last year. We’ve moved from 36 to 39 out of 100. The average network score is 28, so we are better than average. Our overall ranking among U.S. cities is 599 out of 2579, or the 77th percentile. In the Midwest we rank 156th, and in Nebraska, third. The tipping point for a city to be great place to bike is said to be a score of 50. In 2019 only 32 scored above that, but now 33 more have moved above 50 with more cities added to a total 183 above 50. According to their system, “People For Bikes’ City Ratings measures the quality of a city’s bike network. A bike network is a connected system of protected bike lanes, off-street paths, slow shared streets, and safe crossings that enables people to comfortably bike around a city.”
If you poke around in the website you’ll find information about how we can improve. “Each city receives a City Ratings score on a scale of 0 – 100. A low score (0-20) indicates a weak bike network, meaning the city lacks safe bikeways or there are gaps in the network. A high score (80-100) indicates that most common destinations are accessible by safe, comfortable bike routes that serve people of all ages and abilities.”
Their website allows you to get into the weeds of how the rankings have been created, and how to improve ours. Also, cities with big jumps in their BNA are featured. It’s fun and inspiring to see how other cities have improved their bikeability and imagine it here.