Dive Brief:
- New York City and Boise, Idaho, rank as the two highest U.S. cities in bicycle miles traveled per capita, according to a new Streetlight Data research report of the 100 largest U.S. cities by population. Orlando, Florida, and Boston rank highest in pedestrian miles traveled per capita.
- Across the cities studied, walking accounted for seven times more miles annually than biking.
- Cities with plentiful bike trails, such as Chicago’s Lakefront Trail and Seattle’s Burke-Gilman Trail see more bike use while cities with universities, theme parks, zoos, entertainment districts and boardwalks see more walking, the report found.
Dive Insight:
The report suggests its data can help cities and transportation departments better understand how people use existing infrastructure and advocate for active transportation policy and funding.
Warm weather cities favor both biking and walking, Streetlight says. New Orleans ranks high in both modes, while Anaheim, California, Tampa, Florida, and Atlanta are among the top 10 walking cities. Irvine, California, Orlando and St. Petersburg, Florida, Gilbert and Scottsdale, Arizona, rank among the top 10 cities for biking.
Boston ranks second in pedestrian miles per capita and 11th in bicycle miles per capita. St. Louis and Newark, New Jersey, are among the top 10 walking cities, while Philadelphia and Jersey City, New Jersey, are in the top 10 biking cities.
“Walking and biking are essential modes of transportation, critical to the economy, public health, climate health, equity, accessibility, and more,” the report states. “Yet our roadways are primarily designed for cars and trucks, and those on foot often struggle to use these roadways.”
Las Vegas, Norfolk, Virginia, and five Texas cities — Arlington, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Garland and Irving — rank among the bottom 100 biking cities. Milwaukee, Mesa and Tucson, Arizona, and four California cities — Bakersfield, Fresno, San José and Stockton — are among the bottom 100 walking cities.
In July, the Federal Highway Administration removed bicycle lanes, road diets, speed safety cameras, variable speed limits and speed limits that are appropriate for vulnerable road users from its list of proven safety countermeasures. “It’s not political to say bike lanes and speed cameras improve safety; it’s a statement of fact,” Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., said in an emailed statement. He is likely to become chair of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the next Congress.
