Dive Brief:
- Cities across the U.S. improved their average bikeability scores, according to PeopleForBikes’ 2026 city ratings, released today.
- Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco and the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens made the top five best U.S. locations for bicycling with populations over 300,000, with Brooklyn topping the list.
- The scores measure how well people can reach destinations such as jobs, schools, parks, grocery stores and essential services using connected, safe and low-stress bike routes.
Dive Insight:
Now in its ninth year, the study included more than 3,000 cities. Municipalities that ranked best typically had protected bike lanes, off-street bike paths and slow neighborhood streets, according to PeopleForBikes. This year, 555 U.S. communities scored 50 or higher, up from 234 cities in last year’s report.
“City Ratings gives city leaders and local advocates a consistent benchmark to track progress and make the case for investment,” PeopleForBikes Infrastructure Analytics and Research Manager Grace Stonecipher said in a blog post.
These cities with populations from 50,000 to 300,000 ranked highest:
- Hoboken, New Jersey
- Rochester Hills, Michigan
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Ames, Iowa
- Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The top five smaller cities include:
- Mackinac Island, Michigan
- Old Orchard, Pennsylvania
- Crested Butte, Colorado
- Washburn, Wisconsin
- Kent Narrows, Maryland.
PeopleForBikes also identified eight cities that are investing in infrastructure, partnerships and policies to raise their scores. They include Atlanta and Baltimore along with Mill Valley and West Hollywood, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; Lincoln, Nebraska and Billings, Montana.
For this year’s report, the organization updated its methodology using revised census data and new street design standards from the National Association of City Transportation Officials.
