Top 20 Bike Cities Span Four Continents, But Not U.S.A

[marmar]

Top 20 Bike Cities Span Four Continents, But Not U.S.A
Tuesday, May 07, 2013 - 04:00 AM


Montreal is the only North American metropolis to crack the top 20 list for best cities for cyclists. The Danish design consultancy Copenhagenize scored 150 cities along 13 categories of bike-friendliness and the results are clear: American cities are not that bike friendly.

Amsterdam took home the top honor with a score of 83 out of a possible 100 points.

The city continues to do well in nearly every category. Amsterdam does almost everything right. What the city lacks in a uniform infrastructure design it more than makes up for with it's impressive saturation of bicycle traffic in the compact city centre. Municipal and national political will contributes to their score, as does having all the required necessities like infrastructure and facilities. The widespread 30 km/h zones are instrumental in slowing the city and keeping people safe.

The rankings factor in a range of measures from the political climate toward bikes, to bike infrastructure in place, percentage of people who bike compared to drive and even the gender balance of the cycling population. All in all it's a litany of indicators that cycling supporters generally want in their cities: like more bike lanes and more safety.



Some of this is admittedly subjective, like the measure of "social acceptance." And some similar measures are left out: for instance if gender balance is measured, why not racial balance, or income balance? Overall, it's an admirable mix of measurements in a wide list of cities. .........................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/transportation-nation/2013/may/07/top-20-bike-cities-span-four-continents-skip-us/