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Old 02-18-2011, 01:02 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh (via Chicago, via Pittsburgh)
3,887 posts, read 5,492,470 times
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Which US cities are most bicycle friendly?

My top five:

1. Portland, OR
2. Chicago, IL
3. Boulder, CO
4. New York, NY
5. San Francisco, CA

My Bottom 5:
- Boston, MA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Baltimore, MD
- Miami, FL
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Old 02-18-2011, 01:08 PM
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Location: Western Massachusetts
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Why is Boston so much worse than NYC? Sure, there are less bike lanes, but biking in the city center is a much less intimidiating experience than NYC to me due to the narrower roads and lower traffic volumes.
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Old 02-18-2011, 01:14 PM
 
Location: The City
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Is Pittsburgh because of the hills? Does your ranking have anything to do with your move...

One thing they have done in Philly is put in dedicated bike lanes in center city, seems like about every third street has one lane for bikes and one for cars

Overall this has been an improvement for both bikes and cars actually, Philly also has good bike trails along the Schuylkill, probably not the best bike city but also not the worst and has gotten better in recent years.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgqlbTvEqfI


Also a cool interactive bike map, with bike lanes and trails defined
http://www.bicyclecoalition.org/resources/maps

Last edited by kidphilly; 02-18-2011 at 01:22 PM..
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Old 02-18-2011, 01:21 PM
 
5,187 posts, read 6,908,107 times
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OVpH_oDrCY





Key Biscayne bike ride over the Rickenbacker causeway.
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Old 02-18-2011, 01:26 PM
 
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I'd say Boulder (or Broomfield) is most bike friendly. Biking in SF is a desirable mode of transportation, but I wouldn't call it safe or necessarily friendly. Long Beach is attempting to become the most bike friendly city in the country with a plan that started 10 years ago. It's just getting some traction now and I've noticed higher awareness and enthusiasm for it.
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Old 02-18-2011, 01:30 PM
 
Location: a bar
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I ride to work (DT Boston) daily on a bike, and although it's certainly not a bike friendly city, I find it hard to believe it's a bottom 5.
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Old 02-18-2011, 01:47 PM
 
Location: Denver
6,625 posts, read 14,398,725 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cliff Clavin View Post
I ride to work (DT Boston) daily on a bike, and although it's certainly not a bike friendly city, I find it hard to believe it's a bottom 5.
Yea that seems like an odd placement...I see brave people (maybe it's you) flying down the middle of Boylston on bike pretty regularly. Boston may not be bike-friendly in terms of bike lanes, etc...but the fact that Boston's core is so compact makes it so a great deal of the city is easily accessible via bike.
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Old 02-18-2011, 01:52 PM
 
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This is bicycling Magazine's list. Bicycling's Top 50 | Bicycling Magazine
My city Arlington, VA is making major strides in this department. I know this is a US topic but my mind was blown when I saw the bicycling that goes down in Amsterdam.
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Old 02-18-2011, 02:16 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh (via Chicago, via Pittsburgh)
3,887 posts, read 5,492,470 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kidphilly View Post
Is Pittsburgh because of the hills? Does your ranking have anything to do with your move...

One thing they have done in Philly is put in dedicated bike lanes in center city, seems like about every third street has one lane for bikes and one for cars

Overall this has been an improvement for both bikes and cars actually, Philly also has good bike trails along the Schuylkill, probably not the best bike city but also not the worst and has gotten better in recent years.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgqlbTvEqfI


Also a cool interactive bike map, with bike lanes and trails defined
Bike Maps | Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Bike lanes like that is exactly what Pittsburgh needs. Its not really the hills. It's just the way the roads are set up.


*New York is making a "green freeway" that is planned to encircle Manhattan. They are also "green bike lanes" popping up.

Edit: I should also mention that Minneapolis is a great bike city.
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Old 02-18-2011, 04:04 PM
 
Location: Washington, DC area
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Denver and Portland.

Mainly because it's so easy to interact with transit on a bike in those cities.
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