Bike sharing Nashville (USA)Gripping statistic – Bike commuting in US cities
New York is leading when it comes to absolute numbers
Bike sharing Nashville (USA)The league of American bicyclists published a report Where We Ride with enlightening information about bike commuters in the US. The content is based on information provided by the American Community Survey.
Depending on the view, the results are variable and several cities or states are leading. With more than 42,000 bike commuters, New York is leading when it comes to absolute numbers. The vibrant city on the east coast is followed by Los Angeles with more than 24,000 and Portland with about 23,000 bike commuters.
Cities with the largest number of bicyclists riding on their streets
| City | Population | # Bike commuters | % of bike commuters |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 8,491,079 | 42,806 | 1.1 |
| Los Angeles | 3,928,079 | 24,334 | 1.3 |
| Portland | 619,445 | 23,347 | 7.2 |
| Chicago | 2,722,407 | 21,362 | 1.7 |
| San Francisco | 852,469 | 21,068 | 4.4 |
| Seattle | 668,337 | 14,157 | 3.7 |
| Washington | 658,893 | 13,330 | 3.9 |
| Philadelphia | 1,560,297 | 12,281 | 1.9 |
| Minneapolis | 407,181 | 10,426 | 4.6 |
| San Diego | 1,381,083 | 9,262 | 1.3 |
New York, where in absolute numbers the most commuters are using their bike, is not leading anymore when it comes to relative numbers. If you take a look at the largest US cities, the undisputed leader Portland has with 7.2 % the highest bicycle commuting rate. It is followed by Minneapolis with 4.6 % and San Francisco with 4.4 %. The top city of all in the US with the highest rate is Davis in California. The bicycle commuting rate with 23.2 % is more than twice that of the follower Berkeley (9.7 %) or Boulder (8.9 %). Davis, sometimes known as the bicycle capital of the US, has a cyclist-friendly environment with broad streets and an extensive system of bicycle trails. Furthermore, Davis is the first city in the U.S. with the first protected intersection.
Top 10 cities with highest share of bicyclists
| City | Rank | Bike commuters | Total population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis, CA | 1 | 23.2 % | 66,733 |
| Berkeley, CA | 2 | 9.7 % | 118,851 |
| Boulder, CO | 3 | 8.9 % | 105,101 |
| Somerville, MA | 4 | 7.4 % | 78,903 |
| Cambridge, MA | 4 | 7.4 % | 109,699 |
| Palo Alto, CA | 5 | 7.3 % | 66,968 |
| Portland, OR | 6 | 7.2 % | 619,445 |
| Eugene, OR | 7 | 6.8 % | 160,552 |
| Fort Collins, CO | 8 | 6.2 % | 156,473 |
| Santa Barbara, CA | 9 | 6.1 % | 91,208 |
| Missoula, MT | 9 | 6.1 % | 69,824 |
| Bloomington, IN | 10 | 5.5 % | 83,423 |
Another interesting issue is the growth of bicycle commuting rates. Detroit achieved the largest growth with 662.7 % (1990 to 2014).
The percentage shown refers to all commuters and not to all inhabitants within the stated region.
THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS represents bicyclists since 1880 in the movement to create safer roads, a bicycle-friendly America, and stronger communities. The data of the analysis is provided by the American Community Survey based upon answers and on estimates.
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