It’s National Bike Month — Is Your City Safe for Cycling?

Getting more people on bikes requires safe, comfortable bike infrastructure and connectivity to transit.

2 minute read

May 2, 2024, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Green painted two-way bike lane with bike symbols and arrows.

boyloso / Adobe Stock

May is National Bike Month, and cycling advocates around the country are both celebrating recent victories and calling attention to the work that remains to make U.S. bike infrastructure safe and comprehensive. While some cities have made significant strides in building out their protected bike lane networks and making it easier to connect biking with other transit options, others continue to lag behind. Despite a plethora of Vision Zero pledges, cyclist and pedestrian deaths remain at all-time highs in many parts of the country.

Which cities rate highest for bike infrastructure? Where do bike commuters use facilities the most? Where can you get a government subsidy for buying an e-bike? Find out below!

U.S. cities with highest 2023 PeopleForBikes bike scores:

  • Provincetown, Massachusetts
  • Crested Butte, Colorado
  • Blue Diamond, Nevada
  • Murdock, Nebraska
  • Ashland, Wisconsin
  • Jackson, Wyoming
  • Davis, California
  • Aspen, Colorado
  • Shorewood, Wisconsin
  • Ankeny, Iowa

Large U.S. cities with highest 2023 PeopleForBikes bike scores:

  • Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • San Francisco, California
  • Seattle, Washington
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Portland, Oregon
  • New York City, New York
  • St. Paul, Minnesota
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Detroit, Michigan

U.S. cities with the highest percentage of bike commuters*

  • Portland, Oregon: 6.3%
  • Washington, D.C.: 5%
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota: 3.9%
  • San Francisco, California: 3.1%
  • New Orleans, Louisiana: 2.9%
  • Seattle, Washington: 2.8%
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 2.6%
  • Tucson, Arizona: 2.5%
  • Oakland, California: 2.3%
  • Denver, Colorado: 2.2%

*This list is based on 2019 data, but conditions in some cities have changed since then.

U.S. cities with e-bike subsidies*

  • Alameda County, California
  • Berkeley, California
  • Contra Costa County, California
  • Healdsburg, California
  • Los Angeles County, California
  • Monterey County, California
  • Orange County, California
  • Pasadena, California
  • Redding, California
  • Riverside County, California
  • San Bernardino County, California
  • San Francisco, California
  • Santa Barbara, California
  • Santa Clara, California
  • Santa Cruz, California
  • Boulder, Colorado
  • Denver, Colorado
  • Atlanta, Georgia
  • Bloomington, Indiana (on hold)
  • Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • Ashland, Oregon
  • Eugene, Oregon
  • Austin, Texas
  • Washington, D.C.

Additionally, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont offer statewide incentives, and bills supporting e-bike rebates are making their way through more state legislatures.

*Some smaller incentive programs exist that may not be included in this list.


Diana Ionescu

Diana is a writer and urbanist passionate about public space, historical memory, and transportation equity. Prior to joining Planetizen, she started and managed a farmers' market and worked as a transportation planner in the bike share industry. She is Planetizen's editor as of January 2022.

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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