Bike Ridership Booms in Some Unlikely Cities

A fitness tracking app reports dramatic increases in bike ridership since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

2 minute read

September 24, 2020, 10:00 AM PDT

By Lee Flannery @leecflannery


Texas Bike Lane

Brett Holmes / Shutterstock

Fitness tracking app Strava is recording year-over-year surges in bike ridership since COVID-19 lockdown with impressive accuracy.

The cities with the greatest reported increase in bike ridership aren't the cycle gear-clad cities typically making waves in the bike world. "Houston and Los Angeles, two sprawling metropolises where just .5% and 1% of the respective populations biked to work in pre-pandemic times, stand out. In Houston, the total volume of cycling trips in Houston was 138% higher in May 2020 than in May 2019. In Los Angeles, the jump was 93%," writes Laura Bliss.

Strava's 68 million global users are telling a digital, data-laden story of increased bike usage consistent with research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Even cycling experts and advocates confirm that "Strava numbers are consistent with data from local bike-counters and bike-share systems," Bliss reports. 

Bliss notes one city notably missing from the list of cities with ridership increases: Portland. Despite a reputation for bike-friendliness, Portland saw year-over-year declines in bike ridership. There is speculation that protests or the canceled Seattle-to-Portland bike ride could be the cause of the drop, according to Bliss. 

"Washington, D.C. also did not see the kind of surge that other cities did," says Bliss. Both Portland and Washington, D.C.'s drop could be explained by an already high level of bike commutes reduced by shelter-in-place mandates. 

For the cities that did see an increase in ridership, the question is now how to keep community members on bikes, says L.A. County Bicycle Coalition executive director  Eli Akira Kaufman.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020 in Bloomberg CityLab

portrait of professional woman

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. Mary G., Urban Planner

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.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing