11 Most-Improved Bike Networks in the US

PeopleForBikes has evaluated bike networks in thousands of cities across the United States and identified several that have achieved “incredible increases” in just a few years.

1 minute read

July 21, 2024, 7:00 AM PDT

By Mary Hammon @marykhammon


According to a recent article on PeopleforBikes.org, “Each year, PeopleForBikes’ City Ratings program evaluates thousands of communities worldwide on the quality of their low-stress bike networks through our Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA).

City Ratings data has revealed that 39 cities in the United States boosted their scores by at least 20 points between 2020 and 2024 through policy changes like Complete Street mandates, lower speed limits, and increased state and local funding, as well as implementation of strategies like protected bike lanes, reallocated space, intersection treatments, network connections, and data.

So which cities have earned the title of “most-improved bike network” between 2020 and 2024?

  1. Minneapolis, Minnesota (54-point increase)
  2. Saint Paul, Minnesota (52-point increase)
  3. Jackson, Wyoming (48-point increase)
  4. Bloomington, Indiana (45-point increase)
  5. Aurora, Illinois (40-point increase)
  6. St. Louis Park, Minnesota (40-point increase)
  7. Corvallis, Oregon (39-point increase)
  8. Key West, Florida (39-point increase)
  9. Coeur D'Alene, Idaho (39-point increase)
  10. Somerville, Massachusetts (38-point increase)
  11. Cambridge, Massachusetts (37-point increase)

For details on how these cities improved their scores, and for an impressive list of honorable mentions, check out the original article below.

Friday, July 19, 2024 in PeopleforBikes

Young Professional

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 and Environmental 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 and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Overlapping highways

The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin

People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.

September 8, 2026 - Benjamin Schneider

The Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. The river's water level is noticeably low. The cliffs surrounding the blue water are brown and jagged.

US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico

A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.

September 11, 2026 - The Arizona Republic

Skyscrapers in Jersey City.

New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers

Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.

September 4, 2026 - The Cool Down

A New Jersey train approaches people waiting at the station.

Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds

A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.

September 15 - Mass Transit

A tall, gray power plant billows smoke into a blue sky.

EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants

Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.

September 15 - New York Times

A white RAPID bus. The lower half is light blue, and says RAPID in purple text. The bus is half visible, appearing from the left side of the image.

Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses

Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.

September 15 - KJZZ

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.