This university town of 47,000 on the Central Coast of California has also been called by National Geographic the "Happiest Place in America." Is there a relationship between biking and happiness?
"The third annual PeopleForBikes City Ratings found San Luis Obispo, California, as the top U.S. city for bicycling," reports Kristin Musulin, senior editor of Smart Cities Dive, on June 9.
A total of 567 cities were rated based on 5 factors: Ridership, Safety, Network, Reach (how far the program connects with the community) and Acceleration (how quickly the program is being adopted or improved).
In developing the ratings, PeopleForBikes used data from the American Community Survey and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System, as well as data received through each city's participation in a PeopleForBikes City Snapshot report,
And the top 20 winners in the U.S are:
To see how your city scored, go to https://cityratings.peopleforbikes.org/all-cities-ratings/
As for the best large city to bike in America, the award goes to Toronto, a city of over 2.7 million that scored third, after SLO and Madison.
Investing in bike infrastructure
"Since 2014, San Luis Obispo has had a policy in place to spend at least 20% of its transportation expenditures on bicycle improvements," notes the website describing the top 5 rated cities in the U.S. And as for being a university town, it helps that California Polytechnic State University has a policy that requires freshman to go carfree.
As for San Luis Obispo being rated the happiest place in America, that was in 2011. The bike-friendly label will no doubt wear better.
“This award is a true reflection of our community values for safe, sustainable and multimodal transportation,” San Luis Obispo Active Transportation Manager, Adam Fukushima, told KSBY News.
“Creating a bicycle friendly community requires a partnership and commitment from city leaders and members of the community. The rating from PeopleForBikes is a great way to honor that hard work.”
PeopleForBikes
Launched in 1999 as Bikes Belong, PeopleForBikes includes both an industry coalition of bicycling suppliers and retailers, as well as a charitable foundation. They invite cyclists to join PeopleForBikes now to become part of the movement.
Related in Planetizen:
- America's Happiest City, According to Oprah, January 31, 2011
Read the full story: San Luis Obispo, CA named best US city for biking
Bike use in London grew by 43% since 2019, but car use remains roughly the same
The city's efforts to reduce car use have stalled despite ambitious programs like congestion pricing and low-traffic neighborhoods.
Ontario Judge Saves Toronto Bike Lanes
A court order bars the provincial government from removing bike lanes, saying the decision would make roads more dangerous and fail to reduce congestion.
How Bike-Friendly Is Your City?
PeopleForBikes just released its annual rankings.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Satanic Place Names
From streams and lakes to valleys and canyons, I mapped more than 1,000 places named after the Devil.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority