Bike Friendliness Ends at the City Border

"While Bicycling magazine in 2016 named Chicago the most bike-friendly U.S. city, the car-centric Chicago suburbs still have a ways to go to encourage both cycling and walking, according to advocates," reports Mary Wisniewski.

A new report from the Active Transportation Alliance provides the evidence. "The report identified five different problems for suburban cyclists: most suburbs are not designed to be bike-friendly; too few suburbs have bike and pedestrian-friendly policies in place; the number of people biking to work may be falling; bike crashes remain stubbornly high; and large gaps remain in the regional trail network," explains Wisniewski.

The article includes additional data, examples of the challenges for biking in specific suburbs around Chicago, and testimonies from residents who have attempted bike trips in the region.