The best city for cyclists has been named. And it's not Copenhagen
The capital of Denmark was long considered the best city for cyclists. But now it's only in third place.
Photo: John Keeble/Getty Images
As part of an annual city survey, researchers asked more than 24,000 residents of various megacities how easy it is to get around by bike in their city. The ranking includes 20 cities where the largest proportion of respondents rated the cycling opportunities as "good" or "excellent". To ensure the ranking shows the world's best cycling cities, only one city with the highest score from each country was included, writes TimeOut.
1. Cambridge (UK)
For a city to truly be convenient for cyclists, several factors must align simultaneously. Cambridge — a beautiful university city in England — meets almost all these criteria. The city is located on flat terrain, and a rather dry climate means cyclists won't have to overcome numerous steep climbs or often arrive at their destination soaked to the bone.
However, Cambridge's advantages are not limited to natural conditions. Its compact size and thoughtful layout, including multi-level bike parking near the railway station and special "cycle streets," have made cycling one of the main modes of transport. About a third of all trips in the city are made by bike. It's no surprise that over 83% of surveyed local residents positively rated the conditions for cyclists.
2. Montreal (Canada)
This city's cold winters and its terrain cannot be described as entirely flat. However, 82.5% of local residents positively rated the opportunities for cyclists, allowing Montreal to become North America's most bike-friendly city.
One reason is the popularity of the city's BIXI bike-sharing system. In 2023, 25% of Montreal residents used it.
Additionally, the city is implementing an ambitious infrastructure project — the Express Bike Network, or EBN. This involves a network of protected bike paths that are cleared of snow in winter. After the project's completion, its length will be 171 km. This will add to the city's existing 1083 km of cycling routes.
3. Copenhagen, Denmark
According to Visit Copenhagen, residents of the Danish capital cycle an incredible 1.44 million km daily.
This figure was made possible by decades of thoughtful urban planning. This includes a vast network of dedicated bike paths and routes, separated from car roads, but deliberate traffic calming measures also play a crucial role.
For example, the city has signs limiting speed to 20 km/h. Textured road surfaces and narrowed lanes work no less effectively. They force drivers to be more careful and effectively contribute to speed reduction.
Next are Shanghai, Vienna, Warsaw, Marrakech, Taipei, Stockholm, Seville, Seoul, Medellín, Rotterdam — 69.3, Helsinki, Abu Dhabi, Orlando, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Ljubljana, Brasília.