On a weeklong cycling trip last summer through the Netherlands and Belgium, I noted the many bike-friendly elements: well-marked paths, mindful drivers, multilevel bike parking garages at train stations, even dedicated traffic signals for cyclists. How, I wondered, do U.S. cities measure up?<\/p>\n
They\u2019re not yet at the level of Amsterdam, no surprise. But a concerted effort by cities across the country (and in Canada) to create bike-friendly infrastructure is paying off for both residents and visitors.<\/p>\n
As of 2025, 234 U.S. cities \u2014 up from 33 in 2019 \u2014 received a score of 50 or higher, out of a possible 100 (50 is considered the tipping point) from PeopleForBikes,<\/a> a Colorado-based nonprofit. The organization annually rates the \u201cbikeability\u201d of thousands of communities, mostly in the United States, based on features like off-street paths, protected lanes, lower speed limits and continuous routes.<\/p>\n Martina Haggerty, the vice president of infrastructure for PeopleForBikes, attributes the progress largely to increased funding and support for safe cycling. Of the 99 Canadian communities the organization ranked, 44 received scores of 50 or higher.<\/p>\n Below are four U.S. cities, and one Canadian, that offer plenty of safe, scenic pedaling opportunities for both residents and visitors.<\/p>\n Seattle<\/p>\n Outdoors recreationists have long enjoyed Seattle\u2019s temperate summers and waterside setting, and ongoing upgrades to the city\u2019s bike infrastructure<\/a> have only made it more welcoming. There\u2019s even a free adaptive bike rental program<\/a>, operated by the nonprofit Outdoors for All Foundation, for those with disabilities.<\/p>\n Since 2021, more than 20 miles of protected cycling lanes have been added, and in late 2024, voters approved a transportation tax that raised $133.5 million for biking improvements. Those upgrades mean cyclists can now seamlessly ride along Seattle\u2019s flat downtown waterfront<\/a> and connect to two primary bike lanes that traverse downtown. The waterfront itself has been revitalized with art installations, playgrounds and a new beach.<\/p>\n Tom Fucoloro, who runs the Seattle Bike Blog<\/a>, recommends the five-mile-long Elliott Bay Trail<\/a>, north to south, for a dramatic view of the city skyline and Mount Rainier.<\/p>\n \u201cNo visit to Seattle is complete without a spin on the Burke-Gilman Trail<\/a>,\u201d said Paul Tolm\u00e9, the media relations manager for the nonprofit Cascade Bicycle Club<\/a>, which offers free group rides among its programs. The 20-mile paved route is one of the original U.S. rails-to-trails paths and goes through a variety of neighborhoods, from wooded to urban.<\/p>\n Plus, Seattle\u2019s long-running Bicycle Weekends<\/a> program has expanded: Every Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day (except Aug. 1 and 2), a three-mile stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard along the western lakeshore is open only to cyclists and pedestrians.<\/p>\n Minneapolis<\/p>\n Minneapolis\u2019s bike infrastructure has taken off, thanks in part to a bike master plan instituted in 2011 and updated in 2015. The city now ranks fifth among North American cities, according to the Copenhagenize Index<\/a>, which rates bike-friendly cities.<\/p>\n \u201cOur downtown is laced with bike paths,\u201d said Steve Peterson, a Minneapolis resident who rides weekly with a 40-person group of retirees.<\/p>\n Minneapolis\u2019s crown jewel of bikeways is the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway<\/a>, a 51-mile route (the bike path parallels the road of the same name) that mostly circles the city and goes by the Mississippi River, several lakes and a waterfall, as well as a one-mile riverfront section through downtown. The 9.2 miles of trail along the Mississippi, known as West River Parkway, is among the most scenic stretches in the area, according to Matt Weier, a local cyclist and wealth management adviser. \u201cThe shore line is not built up, it\u2019s just trees and bike path, and in summer everything is green,\u201d Mr. Weier said.<\/p>\n For a more urban experience, ride the six-mile Midtown Greenway Regional Trail<\/a>, a rails-to-trails route in South Minneapolis that runs from the Chain of Lakes in the west to the Mississippi River on the east end. Take note of the 15 pollinator gardens along the trail; they\u2019re designed to attract monarch butterflies and endangered rusty patched bumblebees.<\/p>\n Atlanta<\/p>\n Born out of a Georgia Tech grad student\u2019s 1999 master\u2019s thesis, the Atlanta Beltline trail<\/a> has become the backbone of the city\u2019s biking infrastructure. Opening as individually named segments starting in 2008, the 22-mile (almost) loop links 45 neighborhoods, with dozens of restaurants, bars and shops now serving trail users. Ponce City Market<\/a>, a former Sears facility built in 1926, is now a huge trailside food hall and mall. In April, a new 1.2-mile segment completed the Beltline\u2019s Southeast Trail. The full loop is slated for completion by 2030.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been a real evolution,\u201d said Randy Agnew, 65, a resident. \u201cWhen I was growing up, I would never have thought about biking around Atlanta. Now you see everybody taking their kids to school on bikes.\u201d<\/p>\n The Beltline also has green spaces alongside it, including the 200-acre Piedmont Park, which borders the city\u2019s botanical garden. Just don\u2019t expect to ride fast; especially on weekends, the Eastside Trail is packed with people on foot, bikes, skateboards and in-line skates. Instead, consider the less busy Westside Trail, which leads through some of Atlanta\u2019s oldest neighborhoods.<\/p>\n See more of the city and learn about its history on Bicycle Tours of Atlanta\u2019s daily Fall in Love With Atlanta<\/a> tour. The 2.5-hour ride ($75 per person, including bike rental and snacks) visits historic neighborhoods (including Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s birthplace), parks and art installations.<\/p>\n Montreal<\/p>\n Montreal created bike paths as early as 1874, and the Montreal Bicycle Club<\/a>, Canada\u2019s first such group, formed in 1878. It\u2019s no surprise, then, that Montreal rates as the top city for biking in North America on the Copenhagenize Index, with 673 miles of paths and lanes, including the newer Express Bike Network, and more being built.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s bikeshare program, Bixi, was among the world\u2019s first<\/a> when it started in 2009. There are also nine so-called bike routes, streets where cyclists can take up as much room as cars, instead of being restricted to a bike lane, and where drivers must adjust their speed when behind cyclists. A recently announced, 38-kilometer bike path will connect light-rail stations across Montreal.<\/p>\n For waterfront riding, cycle the recently repaved, 8.7-mile Promenade Fluviale du Grand Montreal<\/a>, which runs along the top of a dike on the south side of the St. Lawrence River. (Part of the 2026 UCI Road World Championships cycling races<\/a>, Montreal\u2019s biggest sporting event since the 1976 Summer Olympics, will follow this route.) Detour to Nun\u2019s Island so you can bike across the river on the 1.25-mile-long Estacade, a low-lying bridge built to control ice flow in winter. At its northern end, the Promenade trail skirts part of Parc Jean-Drapeau, home to the Biosphere<\/a> environmental museum and other attractions.<\/p>\n Another waterside ride traverses almost nine miles alongside the Lachine Canal<\/a>, passing through several vibrant neighborhoods. Stop along the way to stock up on snacks at the Atwater Market<\/a> and to admire the 51 works of contemporary art at the Lachine sculpture garden<\/a>.<\/p>\n Brooklyn<\/p>\n The most bike-friendly U.S. urban area, according to PeopleForBikes? Brooklyn. (In 2025, the organization started separately scoring each New York City borough.) Marc Urselli, a Brooklyn producer and audio engineer, said he\u2019d seen many improvements over his 20 years of riding in the city, including the proliferation of lanes. \u201cWe are still a ways away from being Amsterdam, but we are definitely on the right path,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In fact, according to PeopleForBikes, Brooklyn has more bike lanes than any other borough. Additionally, New York City\u2019s new greenway master plan<\/a>, released last August, will fill in gaps (for example, by connecting disparate segments of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway to make one continuous route from Greenpoint to Sheepshead Bay) and add new greenways.<\/p>\n One of the most scenic rides is also one of the oldest: the Ocean Parkway Trail<\/a>, created in 1894. The route starts near Prospect Park \u2014 where cyclists can also zoom around the 3.3-mile Park Drive loop<\/a> \u2014 and runs for five miles to Coney Island. (Watch out for tree roots that have cracked the pavement.)<\/p>\n The city skyline fades as you ride by salt marshes and ponds along the Jamaica Bay Greenway<\/a>, a 28-mile loop in southern Brooklyn and Queens that goes through part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, including one of the city\u2019s best bird-watching venues, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge<\/a> (the loop\u2019s southern end includes a stretch of road). The greenway also passes by Shirley Chisholm State Park<\/a>, which juts out into the bay. Bikes are available for free checkout, Thursdays to Sundays, for up to two hours of riding on the park\u2019s 10 miles of paths.<\/p>\n Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram<\/a> and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter<\/a> to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n