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Brooklyn has been ranked the number one large city in the US for how well-connected its cycling networks are.

The ranking comes from PeopleForBikes, a bicycle advocacy nonprofit which every year ranks cities for how well their bike networks connect to everyday destinations like jobs, school and healthcare.

In the 2026 City Ratings which evaluated over 3,000 communities in the US, Brooklyn (New York) ranked as the number one ‘large’ city for bike network connectivity. Minneapolis (Minnesota) followed in second place and Seattle (Washington) ranked as third. A ‘large’ city was determined as having a population of more than 300,000.

Grace Stonecipher, PeopleForBikes Infrastructure Analytics and Research Manager, said that the top ranking large cities have several characteristics in common.

“Low residential speed limits, dozens of miles of protected bike lanes and off-street paths and a focus on connecting people to jobs, schools and other daily destinations by bike,” Stonecipher told Zag Daily.

Stonecipher added that the three cities share a “sustained commitment to building out complete, connected, low-stress networks, backed by formal bike plans and dedicated funding streams”.

“That commitment ensures that investment goes towards closing the gaps and increasing connectivity for riders of all ages and abilities.”

This year’s ratings from PeopleForBikes are built on an updated methodology including new census data, revised safety standards and city boundary adjustments. This should be kept in mind when comparing with 2025 ratings.

Under the new standard, 555 US communities scored 50 or higher – up by more than 230 cities compared with last year. A score of 50 is what PeopleForBikes believes reflects a connected enough bike network to support “easy, accessible and everyday riding”.

Brooklyn scored at 70, Minneapolis at 68 and Seattle at 66. Queens (New York) followed at 63 and San Francisco (California) at 61. These top five cities retained their spot from 2025.

When excluding population size, Mackinac Island – a car-free resort destination in Michigan – led in top place with a score of 100, alongside Old Orchard in Pennsylvania and Crested Butte in Colorado which also ranked with the perfect score.

Speaking on the top three large cities, Stonecipher said their rating demonstrates the impact of implementing six principles that PeopleForBikes advocates for: safe speeds, protected lanes, the reallocation of space, intersection treatments, connectivity and trusted data.

“This framework is key for transforming high-stress streets into a low-stress network and a proven path to becoming a top city for cycling in the US,” Stonecipher said.