Brooklyn has officially been named the best large city in the United States for biking, according to the latest PeopleForBikes national city ratings. This achievement is attributed to the borough’s extensive network of safe, connected, and low-stress bike routes.
Grace Stonecipher, infrastructure analytics and research manager at PeopleForBikes, highlighted the effectiveness of Brooklyn’s bike network: “Brooklyn has an awesome bike network that allows people to get where they want to go.”
Several factors contribute to Brooklyn’s high rating, including its low residential speed limit of 25 mph. However, this number is just one element of a much larger picture.
“It’s not just about having a posted limit of 25; the design of the roads matters significantly,” explained Martina Haggerty, vice president of infrastructure for PeopleForBikes. She pointed out that even a low speed limit can be ineffective if the road’s design encourages faster driving.
The distinction of Brooklyn’s network is its emphasis on safe separation between bike lanes and vehicle traffic. Haggerty noted that simply reducing the speed of cars can lead to broader safety improvements: “What we found is that reducing the speed at which cars are traveling is one of the most effective ways to make streets safer for everyone.” This translates into fewer accidents, reduced fatalities, and fewer injuries.
For evaluating bikability, researchers utilize the Bicycle Network Analysis tool, which provides a detailed mapping of every road in a city, categorizing them based on bike infrastructure quality and labeling routes as either “low stress” or “high stress.”
Brooklyn excels in this assessment, as many essential destinations such as grocery stores, parks, and K-12 education centers are easily reachable via low-stress biking routes. The data reveals that most areas in Brooklyn rank in the 90th percentile for bike access.
This year marked a significant change in the assessment approach, with individual New York City boroughs evaluated separately for the first time. While Brooklyn topped the list with an impressive score of 73, both Manhattan and Queens also made the top ten, receiving scores of 51 and 63, respectively.
Stonecipher elaborated on how Brooklyn’s success can serve as a lesson for other cities. She pointed to the city’s strategic long-term planning process: “In New York, the streets plan requires 50 miles of protected bike lanes to be built each year. That kind of long-term planning is crucial; it ensures that the city builds a network, not just disconnected lanes here and there.”
The benefits of biking extend beyond individual transport; they contribute to community cohesion. A study from Germany discovered that people who cycle tend to be more engaged in their communities, showing higher participation in voting and local organizations.
Haggerty shared her insight on the social benefits of biking: “When you’re riding your bike, you’re not behind glass in a bubble in a car. You’re on the street. You’re saying hello to your neighbors, you’re noticing and interacting with other people on the street and local businesses in a way that you don’t get in a car.”
Brooklyn’s progressive approach to cycling offers a blueprint for other cities striving to enhance both safety and community interaction. As biking continues to gain popularity, Brooklyn’s model highlights the necessity of thoughtful urban planning and infrastructure investment for future city landscapes.
image source from：brooklynpaper
