Two wheels, a chain, and some gears — the humble bicycle has seen a resurgence with commuters and city dwellers around the world. In my story this month for Travel+Leisure magazine — “The World’s Top Biking Cities” — I highlight 10 cities around the globe where infrastructure has been built to promote bicycling on many fronts.
Like many of the world’s best biking cities, my home town of Minneapolis has created a citywide system over the past few years to make transportation on a bike efficient, safe, and hassle-free. Indeed, in Minneapolis — city No. 9 on the list below — we have bike lockers, on-street painted lanes, recreational trails, and plows budgeted to clear bike paths when it snows. A substantial bike-share program, Nice Ride Minnesota, launches in spring 2010.
“A city is successful when a bike can be among the best options to get around,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, an advocacy group in Washington D.C.
From Amsterdam to Perth, Australia, people more than ever now bank on bicycles as low polluting, cost effective, and healthy means to move about. Whether your plans include seeing the world on a bike or just getting across town, “The World’s Top Biking Cities” can serve as your guide.
Travel+Leisure’s Top Biking Cities
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
3. Portland, Ore.
4. Munich, Germany
5. Montreal, Canada
6. Perth, Australia
7. Seattle, Wash.
8. Paris, France
9. Minneapolis, Minn.
10. Bogotá, Colombia
See the full story here: https://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/the-worlds-top-biking-cities
