With oil prices ever-rising many people are turning to the bike for their daily commute. Some cities are much more desirable than others when it comes to bicycling due to the availability of things like bike share programs, bike corrals for commuters, well-maintained bike trails, and bike lanes and boxes.

California did quite well in a new list of north America’s 10 most bike-friendly cities compiled by forbestraveler.com. California takes the lead with San Francisco, Davis, and San Diego all making the list. California isn’t the only place you can ride a bike though as there are many other desirable bike-friendly locales out there. Here is the list of top ten cities:

• 10. Chicago, IL
• 9. Minneapolis, MN
• 8. New York, NY
• 7. San Francisco, CA
• 6. Seattle, WA
• 5. Davis, CA
• 4. Montréal, Canada
• 3. San Diego, CA
• 2. Boulder, CO
• 1. Portland, OR

Portland has done well with their bike program. Here is the write-up from forbestraveler.com on why Portland was chosen #1:

The first American city to receive a Platinum Bike Rating from the League of American Bicyclists, this metropolis of 500,000 remains by consensus #1 among North America’s bike friendly cities. Portland is not resting on its two-wheeled laurels however, having recently initiated a Pilot “Green Box” program that directs cars away from bikers at busy intersections. Visitors will find 164 miles of bike lanes, 66 miles of bike paths, 30 miles of bike boulevards and great access to mountain bike trails.

I wasn’t able to find the exact criteria that was used to define what they looked for in the cities that made this list. I don’t really care that much either because I am just happy they are promoting the bike as a viable source of transportation in North America.

For more information on making your city bike-friendly visit:
http://www.bikeleague.org/
http://www.bikesbelong.org/
http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org

[forbestraveler.com]

Photo Credit: loop_oh