PeopleForBikes names Brooklyn and Minneapolis as top large US cities for biking

PeopleForBikes, a national nonprofit, released its 2026 city ratings to identify the best large American cities for cycling. The organization ranked Brooklyn, New York, Minneapolis, and Seattle as the top three locations for bike riders.

The report evaluated 3,019 U.S. communities and 403 international cities to see how easily cyclists can reach schools, jobs, healthcare, and recreation. Other top-performing cities with more than 300,000 residents included San Francisco, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Portland, Detroit, and Philadelphia.

The nonprofit noted that all five boroughs of New York City appeared in the top 15. The ratings also recognized cities that made the most progress over a six-year period. Austin, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Providence built 300 miles of new bikeways through a partnership with Wend Collective. While Austin and Denver each added 100 miles, New Orleans added 27 miles in an underserved neighborhood before the city council removed two segments of protected lanes in 2022.

West Hollywood also received recognition for a unanimous council vote to prioritize protected bike lanes.