New York City and Boise, Idaho, recorded the highest bicycle miles traveled per capita among the 100 largest U.S. cities, according to a Streetlight Data report. Orlando, Florida, and Boston led for pedestrian miles per capita.
Across the cities studied, people walked seven times more miles annually than they biked. The report also found that places with extensive bike trails, including Chicago’s Lakefront Trail and Seattle’s Burke-Gilman Trail, saw more cycling. Universities, theme parks, zoos, entertainment districts and boardwalks were associated with higher walking activity.
Warm-weather cities featured prominently in both categories. New Orleans ranked highly for biking and walking, while Anaheim, California; Tampa, Florida; and Atlanta were among the top 10 cities for walking. Irvine, California; Orlando and St. Petersburg, Florida; and Gilbert and Scottsdale, Arizona, were among the top 10 for biking.
Boston ranked second for pedestrian miles per capita and 11th for bicycle miles. St. Louis and Newark, New Jersey, also placed among the top 10 walking cities, while Philadelphia and Jersey City, New Jersey, were among the top 10 for biking.
At the lower end of the rankings, Las Vegas, Norfolk, Virginia, and five Texas cities—Arlington, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Garland and Irving—were among the bottom 10% for biking. Milwaukee, Mesa and Tucson, Arizona, and Bakersfield, Fresno, San José and Stockton, California, were among the bottom 10% for walking.
Streetlight Data said the findings could help cities and transportation departments understand how people use existing infrastructure and support decisions about active-transportation policies and funding. The report describes walking and biking as important to the economy, public health, climate health, equity and accessibility, while noting that roadways are primarily designed for cars and trucks.
Sources: Smart Cities Dive.