Ok, sure, eighth is fine… but come on, people, Minneapolis was ranked number one on Bicycling Magazine‘s Top-50 Bike-Friendly Cities in America, and they can only ride their bikes outside for like three months out of the whole year. Also, this is the city that’s home to America’s largest mall. Boo.
So what makes Minneapolis so special, anyway? According to Bike Mag, “120 miles of on- and off-street bicycle facilities, plus indoor bike parking and other cycling-friendly facilities” pretty much did the trick (seriously, indoor bike parking? Yes, please). As for New York, Central Park was praised for its lack of cars, as was commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan for her efforts to turn NYC into a “world-class bike city.”
So what can we do to get that big #1? Well, we could start with a bike to work week (like Minneapolis!), or we could just give in and do everything on this list (dedicated bicycle traffic lights!).
Minneapolis won because they’re all descended from bike-loving Scandinavians, obviously. If only New York were still New Amsterdam we’d have a fighting chance. Also, being the only East Coast city in the Top 10, and one of only two in the Top 20 (along with D.C.) is pretty impressive.