America’s Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities
To determine our top 50 bike-friendly cities for 2012, we evaluated cities with populations of 95,000 or more, using data provided by the Alliance for Biking and Walking and the League of American Bicyclists, as well as input from local advocates and bike-ped coordinators. To make the list, a city must possess both a robust cycling infrastructure and a vibrant bike culture. Read on to find out how your city stacks up.
—Ian Dille
44. Des Moines, IA
Population: 203,433
Claims to Fame: A
42-mile trail system leads to a 550-mile regional network, and a new municipal plan calls for bicycle lanes on arterial streets and a
downtown bike-share system. The 41 rotated steel frames on the
13-story High Trestle Trail Bridge—which spans the half-mile-wide Des Moines River Valley and is open only to cyclists and pedestrians—create a kaleidoscope-like effect.
Biggest Challenge: The city acquired funding for milestone projects like the
14th Street bike boulevard but still lacks a budget for a full-time bike-ped coordinator.
Info:
dsmbikecollective.org