Using the results from this annual City Ratings program, a custom scorecard provides easy-to-understand, graphical descriptions of how cities are evaluated, recommends strategic improvements for making biking better locally, and directs local leaders to the additional guidance and resources developed here in our Advocacy Academy.

The PlacesForBikes City Ratings program has set a new standard in defining and measuring great places for biking. We use a data-driven approach to measure critical components of a community’s progress, and identify the best cities and towns for bicycling. This program helps city leaders pinpoint improvements, and make riding better for everyone.

Our City Ratings program analyzes the detail of every street, trail, and bike lane in your community to understand how easy it is to ride your bike comfortably and get to the places you want to go. Once we’re able to assess the quality of your community’s bike network, we can recommend strategies that will raise your City Ratings score.

To improve the quality of local bike networks and make bicycling accessible for everyone, cities must take deliberate and specific actions to center their work on communities that have historically been marginalized or left out of the progress a city may be experiencing.

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With careful planning and smart construction, cities can rely on majority support from residents to implement a completely connected, comfortable mobility network that allows people on bikes or on foot to travel safely through their community.