New York City and Boise lead U.S. cities in biking miles per resident

A recent report from StreetLight analyzed biking activity across the 100 largest U.S. cities to identify where residents bike the most, according to fox35orlando.com.

New York City ranked first in bicycle miles per capita, with residents biking an average of 58 miles annually. Boise, Idaho, followed closely with 53 miles per resident despite its smaller population of about 233,000.

Jersey City showed the highest bicycle density after New York, with nearly 7,893 bicycle miles traveled annually per square mile, almost three times that of San Francisco, which ranked third.

Warm-weather cities such as New Orleans, Irvine, Gilbert, and Scottsdale also ranked highly for bike miles per capita. The report noted that cities like New York and Boise have developed substantial biking infrastructure despite less favorable year-round weather.

The findings highlight how factors like urban density, climate, tourism, and infrastructure influence biking patterns. They also suggest that cities of various sizes can encourage active transportation even where driving dominates.

Despite the biking data, Americans walk an estimated 151 miles per person annually, which is seven times more than the 23 miles biked on average. Limited safe and accessible biking infrastructure may contribute to this gap, the report said.