Travel with a biking is a great idea to all those who want to explore the city at ease and safely. There are many amazing cities in the world friendly for biking but some of them are more friendly than others:-) For instance
1. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam, is the bike capital of the world, it has 40% of all traffic movements by bicycle. They have created a bicycle friendly city that promotes a healthier, more active lifestyle for its residents. An extensive network of safe, fast and comfortable bicycle routes has been developed, the road safety of cyclists has been increased, a
theft-prevention program was set up as well as the number of bicycle sheds increased.
Amsterdam is undertaking an ambitious capital-improvement program that includes building a 10,000-bike parking garage at the main train station.
Highlights: Designated street lanes and traffic signals. Bicycle safety concerns. Biking is core to its transportation infrastructure. Rent public bicycles. Underground sheds and outside racks, which hold thousands of bikes under guard. Large bicycle culture.
2. Portland, Oregon, USA
Portland has a varied bicycle network that connects all parts of the city. This network has proven successful in dramatically increasing bicycle use. Portland also has a strong bicycle culture where all types of cyclists can find opportunities to enjoy riding a bicycle. Portland’s Create-a-Commuter program is the first project in the United States that provides low-income adults with commuter bicycles as well as a session on commuter safety. The bikes come outfitted with lights, a lock, a helmet, a pump, tool kits, maps and rainwear.
Portland’s bicycle network has grown from 60 to 260 miles since the early 1990s. Bicycle use has quadrupled over the same period without any increase in crashes. The city still has 38 miles of bike lanes left in order to achieve its master plan. But in some neighborhoods bike commuters are as high as 9%.
Highlights: Extensive on/off road trails, designated street lanes, and traffic signals. Bicycle culture with Community Cycling Center that offers education and encouragement.
3. Copenhagen, Denmark
The city with the sixth-highest quality of life in the world is also home to the world’s most successful community bicycle program. In Denmark practically everybody has a bike, and for many years Copenhagen has been known as ‘the city of bikes’. The city of Copenhagen plans to double its spending on biking infrastructure over the next three years.
Currently 32% of workers bicycle to work and 50 percent say they cycle to work because it is fast and easy. The city’s bicycle paths are extensive and well-used. Bicycle paths are often separated from the main traffic lanes and sometimes have their own signal systems. Already one city neighborhood, the notorious commune Christiania, is completely car-free.
The city provides public bicycles which can be found throughout the downtown area and used with a returnable deposit of 20 kroner, your money is refunded when you return the bike to one of many racks.
Highlights: Free public bicycles. Streets with dedicated lanes, paths and routes that are either clearly marked or separated from vehicular traffic by curbs. Bike paths and other bike-friendly facilities are a part of the planning of every new or rebuilt road. Large bicycle culture.
4. Boulder, Colorado, USA
Great public programs that help promote safe biking and encourage its use such as Boulder Safe Routes to School pilot program. One school reported that 75 percent of their students walked or biked to school — a 620 percent increase from before the pilot. More than 4,000 people participate in Boulder’s Bike to Work Day.
At least 95 percent of arterials have bike lanes or trails on them. They recently completed two major underpasses, and offers online bike mapping. Boulder has spent an average 15% of its transportation budget on building and maintaining bicycle traffic over the past five years
Highlights: Designated street lanes, traffic signals, and an in depth local bike map. Biking is core to its transportation infrastructure. Boulder’s Bike to Work Day. Education and encouragement.
5. Basel, Switzerland
The City of Basel is surrounded by a rich agricultural region where fruit trees and grapevines are cultivated and cattle are raised making for beautiful countryside bike tours with clearly-marked networks of bicycle routes and paths that criss-cross both the city as well as the surrounding region.
Basel is a very bicycle-friendly city, with many well-marked bicycle lanes throughout the city, and even traffic signals and left-hand turn lanes for bikes. Special route maps are also available for cyclists.
Bikes can be rented locally from the Rent-a-Bike underground bike park. Besides local commuter bike lanes, there are specific bike trails that connect to other parts of Switzerland. These bike trails are indicated by signs at some intersections.
Highlights: Designated street lanes, independent bike paths, traffic signals and bike maps. Bike rentals. Events, education and encouragement.
6. Sandnes, Norway
In 1990 the government decided to start a 4-year pilot bicycle project in order to reduce car traffic and Sandnes was chosen to be one of two pilot towns. The two main goals of the project were to make the town more friendly for cyclists as well as to make more people use the bicycle. The campaign has continued well past the 4 year mark and Today Sandnes has the best facilities for cyclists in Norway.
The public bike system in Sandnes starting in June 1996 as the first city in Norway were you are able to subscribe to a plan of use.
Highlights: Designated street lanes. Biking is core to its transportation infrastructure. Rent or subscribe to public bicycles. Great bicycle parking. Large bicycle culture.
7. Trondheim, Norway
Yes, Norway is 6th and 7th on the list! They have invented the worlds first Bicycle Lift (Trampe) which actually has become one of Trondheims most popular tourist attractions and has become a success.
The bicycle lift carries cyclists uphill. Inspired by the ski lift technology, the cyclists could be pushed uphill without having to get off of the bicycle. Taking into account the topography of Trondheim, it is no surprise that the idea of a bicycle lift was conceived here.
Trondheim is an environmental friendly city that promotes cycling. It has a public bike project were you can rent bikes. 18% of the population of Trondheim is using their bike as a daily means if transport to work or school. Norway aims to raise bicycle traffic to at least 8% of all travel by 2015.
Highlights: Bicycle lift. Designated street lanes. Biking is core to its transportation infrastructure. Rent or subscribe to public bicycles.
8. San Francisco, California
San Francisco is the second most densely populated major city in the U.S, so a core bicycle system is key here and it also is consistently ranked by Bicycling Magazine as a top city for cycling. Bicycling is a popular mode of transportation in San Francisco, with about 40,000 residents commuting to work regularly by bicycle. There are 63 miles of bicycle lanes and paths throughout the city.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition endorsed eight candidates for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and all were elected. The board, which is the transportation authority for the city and county, puts highest priority on pedestrian and cycling needs, followed by mass transit.
With the number of commuters growing, all public transportation has been equipped to carry bicycles, and driving lanes are being converted into bike lanes.
Highlights: Designated street lanes and traffic signals. Biking is core to its transportation infrastructure. Large bicycle culture with some political influence.
9. Berlin, Germany
Berlin is the country’s largest city, and the second most populous city in the European Union. In Berlin where less than half of residents own a car, it has become downright common to ride a bike every day.
City officials pledged to work toward bikes comprising 15% of the city’s traffic by the year 2010. After devoting 2.5 million Euros last year to expanding on the bike lane system they are on track. The city already has 80 kilometers of bike lanes in the wide streets and 50 kilometers of lanes on sidewalks. Cycling has doubled in the past decade, and now the city’s 400,000 riders each day account for 12% of total street traffic.
Online bicycle router BBBike determines the best bike route between two points in Berlin. Just enter your origin and destination point.
Highlights: Designated street lanes, independent bike paths, traffic signals and bike maps. Bike rentals. Events, education and encouragement. Online bike router. Large bike culture.
10. Barcelona, Spain
On March 22, 2007, Barcelona’s City Council started the Bicing service, a bicycle service for public transport. Once the user has their card, they can take a bicycle from any of the 100 stations spread around the city and use it anywhere the urban area of the city, and then leave it at another station.
Barcelona City Council is working day and night to expand, rationalize and improve the network of routes and cycle paths in the city. The city has created a ‘green ring’ that surrounds the metropolitan area of Barcelona with a bike path. There are currently 3,250 parking spaces for bikes at street level. Barcelona City Council is constructing a new underground car park for bicycles; this forms part of a pilot program to prevent theft and provide security for bicycle users.
