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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Bicycling Magazine: Seattle is 4th Best Biking City

News   April 6, 2010 at 2:28 pm Josh Cohen

(Photo used with permission from Charlie Clay)

Bicycling Magazine just released its list of America’s most bike-friendly cities, something the magazine’s been doing since 1995. Seattle came in at number four behind Minneapolis, Portland, and Boulder. The magazine cites Seattle’s Bike Master Plan as one of the main reasons for our high ranking on the list.

The $240 million plan would, in theory, triple the number of trips made by bike and add 450 miles of bike paths, trails, and sharrows around Seattle. Unfortunately, the plan is currently underfunded by nearly $165 million, or almost 70%. Unless that shortfall is remedied, the city won’t meet its goals.

This isn’t to say that Seattle doesn’t deserve its spot in the upper echelon of bike-friendly cities. But being good compared to Jacksonville, Florida (one of the worst in America, according to the magazine) is not the same as being as good as we can be.

Perhaps more important than highlighting our city’s (potential) greatness, the list gives Seattleites the chance to revel in Portland’s fall from grace. Those smug, cargo-bike riding, bike-parade-loving Portlanders have topped Bicycling‘s list since 1995. This year, Minneapolis edged out the perennial favorite because of its heavily improved cycling infrastructure, indoor bike parking, and thriving bike community.




  • Alex

    hard to beat Minneapolis with how flat it is. As for Seattle, a lot of the bike improvements make zero sense. The only way we're going to get more people on bikes is to keep people away from traffic – the master plan does just the opposite, putting bike riders on busy streets which is both dangerous and scares people away from riding

  • Stacy

    Should a parent reward their child for planning to clean their room? No; you wait until it's actually clean. Just like we shouldn't award politicians who create plans and then don't fund them.

  • http://spifflines.blogspot.com/ John Bailo

    Kent's getting more bicycle friendly by the month.

    We just re-did the interchange between downtown and the Interurban running past the new Events Center.

    Soos Creek, Green River and Interurban are some of our major paths.

  • Steve

    I couldn't agree more. As someone who has lived in Boulder, Denver and Seattle I can't tell you how ridiculous this rating is. If you click the map to view the cities and then click on the tack to read the descriptions for each it's quite telling. The description for Seattle is based on a plan than hasn't been implemented. It's all assessment, talk, hope and analysis which is typical behavior for this warm and wet climate (at least for us born here, I can't speak for the East Coast transplants who seem to have a higher quota of action vs. words). The description for #4 Boulder is in present tense and exists now. Denver gets #12 but no mention of the over 200 miles of dedicated bike (actually called “multi-use”) paths that connect it to surrounding suburbs. Seattle is behind the times and will always be limited by a late-adopting government and overdevelopment that halts the expansion of progressive bike programs (we need to space to create paths). The bottom line though is that our economy thrives when we burn fossil fuels so don't expect much to change in Seattle, there's a lot of gas being burned around here and a lot of money being made by the permanent traffic jams…

  • Michael W.

    Sigh…more bicycling news…yawn…

  • TJ

    It's comparing apples to oranges.
    Porltand, Minneapolis and Seattle all are roughly the same size (in population). All three represent the commercial engines of their respective states.
    Boulder is a college town. It's population is under 100k, and of that, approx. 30k is college students. It's not the biggest town in Colorado, but in some ways, a suburb of the largest city in the state (Denver).

    I'm all for Seattle doing better, and it makes sense to compare how Seattle does to other cities. But they have to be roughly equal

  • MudBaby

    Seattle the 4th best US biking community? Not really. Seattle with its smoke and mirrors “Master Bicycle Plan” is beat hands down by Portland, Corvallis, Boulder, even NYC.

  • WOW !

    Alex – weather and the topography of Seattle are the biggest obstacles to getting more people on bikes. If you are inclined to put in the time, Seattle is a great city for riding if you want to increase your metabolism rate and develop your calf muscles. Goes well with all the locally produced beer.

  • jeff

    I have a friend who lives in Madison. The next time he tells me that he can get on a bike trial a block from his house and take it all over town (and even to Illinois if he wants), I will just laugh at him and tell him how much better we have it in Seattle because we have a plan.

  • WOW !

    Jeff, where do you live and where do you want to ride to ? Want to avoid hills and some work ? Think some sort of system of trails in Seattle will avoid hills and work ? Think again. For all you excuse makers out there that say things like “I would ride more if not for that lack of a trail system” – be honest with yourselves. The thought of riding up and down, then up and down again. Followed by more up and down – see the pattern here ? That is what is keeping you off your bike.

  • archie

    Survey after survey, study after study tells us that perceived lack of safety is THE biggest deterrent to biking. Improving the safety of biking in this city will provide the biggest return on our investment.

  • BikeStreets

    Currently our best defense is to dress like its hunting season. We can do better than that to protect our bikers! Exercise shouldn't cause harm.

  • ben trovato

    http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transp…
    For 2005, the number of motor vehicle occupant fatalities = 37,594; the number of “pedalcyclist” fatalties = 784.
    I'll take my chances on my bicycle.

  • Algernon

    Google bikes had an accurate but difficult route from Pioneer Square to Sand Point, along Eastlake. They asked and I suggested and they bought it:

    “Your Google Maps problem report has been reviewed, and you were right! We'll update the map soon and email you when you can see the change.

    Report history
    Problem ID: 6A8D-3A75-AFDE-446C

    Your report: This will work, but there's a much better route with less traffic, perhaps slightly longer in distance, but with a bike path. 1 & 2 remain the same. Continue on 4th Ave. to Bell Street, turn right to Dexter Ave, turn left. There's a bike lane on Dexter. Dexter to Fremont Bridge, cross the bridge and turn right on the bike lane on n. 34th to Stone Way, enter Burke Gilman Trail to destination.

    –
    Thanks for your help,
    The Google Maps team”

  • adamantra

    Bicycling magazine isn't really a commuter related institution, or that's at least what I gather; it's a weekender/spandex/GPS-on-the-handlebars rag. IF you pick a nice day, and a nice route, Seattle is a SWEET town to ride in: take a waterfront route that goes through myrtle edward's park to the locks and beyond to a circumnavigation of the lake for example. Of course, locals won't brag about this because besides rarely going on such a ride, we don't spend millions to attract people to go for “rides” on nice weekends. We want people to get out of their cars. Which they won't really do unless they want to.

  • Martha2231

    Great post! I think Seattle is the best city in the world and has the best things to offer! I recently stumbled upon this blog that I found pretty funny in its reference to Seattle: http://burisonthecouch.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/theres-no-place-like-home-sort-of/

    Thanks for the post! Seattle rocks!

  • Martha2231

    Great post! I think Seattle is the best city in the world and has the best things to offer! I recently stumbled upon this blog that I found pretty funny in its reference to Seattle: http://burisonthecouch.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/theres-no-place-like-home-sort-of/

    Thanks for the post! Seattle rocks!