10 Bike friendly cities you can actually afford

Every year People For Bikes publishes a list of the top biking cities. This year Brooklyn was number one. This made me think: Why are all of the best biking cities also the most expensive?

We worked with our friend Chris Sanders to create a list of the most affordable biking cities in the United States. We gathered loads of data and created a list to share with you guys.

Let us know what you think and if there are any other cities we may have missed. As always, thanks for watching!

Timecodes:
0:00 People For Bikes best biking cities list
1:40 Why are biking cities so expensive?
2:00 How we calculated our list
3:40 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
4:10 St. Louis, Missouri
4:45 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
5:07 Detroit, Michigan
5:43 Sacremento, California
6:10 New Orleans, Louisiana
6:43 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:53 Denver, Colorado
8:27 Minneapolis, Minnesota
9:12 Portland, Oregon
9:51 Do your research before moving
10:10 Home values increasing
10:55 Economic burden of car ownership
12:00 Are these things important to you?

Musicbed ID: MB015USFZA98COD

[buddy]

The irony is that getting rid of your car is probably the easiest way to save money.

[huwinner]

I live in Minneapolis. Got rid of my car and bike everywhere - I love it! We’re also taking steps to increase housing supply by reducing parking minimums, up zoning, etc.

[DragoniteMotoJP]

Left the USA 8 years ago. Cycling is 1 of my top 5 reason to not come back. Obviously I think about coming back because I’m watching this video, but 8 years of no car commuting has been amazing and not something I’m willing to lose.

[deckardstp]

As a German living in a southern part rural area I'm really thankful that my county decided to built bikeways next to side roads or highways over the past 20 years. We have a really good net of bike lanes nowadays and I'm often surprised how fast between two spots I can cycle. Hopefully the idea will be also taken into consideration into the cities. Often they are still really car-centric, full of traffic jams and polluted. Thanks to our allmighty car-lobby.

[alecbikes]

I’m a transportation plangineer, and I can tell you that these bike network plans mean very little. They’re often treated as a virtue signal to avoid truly spending bike infrastructure and instead just act as though they’re working deciding where to build bike lanes, even though they could do that without a consultant.

These master plans cost far less than engineering design and construction of even quick-build bike lanes.

[E.S.Franck]

It would seem to be that average rent for an entire city could be misleading. Many of the cities listed have sprawling areas that aren’t bike friendly at all. Costs may be very different when within a mile of bike systems that make those cities actually bike worthy.

[xbmarx]

I grew up in Portland, university in Seattle, first jobs in Boulder then Denver... and people are always surprised when I tell them Minneapolis is the best bike city I've lived in. Very underrated.

[matthewbornhorst]

One other often overlooked part of Denver’s bike infrastructure is our creek/river trail network. This set of trails runs along most creeks and rivers in the areas and is built out with new development. Most are recreational, but for those in the suburbs it can mean being able to bike to downtown without even having to cross many major roads

[thejesuschrist]

9:29 My Bethlehem 2.0 is Portland! During the Summer months there are HUNDREDS of organized group bike rides. It's called Pedalpolooza and it is GLORIOUS!

[GalpsPGH]

Always love seeing my city make these lists! I've gotta give a plug for Pittsburgh. I've lived in the area my whole life, but I've been living completely car free now in the city since the beginning of the year and it's been great. My car was dead weight for the longest time because I barely ever used it so getting rid of it is a huge load off. Just last week I rode my ebike to one of the light rail stations, got on with my bike and then got off at my stop and was able to ride over to my destination. People really underestimate how great this city is for a North American city. There are so many cities that don't have any rapid transit whatsoever yet, we've got multiple forms and are expanding our system as we speak.

[-Bloomingtales]

I am so glad you addressed affordability. As if that’s not the biggest factor impacting most Americans today, it blows my mind that it’s often not included in the conversation. I’m also glad that you addressed the “median” but there’s a large population that doesn’t even make that much - even with degrees - so yes we definitely have to take into account what is and isn’t affordable. I hate that most cities only seek to improve “bike-ability” in areas where the median income is higher - we really need to make it accessible for everyone and that starts with proper urban planning. Thank you for this video! ❤️

[modsandendsGG-]

Yo! I didn't know you were splitting your time with Philly. You're spot on about drivers being homicidal. I've been grazed on a couple occasions. A friend of mine was doored. Drivers don't know the rules for bikes and therefore think you're blocking their "right" to drive as fast as they want. The drivers are similarly aggressive to other drivers. It's insane. Even when I'm way over to the right side of the lane (or gutter or parking lane), some cars will insist on buzzing as close as possible to me just to be jerks.
Anyway, I'd love to connect and go on a ride together sometime.

[Digital.Done.Right.]

This is what we spoke about last September, the real life of those with bikes. Love how this is progressing Chris.

[jenniferboehm]

Loved this video! My city, Atlanta, has a bad reputation for urban sprawl, traffic, and car dependency. BUT, I’ve seen so many major improvements to bike infrastructure within the actual city and intown neighborhoods where I live in the past 5 years. I hope this is where more cities are heading in general.

[laakkonen]

It's interesting seeing Detroit on the list. I'm legitimately impressed with their bike infrastructure progress in the last decade, at least in the city center and orbiting neighborhoods. As a metro area, living car free can be pretty difficult. The bus system is neglected and competes with oversized roads that barely back up. There aren't many big box stores in bikeable areas, which makes it really hard to shop for some stuff. That said, the city seems to understand safe biking is not just for the rich, but also an issue of equity. They're working on some pretty cool green ways and protected lanes through the neighborhoods. There's still a feeling that bike lanes are a tool for gentrification, but I hope the green ways help alter that perspective.

[ryanmortenson]

I really like this idea. I’ve lived in Fort Collins, CO and now in Davis, CA and it’s getting really expensive in both these places. I’d love to see a mid-size town list too! I want to just ride my bike and be able to afford where I live. I now work from home so I’m mobile. Thanks for the video!

[michaelkernan]

Chicago should be an honorable mention, rent can be found for reasonable prices if you have roommates or look towards the outskirts of the city, bike lanes are everywhere.

[alanrose]

Yeah for bikes and bike culture. Thanks for a thoughtful well edited video.

[tipsybass]

I’m really shocked that Madison Wisconsin didn’t make your list. Although it is becoming unaffordable, public transport is awesome there, and the bike trails are awesome as well. Over the last decade, they have implemented more bike lanes on the roads, and more bike racks. I was also surprised that you didn’t mention the tails that span most of Wisconsin (Ice Age Trail, etc). You can literally bike to Illinois and Minnesota on them

[tedbellSEA]

I think you have to factor in average income for a specific city vs average rent. Rents in San Francisco and Brooklyn are higher because people want to live there, and people typically get paid more than the national average.