Picture a community where kids can ride safely to school, employees have a stress-free commute, and families can explore their neighborhood by bike on sunny weekends. Across the U.S., communities are making this vision a reality by investing in great places to ride, and PeopleForBikes’ City Ratings program shows where it’s working. Each year, our City Ratings scores more than 2,000 U.S. cities and towns based on the quality and connectivity of their bike networks, helping community members and decision-makers understand how easy it is to get around by bike and where improvements can make the biggest difference.

But why does this matter? Why should communities prioritize bike infrastructure in the first place? Here are six reasons why investing in great places to ride transforms lives, neighborhoods, and local economies. 

1. Improved Safety for Everyone

When bike infrastructure is safe and connected, it works for everyone: daily commuters, kids riding to school, older adults staying active, and families enjoying weekend outings. Whether you're biking to work or to a nearby park, safer streets make every ride more enjoyable and accessible. Investing in quality bike infrastructure like protected bike lanes, side paths, and safe intersections, reduces conflicts between road users and helps prevent crashes.

• Streets with protected bike lanes experience up to 90% fewer injuries per mile compared to those without bike infrastructure.
• Cities with protected bike lanes see 44% fewer fatalities for all road users and 50% fewer serious injuries.
• Adding bike lanes can reduce crashes by as much as 49%.
  

2. Health Benefits for All Ages

Cycling offers a fun, low-impact way to stay active, supporting both physical and mental health. When biking is safe and enjoyable, more people choose to do it, leading to healthier lifestyles. For example, West Jefferson, North Carolina, invested $300,000 in a Complete Streets project and saved more than $2.7 million in health care costs in the first year alone.

• Every $1 invested in active transportation saves $24 in averted medical costs.
• People living in bike-friendly neighborhoods engage in 35–45 more minutes of moderate physical activity each week.
• Proximity to trails increases the likelihood of meeting physical activity guidelines by 50% and riding a bicycle by 80%.
• Youth who ride regularly report higher levels of mental well-being and spend fewer hours in front of screens.

3. Stronger Local Economies

Bike-friendly areas — both rural to urban — often see growth in small businesses, real estate value, and tourism. People riding bikes are more likely to visit local shops and restaurants, and a well-maintained bike network can boost foot traffic in commercial districts.

Great places to ride benefit not only commuters and city dwellers, but also outdoor recreationists and weekend visitors. Whether it's a local trail system, a downtown greenway, or a bike park, communities that build for biking see increased tourism, recreation spending, and demand for nearby housing and businesses.

• The U.S. outdoor recreation economy generates $124.5 billion in tax revenue and supports nearly 5 million jobs, according to a 2024 Trust for Public Land report — highlighting the sector’s major role in national economic health.
• Mountain biking tourists spend an average of $416 per visit, showing that trail-based recreation directly benefits local businesses and economies.
• In Lancaster, California, a Complete Streets project led to a 96% increase in retail sales, demonstrating the transformative local economic impact of safer, more walkable and bikeable streets.
• Protected bike lanes on 9th Avenue in NYC resulted in a 49% increase in retail sales, compared to just a 3% increase on nearby streets without the upgrades—showing the clear benefit of safe bike infrastructure for businesses.
• Tourism revenue in areas with active transportation options is eight to nine times greater than the cost of infrastructure investment, according to Smart Growth America, offering a compelling case for public spending on walking and biking improvements.

Additionally, communities with higher City Ratings scores — those with robust, low-stress bike networks — often see increased sales at local bike shops, reflecting the positive economic impact of bike infrastructure.

4. More Transportation Options

Having the freedom to ride a bike makes it easier for people to get where they need to go, especially for short trips. In many communities, biking offers a reliable alternative to sitting in traffic or waiting for a ride, and it often costs significantly less than driving.

Safe, connected bike infrastructure gives people real choices in how they travel. And it serves all types of riders — not just those commuting to work, but also families biking to the playground or teens heading to a local park, pump track, or restaurant. When biking becomes a viable transportation and recreation option, the entire community benefits.

• Fifty two percent of daily trips in the U.S. are three miles or less, a distance easily covered by bike.
• In New York City, adding bike lanes reduced travel time along a key corridor by 35%.
• U.S. households spend an average of $10,961 on transportation annually, making it the second-largest household expense.
• One in four U.S. adults experiences transportation insecurity, often impacting low-income families.

By increasing access to low-cost modes of transportation like biking, communities can reduce household expenses and improve affordability.

5. Better Access to Opportunities

Great bike infrastructure connects people to jobs, schools, parks, and transit, making opportunities more accessible for everyone. When bike networks are designed with all neighborhoods and riders in mind, they open up new possibilities, whether you’re traveling for work, heading to class, or enjoying an afternoon ride with your family.

Bike infrastructure like trails, BMX parks, and pump tracks are just as essential. These spaces offer safe and welcoming places for youth, families, and new riders to ride, learn, and build confidence, helping foster a lifelong love of biking while supporting physical and social wellbeing. 

• The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) found that building greenways, sidewalks, and bicycle infrastructure contributes 17 jobs per $1 million spent compared to other road and highway projects that range from 9 to 12.5 jobs created per $1 million spent.
• An analysis of Complete Streets projects conducted by the National Complete Streets Coalition found:
• A project in Lancaster, California, saw employment grow along the targeted corridor by 64% over three years. Comparatively, employment only increased by 3% citywide and a similar corridor that did not receive upgrades saw a decrease in employment during the same time.
• In Orlando, Florida, streets with infrastructure updates saw 77 new businesses open, creating 560 jobs over seven years. 

6. Cleaner Air

Bicycling is one of the most efficient and low-impact ways to get around. When more people choose to bike, especially for short trips (which make up a significant percentage of all trips in the U.S.) it helps reduce air pollution, leading to cleaner, healthier air for everyone.

From work commutes to recreational trail rides, every bike trip taken instead of a car trip reduces greenhouse gas emissions. And by making biking safe and convenient for all types of riders, communities encourage more people to choose it, creating healthier environments and a better quality of life for all.

• The transportation sector emits 29% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., making it the most significant contributor to national emissions.
• Fifty two percent of all car trips made in the U.S. are three miles or less, and 28% are one mile or less. Three miles is equivalent to a 20-minute bike ride for an average person, indicating that shifting close-to-home trips from cars to bicycles is possible and can significantly reduce the number of miles driven in cars.
• Shifting short car trips to walking or biking trips and using walking and biking to access public transit saves 13 million tons of CO2  emissions annually. Building additional active transportation infrastructure holds the potential to save more than 54 million tons.

See How Your City Ranks

Want to know how your community stacks up? PeopleForBikes’ City Ratings gives you the data. Use City Ratings to:

• Explore your community’s score and see how it compares to other cities nationally and globally.
• Identify where bike networks are strong and where there’s room to grow.
• Support informed decisions about transportation and community planning.

Building Better Places to Ride, Together

Investing in great places to ride isn’t just about bikes — it’s about building communities that work for everyone. Whether you’re a weekday commuter, weekend mountain biker, small business owner, or parent teaching your child to ride, safe and connected bike infrastructure opens up countless opportunities.

From protected lanes and urban trails to pump tracks and natural surface paths, bike infrastructure creates healthier, more active, and more connected communities. No matter why you ride, great places to bike benefit us all.

Explore PeopleForBikes' City Ratings and discover how better biking can benefit your community.