Every year, PeopleForBikes' City Ratings evaluates how effectively communities connect people to the places they want to go by bike. Access to jobs, healthcare, shopping, recreation, transit, and education all play a role in determining how well a city’s bike network serves the people who rely on it.

SEE HOW YOUR CITY SCORES

However, one destination category stands out from the rest: schools.

At first glance, school access may seem like just another metric within the Bicycle Network Analysis, the data model that powers City Ratings. But it might be one of the most important indicators of a community's long-term bicycling success.

Why? Because a city where a child can safely ride to school is doing more than connecting students to a classroom. It's creating opportunities for independence, physical activity, and lifelong riding habits. In many ways, it is investing in the future of bicycling itself.

Research consistently shows that people are more likely to ride when safe, connected infrastructure exists close to home. By connecting schools to neighborhoods through low-stress bike networks, cities create opportunities for young people to experience transportation independence at an early age. Those experiences can then set the stage for a lifetime of healthy bicycling habits while also making riding more visible and normal for the broader community.

PeopleForBikes has seen firsthand the impact communities experience when young people have more opportunities to ride bikes. As the convener of the Youth Cycling Coalition (YCC), PeopleForBikes collaborates with national youth organizations working every day to help young people discover the benefits of bicycling. From learn-to-ride programs and bike buses to school-based mountain bike teams and after-school clubs, these organizations are helping kids build confidence, develop skills, and find joy through the bicycle.

But even the best youth programs depend on a larger community ecosystem.

“The cool thing about bike buses is that they don’t require perfect city infrastructure,” said Sam Balto, founder of Bike Bus World. “But it’s evident that communities with better bicycling infrastructure see higher rates of rider retention after the coordinated event concludes because there are safe places to continue riding your bike.”

That is why City Ratings and the Bicycle Network Analysis are so valuable. They give communities a clear picture of where safe, connected bike networks exist today and where improvements will make the biggest difference. PeopleForBikes encourages everyone to learn more about their city’s score and use that information to start conversations with local leaders about improving access to schools by bike.

How to find your city’s K-12 score:

• Find your city on the BNA map
• Select the “Opportunity” dropdown
• See your score under “K12 Education”

How to see the connectivity of neighborhoods surrounding local schools:

• Find your city on the BNA map
• Under the “Stress Network” dropdown, click “Census Blocks by BNA Score” then “Apply”
• Under the “Destinations” dropdown, click “Schools” then “Apply”

Steps to improve your K-12 score:

• Identify your local city administrator and/or planning director
• Ask how school connectivity fits into your city’s comprehensive plan
• Encourage local leaders and elected officials to prioritize low-stress bike routes that connect neighborhoods to schools and other everyday destinations.

The future of bicycling starts with the next generation of riders. One of the best ways to support those riders, and the future of bicycling, is by ensuring they can safely reach one of the most important destinations in their lives — school.