Bicycling Magazine: Minneapolis is #1

According to Bicycling Magazine, Minneapolis is the nation’s best city for bicyclists. They specifically called out the hardiness of those cyclists (like my Aide) who brave our sub-zero winter, our 123 miles of on- and off-street bicycle facilities, our abundance of bike parking and lockers, and our vibrant cycling culture.



I’m proud that we’ve come so far. It's not accidental: Public Works staff, with support from the Council, the Bicycle Advisory Committee and the cycling public, have been hard at work for the last fifteen years to build more and better bike infrastructure, from [x] off-street facilities like the Midtown Greenway, to bike lanes, to bike/walk streets through neighborhoods. We've installed innovative treatments like the First Avenue bike lanes, as well as funding standard needs like bike racks. We've given developers density bonuses for installing bike racks, and are embarking on a project to encourage more City employees to bike to and for work.



It's also clear that there is more work to do. We need to keep innovating, and give the innovations we've already tried (like First Ave) a chance to work. We need to finish the projects that were funded by the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot, which will dramatically increase the miles of bike facilities in the city - from 123 to 175! We need to focus more on education, enforcement and encouragement, and work towards our sustainability indicator target of 7% bike mode share by 2014.



I know that our Public Works staff and the bike community aren't going to rest on our laurels, and neither is the Council. We're just getting started making Minneapolis the most bike-friendly city in the country.