Popular Science - USA (2020 - Winter)

16 WINTER 2020 / POPSCI.COM

/

UTRECHT NETHERLANDS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

ANTWERP BELGIUM

COPENHAGEN DENMARK

AMSTERDAM NETHERLANDS

MALMÖ SWEDEN

HANGZHOU CHINA

BERN SWITZERLAND

BREMEN GERMANY

HANOVER GERMANY

EVENTS
Whether city has no-car
days • popularity of bike-
related events

SHARING
Number of bicycle sharing
or rental stations • number of
shared bikes

CRIME & SAFETY
Fatality rate • accident rate

• bicycle theft rate

WEATHER
Number of sunshine hours •
annual precipitation • number
of days between 32°F and 86°F

INFRASTRUCTURE
Number of bike shops •
bicycle roads per person

• investment

EVENTS

HIGHEST SCORE

POSSIBLE

SHARING

HIGHEST SCORE

POSSIBLE

RANK

SAFETY

HIGHEST SCORE

POSSIBLE

INFRASTRUCTURE

HIGHEST SCORE

POSSIBLE

WEATHER

HIGHEST SCORE

POSSIBLE

17 89

31

89

15

33

10

48

20

84

24

98

72

90

82

88

77

83

78

92

80

85

87

77

59

64

63

61

63

59

54

53

59

59

58

51

34

55

56

47

33

65

60

54

MÜNSTER GERMANY

280

3460

446

1166

218

1019

433

477

482

335

773

16 WINTER 2020 / POPSCI.COM

ABSTRACTED

by ANDREW SMALL /

illustration by MSJONESNYC

pedal pushers

AMSTERDAM WAS ONCE JUST
as car-clogged as any other major
city. But in 1995, bikers began to
outnumber drivers. Copen hagen
reached that same milestone in

2016. Like other modern pedaling
      paradises, they invested hundreds
      of millions in making roads safe
      and convenient for two-wheelers.
      Introducing bike sharing has en-
      couraged an influx of casual riders,
      and installing infrastructure like
      protected, designated cycle lanes
      has helped prevent crashes.
      This chart breaks down the five
      major factors that have gotten—and
      kept—gears turning in the top 10
      velophile havens around the world.
      One surprising finding? Weather
      isn’t everything. As daily cyclists in
      snowy Bern and rainy Antwerp will
      happily attest, pedaling is an excel-
      lent way to keep warm.

SOURCE: COYA 2019 BICYCLE CITIES INDEX

KEY