The Top 10 Cities For Cycling 2019 | What Makes A City Bike Friendly?

Just where are the best cities for cycling in the the world? Every year the Copenhagenize index analyses a variety of factors to determine the most bike friendly places to live. Chris takes a look at the top 10.

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– It’s that time in the biennial cycle again where Copenhagenize.eu announce their winners and losers in the world of city cycling provisions and there are quite a few surprises this time round. Before we get going though, please give this video a big thumbs up and

If you haven’t already done so, subscribe to the channel. Now once every two years, Copenhagenize.eu take time out from their day to day work of planning, design and analysis of city infrastructure to provide an index of how cities across the world score based on a wide variety of parameters for cycling,

14 of them to be exact. We’re now onto the fifth release of their index with the first one coming way back out in 2011. So we thought now would be a good time to update you with the new top 10. Just before we start with the top 10 though,

I do feel an honorable mention should go to Bogota in 12th place. Will we see a dramatic rise in investment to the city after the phenom of Egan Bernal at this year’s Tour De France? Ciclovia, which is a weekly activity where hundreds of city roads are closed to vehicles,

Is cited for their dramatic rise into the top 20. The goal for the city is for all residents to have a bike lane within 500 meters of their front door. First up then, in 10th place with a score of 59% is Helsinki, and it’s a huge jump up from 18th the year before.

They now boast three and a half thousand share bikes across the city. Helsinki have their sights set on becoming the world’s best metropolis for sustainable transport, which, considering just how regularly they have heavy snowfall each winter, is a commendable goal. They currently have 1300 kilometers of cycling

Provisions in place, and they’re aiming to have a total of 160 kilometers of uninterrupted cycle highways built. Although right now, they do only have 20. But, it’s a clear sign of their intent for the future. In at number nine and climbing rapidly since 2015, is Vienna, with 60.7% on the index.

Recent initiatives including the hashtag, why don’t you cycle, have really helped boost the popularity of cycle use across the town. 300 cargo bikes have even been purchased via a subsidy scheme for local businesses. Cargo bikes have long been popular in Vienna as they’ve been free to rent for locals

Who wish to use them for heavier deliveries than could be carried on a regular bike. How does 5,000 bike parking spaces built over the last two years sound? In at number eight is Paris. Since 2011, Paris has suffered a little in comparison to other members of this top ten club.

They are now two places behind their previous best of sixth. However, they are a lot higher than their worst position of 19th. The score this time round is 61.6% which shows two things, just how much other cities are working for their cycle provisions, meaning anyone that doesn’t continue to

Develop their infrastructure will be left behind, it also shows that if you do commit to a scheme, you can quickly turn these results around. Paris currently has over 14,500 hire bikes in their network used by 150,000 members of the service. But, there is work to do. Currently only 5% of all journeys

Are currently completed by bike, which is a far cry from their 2020 goal of 15%. In at number seven, and the rising star award goes to Oslo. Last time around, they made 19th spot, and they have seriously climbed this time. 62.5% on the leaderboard or on the index.

For hilly, wintery cities, Oslo is a leading force proving that terrain and weather should not be excuses for avoiding sustainable transport. Cars have been banned from the city center, the center one point three square kilometers and 1,000 car parking spots have been removed. Again, like Vienna, subsidies are in place

For people to purchase cargo bikes and secure bike parking has been invested in too. The Sykkel Hotell, that’s what it’s called. And if you were worried about riding in the winter, 400 of their hire bikes from their share scheme come with studded tires. At number six, 68.8% of the score on the index

Goes to Bordeaux in sixth place. Despite only 35 kilometers of dedicated cycle lanes, 13% of all journeys are made by bike. There are dedicated areas of the city where vehicles are now banned, which has seen a growth of 20% of cycle use in these areas. When you consider trams and pedestrians

Still use the same area, that is an incredible statistic. To improve though, they will need more dedicated cycle tracks, parking and hire bikes, but they have so far held a steady position within the top 10. Fifth on the first edition, sixth, sixth and sixth again.

In at number five, and down one spot from last time is Strasbourg. They are our first entry above 70% on the index. 16% of all residents are currently already commuting to work by bike, with many of the intercity deliveries also now dropped via a cargo bike rather than the traditional van method.

The main focus of the city is to remove vehicles, introducing a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists alike. In at number four, and already showing steady progression is Antwerp. 73.2% on the index. Now any professional cyclist that has ever raced the Antwerp zeehavenbahn will know that the main obstacle in this Belgian city

Is actually negotiating the railway and tram tracks. Now almost all joking aside, I got another one in a minute, 33% of journeys are made by bike in Antwerp, and the city center now has a blanket speed limit of 30 kilometers an hour for safety. Antwerp is also home to Europe’s largest

Free to use car park underneath the Kennedytunnel. This is otherwise known as the E17 A14 motorway. That’s the joke. So perhaps it’s no surprise that they want to rid the city center of this congestion in favor of free flowing cycle infrastructure. Into the top three now, and it is tight at the top.

Utrecht actually drops a place down to third, but to highlight just how far ahead these top three are, Utrecht score a whopping 88.4% on the index. Now for years, I lived outside of the city and I do know the area incredibly well, so to call cycling infrastructure in

The Netherlands world class is truly an understatement. It literally could not be easier to complete daily life chores, tasks and transport any other way. That said, times are changing. So to stay at the top, you also need to progress as well. Smart traffic signals that stop other traffic

And go green for cyclists will honestly be life changing to how thought free cycling is in the Netherlands. They’ve been trialed and tested in various places and they do look set to become more common place across the cities. Utrecht’s plans for the future revolve around bike parking, making it even easier for locals

And visitors to access the city center. Can you imagine what central station will look like with nigh on 33,000 bike parking slots? High up on our list, and yes I do know what I just said, is Amsterdam. Second place and scoring 89.3%, Amsterdam has never fallen out of the top three,

And if you’ve ever been there, it’s more than understandable. Amsterdam has focused on the ability to quickly and effectively transport the sheer volume of cyclists in and out of the city every day, nicknaming what are effectively cycle super highways the royal routes. Mopeds are set to be banned from cycle paths

Which is a big issue in parts of Holland and Belgium. Amsterdam will also be replacing car park spaces with bike parking spaces. Bike paths will be widened to make the flow easier for all users and sign posting looks set to be improved. Can they jostle back into first position next time round?

Holding strong at the top of our list is Copenhagen. 90.2% on the index, Copenhagen is for the third time in a row, the top ranked city for cycling in the world. How about some stats for Copenhagen? 62% of their trips to school or work are now made by bike, which is phenomenal.

A series of bridges have been, or are under construction across the city, shortening journey times and taking cyclists away from traffic. 40 Euros per person is spent annually on cycling infrastructure, which ensures they remain the benchmark for all other cities to aspire towards. Five and a half meter wide bike lanes

Make for safer and more comfortable use for all people on bikes. Frankly, Copenhagen know what they’re doing. So there you have it, the Copenhagenize.eu top 10 cities for cycling across the world. Do you have any suggestions for any cities that you feel should make it into the top 10,

Or top 20 next time round? Drop them in the comments below and for more city cycling videos, click just down there.