Alexandria Named A 2018 Best Bike City In America

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Between a scenic bike route on the Mount Vernon Trail to bike lanes in Old Town and bikeshare stations, you might not be surprised to learn Alexandria was named one of the 2018 Best Bike Cities in America.

Bicycling Magazine looked at various aspects of bicycling when ranking the top 50 cities, from availability of bike lanes for places bikers can stop at. The magazine graded cities on a 100-point scale with four categories: safety, accessibility to riders of all ages, political climate relating to biking and the scenery and stops along bike routes.

According to the magazine, "the best cities are the ones that don’t cater to one specific type of rider—be it the daily commuter or competitive roadie."

Alexandria ranked 25th, up from 34th two years ago. The magazine states Alexandria could rise even more in the rankings by 2020.

What helped the city most involved safety measures, the adoption of the Vision Zero plan, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2028 and reducing speed limits on roadways.

While the magazine says Alexandria is on the way up, there is room for improvement. Some fixes could include bike lanes that protect riders better and improvements in the West End.

Here are the top 10 bike cities in America:

1. Seattle, WA
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Fort Collins, CO
4. Minneapolis, MN
5. Portland, OR
6. Chicago, IL
7. Eugene, OR
8. Madison, WI
9. New York, NY
10. Cambridge, MA

See the full list here.

Image via R. Kennedy/Visit Alexandria