Portland’s Bike Scene Scored High for Ridership, Low for Inclusivity in a New Study

Published by Places for Bikes, the study ranked more than 400 cities.

Cyclists on the Hawthorne Bridge. (Natalie Behring)
By Shannon Gormley

A new study has broken down Portland's strengths and weakness as a bicycle city with unprecedented nuance.

Published by Places for Bikes, the study ranked more than 400 cities for things like ridership and infrastructure, plus often overlooked factors such as perceived safety and economic and racial inclusivity. Bike Portland first reported on the study.

As usual with rankings of bike-friendly cities, Portland's overall score placed it high on the list—it's the top major city, and fourth overall.

But the detailed study also provides figures on what Portland still needs to work on. It ranked first for ridership, and particularly stood out for the number of riders who commute from far outside the city center, but did not excel when evaluated for factors like ridership growth and infrastructure.

Portland's lowest score was for inclusivity, with only two out of five stars, putting it in 195th place.

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