U.S. cities don't compete on bicycling scene

Here's What Americans Don't Get About Cycling — And Why It's A Problem

Alex Davies | Apr. 29, 2013, 12:25 PM
Business Insider

The 2013 Copenhagenize Index of the world's most bike-friendly cities is out, and not a single American metropolis made the top 20.

That's a problem — and not just a health-related one, said Mikael Colville-Andersen, CEO of Copenhagenize, the consulting and communications company that published the Index.

By failing to embrace cycling culture, American cities are losing out on significant financial benefits, Colville-Andersen told Business Insider. Studies show that every kilometer cycled in Denmark earns the country €.23 (partly because cyclists have been shown to spend more money in local stores), he said.

And even with significant taxation of automobiles, every kilometer driven in Denmark costs the country €.16.

The problem in the U.S. is all about perception, said Colville-Andersen. Many commuters see cycling as a form of exercise, not convenient transport, and cities are still being built around automobiles.

(Read more here.)