Minneapolis Ranks 2nd in Bike Commuting (as of 2007)

This may be old news, but it is encouraging...

Minneapolis Ranks High Among Bicycle Commuters, Public Transit and Walking

Published January 16, 2007 by MyFox Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minneapolis is full of green commuters, according to new U.S. Census numbers. The city is a national leader in the percentage of people who walk, bike and take public transit to work.

Among the 50 largest U.S. cities, Minneapolis ranks second to Portland, Ore. with 2.5 percent of commuters getting to work by bike -- a slight increase from 2005. The national average for bicycle commuters in the U.S. is only 0.4 percent.

The number of people walking to work increased from 5.8 percent in 2005 to 7.1 percent in 2006. Minneapolis holds the No. 8 ranking of walking cities in the country and ranked eleventh in the nation for rate of people taking public transit to work. In 2006, 13.2 percent of people reported they took transit to work, which is an increase over the 12.5 percent rate from 2005.
Minneapolis city leaders hope to maintain the city’s status as a bikeable and walkable city by expanding the number of new bikeways and walking trails each year. The city says more than two dozen new projects are in the works that will provide new trails, lanes and other improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.

The Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Project has recently awarded $7 million in federal money for bicycling and walking projects in Minneapolis and other Twin Cities communities. Only four cities in the country were selected to receive the grant money, and with these funds, Minneapolis plans to increase the miles of bikeways in the city and eventually double the amount of bicycle riding in the city.

Image attribution: www.stlbikefed.org/Portals/2/Bikerbetty.jpg