People4Bikes has released their new city ratings. Somerville and Cambridge both took a big nosedive in their scores, and I generally don't feel that the ratings are doing a good job of representing the biking experience in these cities relative to others.
June 19, 2026 at 1:57 AM
People4Bikes has released their new city ratings. Somerville and Cambridge both took a big nosedive in their scores, and I generally don't feel that the ratings are doing a good job of representing the biking experience in these cities relative to others.
Not chiming in re people4bikes, but re cdot spokesperson claims. Vast majority of bike friendly streets are “greenways”, which suck shit. Sorry, not sorry, but “shared lanes” can eat shit. Especially: @granvillebikelane.bsky.social
www.chicago.gov/city/en/site...
www.chicago.gov/city/en/site...
July 10, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Not chiming in re people4bikes, but re cdot spokesperson claims. Vast majority of bike friendly streets are “greenways”, which suck shit. Sorry, not sorry, but “shared lanes” can eat shit. Especially: @granvillebikelane.bsky.social
www.chicago.gov/city/en/site...
www.chicago.gov/city/en/site...
Somerville is down at #32, below such biking havens as Bedford, Hopkinton, Lynnfield, and Acton
#massachusetts #biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
#massachusetts #biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
June 21, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Somerville is down at #32, below such biking havens as Bedford, Hopkinton, Lynnfield, and Acton
#massachusetts #biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
#massachusetts #biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
People4Bikes rating is not well correlated with bike to work mode share
August 3, 2025 at 2:51 PM
People4Bikes rating is not well correlated with bike to work mode share
This isn't because People4Bikes is just fucking around: They've done a lot of genuinely good and tricky technical work to try to come up with a universal assessment of quality of bike infrastructure, but creating a universal metric at the hyper-detailed scale using freely available data is hard.
June 19, 2026 at 1:57 AM
This isn't because People4Bikes is just fucking around: They've done a lot of genuinely good and tricky technical work to try to come up with a universal assessment of quality of bike infrastructure, but creating a universal metric at the hyper-detailed scale using freely available data is hard.
I think that rather than looking at the rankings themselves as a number, the most useful way to look at People4Bikes is to look at the street network story and just ask: where are the gaps that we have that we can fill in order to create a more connected low stress travel network?
June 19, 2026 at 1:57 AM
I think that rather than looking at the rankings themselves as a number, the most useful way to look at People4Bikes is to look at the street network story and just ask: where are the gaps that we have that we can fill in order to create a more connected low stress travel network?
And some of these things are simply based on the fact that despite our progress in creating safer streets, building a truly complete network is hard, and a network-based measurement like People4Bikes is using in their latest assessment is going to capture that better than a different approach.
June 19, 2026 at 1:57 AM
And some of these things are simply based on the fact that despite our progress in creating safer streets, building a truly complete network is hard, and a network-based measurement like People4Bikes is using in their latest assessment is going to capture that better than a different approach.
#people4bikes just released their 2026 city rankings
https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026s-best-places-to-bike
This is a really cool project that tries to estimate the biking stress level of every street in a city, and calculate how likely you can get to where you want to go on low stress […]
https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026s-best-places-to-bike
This is a really cool project that tries to estimate the biking stress level of every street in a city, and calculate how likely you can get to where you want to go on low stress […]
Original post on better.boston
better.boston
June 21, 2026 at 11:17 PM
#people4bikes just released their 2026 city rankings
https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026s-best-places-to-bike
This is a really cool project that tries to estimate the biking stress level of every street in a city, and calculate how likely you can get to where you want to go on low stress […]
https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026s-best-places-to-bike
This is a really cool project that tries to estimate the biking stress level of every street in a city, and calculate how likely you can get to where you want to go on low stress […]
The Community Path is part of 2 major trails (MCRT, Minuteman) that go through Cambridge, and Cambridge has co-signed letters to the state/feds about completing the CPX and MCRT. They have direct influence here!
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
June 22, 2026 at 12:16 AM
The Community Path is part of 2 major trails (MCRT, Minuteman) that go through Cambridge, and Cambridge has co-signed letters to the state/feds about completing the CPX and MCRT. They have direct influence here!
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
Yeah, it's far from perfect but it's what we have. In California the 3 class system was a pile of unintended consequences pushed into being, largely by People4Bikes, w/o having actually vetted it w/ stakeholder orgs. It was an industry push to regulate industry. Road & dirt ramifications are v diff.
October 28, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Yeah, it's far from perfect but it's what we have. In California the 3 class system was a pile of unintended consequences pushed into being, largely by People4Bikes, w/o having actually vetted it w/ stakeholder orgs. It was an industry push to regulate industry. Road & dirt ramifications are v diff.
@usa.streetsblog.org I wish that is what we could learn from the ratings, but the scheme is just horribly broken for small (and even mid-sized) cities
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
Boston Bike Data (@BostonBikeData@better.boston)
#People4Bikes just released their 2026 city rankings https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026s-best-places-to-bike This is a really cool project that tries to estimate the biking stress level of every street in a city, and calculate how likely you can get to where you want to go on low stress streets. However, taking a look at how #CambridgeMA and #SomervilleMA are rated, I have some questions and thoughts. Let's dive in! 🧵 #BikeTooter #BikeBoston
better.boston
June 26, 2026 at 2:26 PM
@usa.streetsblog.org I wish that is what we could learn from the ratings, but the scheme is just horribly broken for small (and even mid-sized) cities
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
@bikepedantic.bsky.social I have some thoughts on the changes to the system
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
Boston Bike Data (@BostonBikeData@better.boston)
#People4Bikes just released their 2026 city rankings https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026s-best-places-to-bike This is a really cool project that tries to estimate the biking stress level of every street in a city, and calculate how likely you can get to where you want to go on low stress streets. However, taking a look at how #CambridgeMA and #SomervilleMA are rated, I have some questions and thoughts. Let's dive in! 🧵 #BikeTooter #BikeBoston
better.boston
June 23, 2026 at 8:49 PM
@bikepedantic.bsky.social I have some thoughts on the changes to the system
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
But there are 2 major things that are negatively affecting the scores, but first let's explain the scoring system:
You get 60 points for being able to get to 1 station, and the other 40 points are the % of other stations within 1.7mi are completely low-stress to get to.
#people4bikes
You get 60 points for being able to get to 1 station, and the other 40 points are the % of other stations within 1.7mi are completely low-stress to get to.
#people4bikes
June 22, 2026 at 1:59 AM
But there are 2 major things that are negatively affecting the scores, but first let's explain the scoring system:
You get 60 points for being able to get to 1 station, and the other 40 points are the % of other stations within 1.7mi are completely low-stress to get to.
#people4bikes
You get 60 points for being able to get to 1 station, and the other 40 points are the % of other stations within 1.7mi are completely low-stress to get to.
#people4bikes
Back to diving in deep on the methodology, using Cambridge as an example (follow along here https://bna.peopleforbikes.org/cities/United%20States/Massachusetts/Cambridge)
#people4bikes
#people4bikes
PeopleForBikes Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA) - PeopleForBikes Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA)
bna.peopleforbikes.org
June 22, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Back to diving in deep on the methodology, using Cambridge as an example (follow along here https://bna.peopleforbikes.org/cities/United%20States/Massachusetts/Cambridge)
#people4bikes
#people4bikes
P4B are claiming that these ratings are valuable for city planners, so let's talk about what actually gets people on bikes!
"This program helps cities identify gaps in their bike networks, highlights opportunities to improve, and benchmarks progress over time."
#people4bikes
"This program helps cities identify gaps in their bike networks, highlights opportunities to improve, and benchmarks progress over time."
#people4bikes
June 22, 2026 at 12:54 AM
P4B are claiming that these ratings are valuable for city planners, so let's talk about what actually gets people on bikes!
"This program helps cities identify gaps in their bike networks, highlights opportunities to improve, and benchmarks progress over time."
#people4bikes
"This program helps cities identify gaps in their bike networks, highlights opportunities to improve, and benchmarks progress over time."
#people4bikes
I alluded to it before, but P4B did make a major change to their methodology this year. You can read about the changes and rationale here: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026-city-ratings-methodology.
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
2026 City Ratings Methodology Updates: What Is Changing and Why It Matters | PeopleForBikes
Every year, PeopleForBikes uses the Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA) to produce our annual City Ratings, a data-driven measure of how well a city’s bike network connects people to the places they want to go. This program helps cities identify gaps in their bike networks, highlights opportunities to improve, and benchmarks progress over time.
www.peopleforbikes.org
June 21, 2026 at 11:52 PM
I alluded to it before, but P4B did make a major change to their methodology this year. You can read about the changes and rationale here: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026-city-ratings-methodology.
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
FWIW, #boston, #brooklinema, #arlingtonma, #medfordma, #walthamma, #newtonma are all basically level
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
June 21, 2026 at 11:29 PM
FWIW, #boston, #brooklinema, #arlingtonma, #medfordma, #walthamma, #newtonma are all basically level
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
#biketooter #bikeboston #people4bikes
RT: Today's Headlines - Eyes on the Street: A tree-root-damaged city facility sidewalk we'd like to see repaired. ... <a href="http://ow.ly/2FAjvX" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">http://ow.ly/2FAjvX
Today's Headlines - Streetsblog Los Angeles
Caltrans Endorses NACTO: Great Bike/Walk Facilities (People4Bikes – SB Story Shortly) Rancho Cucamonga To Charge For Parking At Metrolink Station (Daily Bulletin) Horrific Freeway Bus Crash, 10 Dead (LAT) 105 Freeway Jam (LAT Twitter) New “Walk The Historic Core” DTLA Walking Guides Available (Downtown News) History of Anti-Jewish Restrictive Covenants in Hancock Park (Jewish Journal via […]
ow.ly
November 7, 2024 at 3:32 PM
RT: Today's Headlines - Eyes on the Street: A tree-root-damaged city facility sidewalk we'd like to see repaired. ... <a href="http://ow.ly/2FAjvX" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">http://ow.ly/2FAjvX
in which I rant about People4Bikes city ratings
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
Boston Bike Data (@BostonBikeData@better.boston)
#People4Bikes just released their 2026 city rankings https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/2026s-best-places-to-bike This is a really cool project that tries to estimate the biking stress level of every street in a city, and calculate how likely you can get to where you want to go on low stress streets. However, taking a look at how #CambridgeMA and #SomervilleMA are rated, I have some questions and thoughts. Let's dive in! 🧵 #BikeTooter #BikeBoston
better.boston
June 22, 2026 at 2:40 AM
in which I rant about People4Bikes city ratings
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870
https://better.boston/@BostonBikeData/116790647709234870