Streetlight Ranks Top U.S. Cities for Walking, Biking
A Streetlight Data report ranks the 100 largest U.S. cities by bicycle and pedestrian miles traveled per capita.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in City Hall
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Do you walk or bike for most short trips in your city?
Streetlight Data released a report ranking the 100 largest U.S. cities by bicycle and pedestrian miles traveled per capita. New York City and Boise, Idaho, lead in biking, while Orlando, Florida, and Boston lead in walking.
Why it matters
Across the cities studied, walking accounts for seven times more miles annually than biking, and the rankings track with infrastructure and destinations like trails, universities, and entertainment districts. The findings arrive as the Federal Highway Administration removed bicycle lanes and speed safety cameras from its list of proven safety countermeasures in July.
The report measures bicycle and pedestrian travel as miles traveled per capita across the 100 largest U.S. cities by population. Walking accounts for seven times more miles annually than biking in the cities studied, and the report does not address how the July federal changes will alter local outcomes.
The players
Streetlight Data
A transportation analytics company that uses mobile location data to measure how people travel across U.S. cities.
Federal Highway Administration
The federal agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that oversees the nation's highway system and safety programs.
Rick Larsen
A Democratic U.S. Representative from Washington state who is widely known for his work on transportation policy.
The details
Cities with plentiful bike trails, such as Chicago's Lakefront Trail and Seattle's Burke-Gilman Trail, show more bike use, while cities with universities, theme parks, zoos, entertainment districts, and boardwalks show more walking. Las Vegas, Norfolk, Virginia, and five Texas cities rank among the bottom 100 biking cities, and Milwaukee, Mesa, Tucson, and four California cities rank among the bottom 100 walking cities.
Timeline
July: The Federal Highway Administration removed bicycle lanes, road diets, speed safety cameras, and variable speed limits from its list of proven safety countermeasures.
November 4, 2026: Streetlight Data published the bicycle and walking travel report.
Next Congress: Rep. Rick Larsen is likely to become chair of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
City Hall
The July removal of bicycle lanes, road diets, and speed safety cameras from the Federal Highway Administration's list of proven safety countermeasures sets a federal backdrop against which these city-level walking and biking rankings now appear. Local transportation decisions in the largest U.S. cities will be weighed against that revised federal list.
Residents in the highest-ranked biking and walking cities may see more options for getting around without a car, while residents in bottom-ranked cities face fewer. The federal removal of bike lanes and speed cameras from the list of proven safety countermeasures could affect which local street-safety projects receive federal support.
The takeaway
Where a city builds trails, safe crossings, and destinations shapes how much residents walk and bike, so local transportation choices matter for everyday mobility. Readers in lower-ranked cities can ask local officials about how street design affects travel options.
What happens next
Rep. Rick Larsen is likely to become chair of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the next Congress, which could shape federal transportation policy going forward.
Further reading
For related local decision-making, see City Hall coverage of transportation policy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Smart Cities Dive.
Live Poll
Do you walk or bike for most short trips in your city?
