The Danish urban design firm, Copenhagenize, publishes annual bicycle friendliness rankings of cities around the world, based on the most important features.

This list of features is curated from a cross-section of citizens in a variety of places where cycling is already a major feature of urban planning and transportation. We list them below, together with the questions that a municipality should ask itself to test the effectiveness of their actions.

1.  Cycling Advocacy

How highly is a city's bicycle advocacy regarded and is it influential to other municipalities?

2.  Bicycle Culture

Is the bike used by everyday citizens or just delivery and marginalized people?

3.  Bicycle Infrastructure and Facilities

Are bike lanes just painted lines next to moving cars or are they separated from traffic?  Are there ample bike parking places on streets and adjacent to transit stops?  Can bikes be freely taken on buses and trains?

4.  Bicycle Share Program

Does the city have a comprehensive and well-used bike share program?

5.  Bicycle Modal Share and Increase Since 2006

How many people are regularly using bikes as opposed to other types of transportation?  How much has this number increased in the nine years since urban cycling began to take off?

6.  Perception of Safety

Do people in a given locality feel that bicycle riding is safe where they live?

7.  Politics and Urban Planning

Does the city prioritize cycling as a viable form of transportation?  What is the overall political climate?

8.  Social Acceptance

How do drivers and the public in general view bicycle riders?

9.  Traffic Calming

Are speed limits and automobile lanes being reduced so that pedestrians and cyclists feel safe?

10. Gender Split

Is it just young men who are cycling?