Arlington County rode ahead of D.C. in a newly-released bike friendliness rating.
The county was ranked No. 5 nationally for best urban area to bicycle, in rankings compiled by Colorado-based PeopleForBikes. The District of Columbia ranked No. 15. Boulder, Colorado was No. 1.
Arlington achieved its ranking in part due to a strong safety record, said spokesman Alex Showerman. Arlington ranked first in the U.S. for bicycle safety, according to the organization.
PeopleForBikes used data in five categories to rank each location: ridership, safety, network, acceleration, and reach.
Arlington County’s Department of Environmental Services took to social media Tuesday morning to tout the results.
Best bike "cities" in the USofA? Spoiler alert: We're No. 5, according to @PlacesForBikes. https://t.co/OonT3omjQv pic.twitter.com/vz2RAQokLn
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) May 7, 2019
The county recently updated its bike master plan for future cycling infrastructure after advocates shared the need for more safe routes.
PeopleForBikes studied cities nationwide based in part from data via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. The organization is planning to host a webinar with more details about the rankings and the data behind them next Tuesday, from 3-5 p.m.