(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Chicago is at the bottom of the barrel in a new report that ranks cities of all sizes for its bike safety, but one bicycling advocate notes there is an obvious solution to improve its rating.
Chicago was ranked 161st out of 163 big cities overall for “bikeability” in 2023, according to the organization People for Bikes. Chicago’s cumulative safety score is 7 out of 100, according to the group.
By comparison, the top-ranked large city in the United States, Minneapolis, scored a 68 out of 100.
Part of the reason why Chicago tanked is because the scoring algorithm considers residential streets with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour to be unsafe for cycling.
Alex Perez with the Active Transportation Alliance says his organization is working with Mayor Johnson's administration to try and lower speed limits.
Scores were also determined by cities’ number of protected bike lanes, grid connections and intersection safety.
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