Minneapolis Named Top U.S. City for Cycling
New bike infrastructure and design changes help Minneapolis surpass previous leaders for urban cycling safety.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Cycling
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Urban planner Ray Delahanty has identified Minneapolis as the top city in the United States for cycling. The CityNerd host noted that recent infrastructure upgrades have helped the city surpass previous leader Portland.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights the impact of specific urban design strategies on bikeability and road safety. For residents and city planners alike, the shift underscores how physical separation between road users and vehicle traffic can effectively improve commuter experiences.
Transportation planner Ray Delahanty identified Minneapolis as the top cycling city based on his field review of infrastructure, ranking it 4th on his list of undervalued U.S. cities. Whether these infrastructure gains will sustain the city's lead against other growing urban cycling networks remains to be seen.
The players
Ray Delahanty
A Portland-based transportation planner and the creator of the YouTube channel CityNerd.
The details
Minneapolis achieved its status by implementing sidewalk-level, raised bike infrastructure that provides physical separation between cyclists and road users. The city also utilizes traffic calming measures such as narrowing, consolidating, or eliminating driveways to reduce vehicle speeds. These design choices mirror high-standard cycling infrastructure models found in the Netherlands.
Timeline
Minneapolis surpassed Portland as the premier cycling city between 2016 and 2018.
The review of city infrastructure was published in October 2026.
Health Landscape
This development reflects a growing trend in urban planning that prioritizes active transit to improve public health and accessibility. It marks a departure from historical U.S. city designs that largely centered on vehicle throughput rather than multimodal safety.
For residents, these protected lanes offer a safer way to incorporate daily physical activity into a commute. If you are considering cycling more, check your local city planning website to identify which routes in your area have been upgraded with physical separation.
The takeaway
Consistent infrastructure investments have transformed Minneapolis into a leading environment for safe urban cycling. Residents can track further improvements by monitoring upcoming city department of transportation public meetings.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments and local infrastructure initiatives in Minneapolis Cycling.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Star Tribune.
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