Missoula Recognized as One of the Best Cities for Bicycling
One of the many great things about living in Missoula is the amount of outdoor activities that are available. There's an endless amount of fun to be had - and we're starting to see everyone get outside as the weather is heating up. Ask someone their plans for the weekend and there's a good chance that hiking, biking, jogging, boating, fishing, or hunting is going to be part of their reply.
If you've ever lived in a city full of hills that made biking tough, you can appreciate Missoula's layout. It's pretty flat, and when you throw in some designated trails, it makes for an enjoyable biking experience. A new bike has been on my wish list for a bit now. I told my wife I'm thinking about one of those electric-powered ones but she told me that defeats the whole purpose of getting out for a ride. But I need an upgrade - towing my two kids around in their bike trailer with my crappy bike is getting old fast.
We love seeing Missoula show up on lists like this that highlight the great parts of our community. PeopleForBikes just rated over 750 cities and communities as they ranked the bests places for bicycling. And the places they looked at were all over the world - their list includes 30 European, 42 Canadian and 35 Australian cities. When it was all said and done, the results show what we already know to be true when it comes to Missoula being a great place for bicycling. We ranked #3 on the list of medium-sized cities! How awesome is that?
We focused on bicycle networks because research shows that the best cities for bicycling have safe, comfortable, connected bike networks that allow riders to access the places they need to go, like work, school or local businesses. It really is as simple as, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ Building better bike infrastructure is the key to increasing ridership, improving safety and working towards equitable mobility. - Kyle Wagenschutz, vice president of local innovation at PeopleForBikes.
Keep putting the rubber to the road - we live in one of the very best places you can do it! Read more about how cities were ranked in a press release from PeopleForBikes HERE.