Vancouver only number 46 on world's bicycle-friendly cities list

If you thought Vancouver was a world-class city for bicycling, you are mistaken, according to the 2015 Copenhagenize Index for the world’s most bike-friendly metropolises.

The index ranks 122 cities to determine where the best places for urban cycling are in the world, with European cities dominating the list’s top 20 spots.

Using a criteria with 13 factors, the index looks at cycling advocacy, bike culture, facilities, infrastructure, bike share programs, gender splits, modal share for bicyclists, modal share increase since 2006, safety, politics, social acceptance, urban planning and traffic calming.

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“Every city used to be bicycle friendly before planners and engineers started to change the paradigm and plan for cars and relegate bicycle users, pedestrians and public transport users to third class citizens,” The Index states online. “Now those cities around the world who are taking up the challenge and modernising themselves by implementing bicycle infrastructure, policy, bike share systems, etc. – as well as restricting car use – are the cities we all look to for New Century inspiration.”

The only non-European cities to make the list were Buenos Aires, Minneapolis and Montreal. While the Index only publishes the top 20 areas, Vancity Buzz has learned Vancouver sits at number 46.

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The Copenhagenize Index for Bicycle-Friendly Cities top 20:

1. Copenhagen, Denmark

2. Amsterdam, Netherlands

3. Utrecht, Netherlands

4. Strasbourg, France

5. Eindhoven, Netherlands

6. Malmö, Sweden

7. Nantes, France

8. Bordeaux, France

9. Antwerp, Belgium

10. Seville, Spain

11. Barcelona, Catalonia

12. Berlin, Germany

13. Ljubljana, Slovenia

14. Buenos Aires, Argentina

15. Dublin, Ireland

16. Vienna, Austria

17. Paris, France

18. Minneapolis, USA

19. Hamburg, Germany

20. Montreal, Canada

…

46. Vancouver