Bikeshare from Coast to Coast
A recent article from Greater Greater Washington provides helpful data on the growth of bikeshare systems across the United States. The map below shows every bikeshare system in the nation that has at least two stations.
Map from Beyond DC
As Greater Greater Washington reports:
Almost every large city in the United States now has bikeshare. Any city without it should count itself way, way behind the curve. There are at least 119 systems nationwide, covering all but two of the 20 largest urban areas.
The list of 10 largest bikeshare systems (by number of stations) is mostly unsurprising, including such cities as Chicago, Miami and Washington, DC. But one stands out: Topeka, KS. That's right, Topeka Metro Bike boasts nearly 150 stations, serving a city of just 127,000 people.
Although, as GGWash points out:
It's hard to compare the systems on an apples-to-apples basis. The older and larger bikeshare systems rely solely on stations to dock bikes. But many newer systems don't need docks, or have simple racks instead of docks that serve as hubs.
In the case of Topeka, the city actually has more stations than bikes. Still, it's an impressive feat for such a small city.
Check out the full list of 119 cities with bikeshare.
My own city (Milwaukee) is tied for 18th place. That's something I'm pretty proud of and something I definitely take advantage of, especially when guests are visiting me. I'm fortunate to have several bikeshare stations within walking distance of my house.
What's bikeshare like in your town? Is it something you use or something you're hoping for in your city soon?
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