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Utrecht tops global cycling cities index, Bristol leads UKUtrecht cyclists (picture credit Visit-Utrecht.com)

Utrecht tops global cycling cities index, Bristol leads UK

German insurer ranked 90 cities worldwide on criteria including safety and infrastructure
by Simon_MacMichael
Wed, May 15, 2019 09:36
13

New research ranking cities around the world on cycle-friendliness puts Utrecht in the Netherlands top of the list, with neither Amsterdam nor Copenhagen making the top three – while Bristol, in 17th place, is the leading British city.

Compiled by German insurer Coya, the 2019 Bicycle Cities Index rates 90 cities on a number of criteria including theft and casualty rates, investment in infrastructure, percentage of people cycling, bike share availability and initiatives such as car free day and participation in Critical Mass to produce an overall ranking.

Utrecht came out top by a long way, with a total score of 77.84, followed in second place on 66.15 by Munster, one of seven German cities to make the top 20. Third was Antwerp in Belgium, followed by Copenhagen and Amsterdam, although there was very little between their respective scores.

There is one big caveat, however, which is that the research does not seek to establish a definitive list of the best cities for cycling – as Coya points out, “90 cities were selected for their willingness to invest and work on initiatives to improve cycling infrastructure and safety.

“The study does not reflect the best and worst cities for cycling, but rather evaluates the cycling climate for these 90 cities based on factors related to bike-users.”

That helps explains why Cambridge – which one might expect to at least figure somewhere on a ranking of this type and perhaps lead other British cities – doesn’t feature; it simply wasn’t chosen.

Besides Bristol, the other two places here that were chosen were Edinburgh, which was ranked 53rd overall, and London, which came 62nd.

Also missing from the list is Groningen, widely seen in the Netherlands and beyond as perhaps the best city for cycling on the planet.

You can find the full ranking and methodology here, and it is possible to toggle individual criteria to see which cities come out best (or worst) for individual factors.

For example, Singapore was assessed as having the lowest levels of bike theft and Johannesburg the highest, while for the overall infrastructure score, Geneva topped the list while Lagos came bottom.

Coya says: “As digital insurance specialists and committed bikers ourselves, we firmly believe that cyclists should be free to get from A to B, without having to worry about road quality, safety or bicycle theft.

“To delve into the topic further, we decided to investigate which cities around the world are improving their overall cycling conditions, as well as encouraging bicycle-usage as a healthy, sustainable mode of transport.

“We then ranked each location's efforts to determine the best cycling cities, as, after all, we believe that the road to future mobility is on two wheels.”

Bicycle Cities Index
Coya
Utrecht
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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13 comments

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richliv | 5 years ago
1 like

I cycled through Bristol last Saturday with a friend who was doing LEJOG (I wasn't, I just met up). Although the traffic system is a bit wacky and you have to keep your wits about you,it wasn't half as bad for motorist aggression/congestion as my experience of Watford. Plus, there are at least some cycle paths. But Utrecht, which I've cycled in and around, is on a different planet (X) altogether. Free bike lockups, properly segregated cycle lanes, presumption of right of way for cyclists and far far more cyclists than motor vehicles of any kind. We may never get that close in the UK but I hope things are moving in that direction. Probably low emission zones will help - I am looking forward to the Bath zone even though it will inconvenience me as a driver.

Avatar
richliv | 5 years ago
3 likes

I cycled through Bristol last Saturday with a friend who was doing LEJOG (I wasn't, I just met up). Although the traffic system is a bit wacky and you have to keep your wits about you,it wasn't half as bad for motorist aggression/congestion as my experience of Watford. Plus, there are at least some cycle paths. But Utrecht, which I've cycled in and around, is on a different planet (X) altogether. Free bike lockups, properly segregated cycle lanes, presumption of right of way for cyclists and far far more cyclists than motor vehicles of any kind. We may never get that close in the UK but I hope things are moving in that direction. Probably low emission zones will help - I am looking forward to the Bath zone even though it will inconvenience me as a driver.

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
0 likes

Insurers doing a cycle survey that is incomplete and misleading, quelle surprise.

'Although, Coya is starting with renter’s insurance, Shaw and his co-founders have big plans for the company’s platform, with insurance products across property, accident, personal liability and personal finance'

https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/05/coya-raises-30-million-to-launch-its-i...

So basically it's about what they can charge/make profit from people for insurance policies in certain areas based on flawed data!

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
2 likes

I'm eagerly awaiting the grand re-opening of the Cheesegrater Bridge: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/cheesegrater-bridge-fully-operational-very-2863367

It'll stop me feeling guilty for never dismounting (well, maybe twice when it was really windy) whilst crossing the Valentine Bridge despite the fake "Cyclists must dismount" signs.

Edit: Looks like it's having a grand re-opening on Saturday 18th May:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/cheese-grater-bridge-temple-meads-2877494

Avatar
Rick_Rude | 5 years ago
2 likes

Isn't Bristol where half the horror stories of cycling come from?

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hawkinspeter replied to Rick_Rude | 5 years ago
2 likes

Rick_Rude wrote:

Isn't Bristol where half the horror stories of cycling come from?

Maybe we're just more mouthy about it.

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Canyon48 | 5 years ago
2 likes

Bristol.... Best city to cycle in in the UK....?

I spent four years having to commute into Bristol, usually on my bike, it was awful for cycling.

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burtthebike replied to Canyon48 | 5 years ago
3 likes

Canyon48 wrote:

Bristol.... Best city to cycle in in the UK....?

I spent four years having to commute into Bristol, usually on my bike, it was awful for cycling.

If you rode in from the north, that was probably South Glos, which is to cycle provision as Trump is to truth.  They've got great policies though.

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fukawitribe replied to Canyon48 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Canyon48 wrote:

Bristol.... Best city to cycle in in the UK....?

Ah, but it's not saying that though

“The study does not reflect the best and worst cities for cycling, but rather evaluates the cycling climate for these 90 cities based on factors related to bike-users.”

..and the selection seems rather arbitrary to say the least- as others have mentioned.

Canyon48 wrote:

I spent four years having to commute into Bristol, usually on my bike, it was awful for cycling.

It's getting better though... and from nearly 50 years, on and off, pootling around it, it wasn't that bad before IMO except for the centre - and that's where a bunch of the cycling and pedestrians improvements have been made.. not brilliant, but not too bad.

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
3 likes

While it's gratifying, as a local campaigner, that Bristol is top of the list in the UK, it is very far from cycing paradise, so what the hell is the rest of the country like?

There have been welcome improvements, but we are so far from anything the Dutch or Danes would recognise as suitable for cycling, and progress is so slow with so much opposition, that I really am surprised to find Bristol top.

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hawkinspeter replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

While it's gratifying, as a local campaigner, that Bristol is top of the list in the UK, it is very far from cycing paradise, so what the hell is the rest of the country like?

There have been welcome improvements, but we are so far from anything the Dutch or Danes would recognise as suitable for cycling, and progress is so slow with so much opposition, that I really am surprised to find Bristol top.

The survey only picked a few cities - only Bristol, Edinburgh and London for the UK.

It's a bit arbitrary to be honest, but it's probably useful as a way of starting discussions about improving infrastructure etc.

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Danger Dicko | 5 years ago
1 like

I'm not surprised that Bristol topped the list.

It's woeful road system and atrocious public transport system means cycling is often the least worst option to take.

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bobbinogs | 5 years ago
2 likes

I think the report is a little misleading.  The authors admit that they selected the cities to be reviewed but do not outline what criteria they used for that selection. 

I suspect that a worldwide survey of all cities would show every single NL city above any UK city, whereas only 2 NL cities (Utrecht and Amsterdam) were chosen and 3 UK ones (Bristol, Edinburgh and London).  It would also show where Britain stacks up across the globe (somewhere in the middle, perhaps). 

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