Could biking help us rethink what transportation looks like in American cities?

By Kira Donegan, Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels

For Carlos Gonzalez, a master’s student with no car at Syracuse University, biking is a daily commute. He’s one of a record 112 million Americans who rode a bike at least once in 2024, according to a biennial report from PeopleForBikes–a coalition dedicated to making the United States the best place for biking. Putting on his helmet, gloves, and occasional light with a bell for evening rides, Gonzalez weaves through downtown and the SU campus. 

“Biking through downtown is a little scarier when it’s busy, but it’s not always busy,busy. I mean, the nice thing about Syracuse is that there’s not a lot of people, so you can always find a semi-empty place to bike,” said Gonzalez. 

The uptick in biking comes with a rising awareness of greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, transportation makes up roughly one-fifth of carbon dioxide emissions. Around three-fourths of those emissions come from road transport, with 45% coming from passenger vehicles. In the U.S., where 92% of U.S. households own at least one car, the transportation sector made up 28% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022.

Many have started to question the sustainability of a car-based society – both environmentally and socially. Biking could provide a much needed breather. 

Moving toward sustainable urbanism

Greener transportation is part of a concept called sustainable urbanism, which combines New Urbanism, Smart Growth, and Green Urbanism. The goal is for urban development to enhance the long-term health of the ecology and human systems without destroying the environment. These urban design concepts have been around for decades. 

Today, there’s the 15-Minute City, where everything is accessible in, you guessed it, 15 minutes. The term was coined by Professor Carlos Moreno of the Paris Sorbonne Business Institute shortly after the Paris Agreement. When the concept was implemented in Paris from 2015 to 2020, use of cycling lanes increased by 47%. After a decade, nitrogen oxide pollutants went down 40%, while car traffic reduced by 45%. 

Benefits of bikes

Biking could help reduce the need for road expansion and large-scale parking spaces, since building our way out of congestion isn’t possible. Building more roadways for cars leads to induced demand, where over time more people use the new roadways and congestion starts again. One-time messages have failed to explain this feedback loop. In one study, participants forgot why exponential expansion was a problem in a mere six months, according to Professor Nick Klein. Since continuous building doesn’t work, switching to a new system, including biking, may be the solution.

In Paris, France, the city turned the Seine River’s expressways into car-free leisure areas along the bank, banned cars in front of 270 schools, turned nearly 300 streets into mini parks, and drastically improved air quality (the reduced nitrogen oxide). “The difference is totally amazing. Paris is one of the best in the world in cities now,” said Moreno, who hasn’t owned a car for 32 years. 

Biking is also one of the lowest impact and efficient ways to exercise. Just 20 minutes a day has a very positive impact, said Moreno. In fact, a recent Harvard study linked cycling to reducing the risk of diabetes, obesity, early death, and cardiovascular disease. Denver7’s On Two Wheels, based in Denver, Colorado, reported that biking releases mood-boosting endorphins, helps connect us to nature, and gives us a moment of control in hectic lifestyles.

“More people see biking as a practical, everyday option for transportation and as a great option for recreation. It’s a positive trend for health, safety, and local economies,” said Martina Haggerty, PeopleforBike’s Vice President of Infrastructure. The organization reports national growth in bike infrastructure for both recreation and transportation. 

Across the pond and back again

Europe is steps ahead of the U.S. on sustainable measures. Cities like Paris, France; Utrecht, Netherlands; and Copenhagen, Denmark are leading the charge for the metropoli of the future. Utrecht hosts Merwede, the city’s car-free district; the Dafne Schippersbrug, a bridge-path that runs over an elementary school; and the largest bike parking garage in the world. The city saves over $300 million annually from reduced air pollution and healthcare costs. Copenhagen encourages sustainable tourism, with the 2024 initiative CopenPay offering rewards like ice cream or a glass of wine in exchange for greener practices like taking a bike instead of a car. In Paris, only 20% of citizens own cars, said Moreno. 

But, American cities seem to be holding more space for helmets in their hearts. Over the last few years, the Heartland states–20 states in the midwestern U.S.– ranked highly among PeopleforBikes’s well-respected U.S. City Ratings. In 2025, Minneapolis, Minnesota, took the top spot. “The Heartland, like much of the U.S., is increasingly embracing biking, both culturally and structurally. Minneapolis shows what’s possible when a city commits to a connected, safe bike network,” wrote Haggerty in an email. The Greenway, the city’s 5.5-mile commuter bike path through town, is part of 250 miles of street bikeways that make Minneapolis a champion for urban cycling.

The push for politics

PeopleForBikes’ program measures progress by evaluating connectivity and quality of bike networks in around 3,000 communities worldwide. Its Bike Project Tracker highlights investments across the U.S. But communities that haven’t invested in bike networks yet may struggle to find the political backing, funding and advocacy for this change. New York City could certainly replicate a 15-Minute City and biking projects, but it all comes down to politics, said Moreno. 

Historically, policies limiting car usage aren’t popular. Yet many of today’s biking cities went through this process. In early 70s Amsterdam, a child was killed by car every day. Now it’s known as the bikeable city. “It needed 20 years,” said Moreno.

Injuries are on the minds of many potential pedalers, with bicycle fatalities increasing every year from 2017 to 2023, based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. One 2011 study in Montreal found that cycle tracks (routes separated from the road by a physical barrier) had a 28% lower injury rate than roads without them. With dedicated bike lanes and bikeways, like the 16 miles of on-street protected bikeways and over 200 miles combined of bike lanes and off-street trails and bikeways in Minneapolis, biking can become safer. 

Affordability

System change comes with a price. Proposed Trump administration tariffs could threaten how affordable it is to import bicycles and e-bikes. 

Some, like Moreno, believe the benefits of biking (including the “cost” of human wellbeing) outweigh the pricey initial investment. But Klein argues economic and social mobility should come first. “Transporation is a through line in all aspects of our lives,” said Klein. For the long term, it makes sense to change our built environment, but we can’t force people to wait, he added. Suburban sprawl makes it difficult to get around on foot or public transit even within a couple miles. Right now, it makes sense to implement programs supporting car ownership, improving access to jobs, school and housing, he said. 

Cities can adapt the avoid, shift, improve method. Avoid unsustainable transportation, like excessive flights. Shift to less energy intensive modes, like electric vehicles or bikes. Improve the transportation infrastructure altogether. Adopting such measures requires accessible services, like in Paris. Truly sustainable transportation needs walkability, bikeability and local mobility, said Moreno. 

The City of Syracuse established the Syracuse Bicycle Plan 2040 based on economic, health, community, equity, and safety benefits of biking. Gonzalez zips through campus and downtown Syracuse using marked bike lanes. At least, when they’re there. As of July 2025, 70% of the projects are unfinished, falling short on these promises. “I do wish there was a little bit more of a barrier, even if it was just like those flimsy cones or whatever,” Gonzalez said. “But it’s a good start, and this is the best place I’ve ever lived in for biking.” Syracuse’s Community Council will meet to refresh the plan over the next two years, sticking to the 2040 goal. 

The path to a better future is bumpy, but cities like Syracuse show hope for a new wave of sustainable transportation.