Central NY City Rated Among Nation’s Best for Cyclists

While Central NY can boast over having one of the nation's best bike-friendly cities, 2 Upstate cities were voted the country's worst.

A new survey of the safest bike cities in the United States had mixed opinions about New York.

Find out where in the Empire State you can safely enjoy an eco-friendly commute and the places you are better off hailing a cab.

Celebrating Syracuse

Personal injury law firm, Bisnar Chase, wanted to find out where people who regularly commute by bike feel the most and least confident in the country. About 3,000 cyclists rated their commutes on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 indicated feeling the safest.

In a new list of the 250 most and least feared cities to cycle in, Syracuse was dubbed the third safest city in the nation.

Per the report:

Syracuse earns its high ranking through concerted efforts in improving its cycling infrastructure. This includes expansive bike lanes, connected trails, and clear route indicators. Local authorities also promote mutual understanding between drivers and cyclists.

The city offers over 80 miles of bike lanes that separates them from motorized traffic. Additionally, cyclists highlighted the many dedicated trails Syracuse has to offer, including the popular Erie Canalway Trail and the Onondaga Lake Trail.

In all, Syracuse tied in third place with a score of 8.8 out of 10. Two other localities earned the same score: Kent, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

Raleigh, North Carolina, and Virginia Beach respectively finished in second and first place.

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But now that we got the good stuff out of the way, it's time to turn our attention to the not-so-great news.

Despite pouring time and resources into becoming more "bike-friendly," two Upstate NY cities found themselves at the bottom of the list

Buffalo and Rochester are cities cyclists fear most

Cyclists did not have great things to say about Upstate NY. Starting with Buffalo, the Queen city was voted 131rd place out of 250 cities. That's not a good look for the state's 2nd largest city.

You have to score to the 200s to find Rochester, who fared even worse. The city earned a score of 5.7 out of 10 and finished in 208th place in the roundup.

And while this is plenty embarrassing, nothing compares to how cyclists feel about the Big Apple.

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New York City fared even worse with an abysmal score of 5.4 out of 10, finishing in the bottom 25. Out of all 250 ranked cities, NYC was in 228th place.

However, one of the worst cities of all turned out to be Yonkers. With an overall score of 5.1 out of 10, Yonkers was number 237 on this list.

Respondents also tore into the suburb for hosting a "variety of safety issues."

The city's roadways are often ill-designed for biking, characterized by narrow lanes and swift vehicular traffic. A limited number of dedicated bike lanes or paths means cyclists frequently have to navigate alongside cars, posing considerable risks. Moreover, motorists often exhibit a lack of awareness about cyclists, either by not actively spotting them or by not allocating sufficient room when overtaking.

And for those curious about the three worst cities for cyclists, the cities that finished in the bottom three were Huntsville, Alabama, in third; Memphis, Tennessee, in second; and Columbus, Georgia, voted the worst overall city to ride a bike.

Check out the infographic HERE to see how cyclists felt about the rest of the country's major cities.

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