These 7 Florida Cities Were Ranked The Worst Places To Ride A Bike In The US
Looks like you won't be saving at the pump here. 🚲⛽
A bike lane in Hollywood, FL.
Bike riding has become quite a popular trend since gas prices have skyrocketed, and LawnStarter released a list that ranks the best cities to ride your bike in the United States. Florida didn't make the top 10... not even the top 20.
In fact, seven Florida cities made the triple digits, making them the worst places to pedal around, and one of them is actually the most populated city in the Sunshine State.
The rankings were compiled from a number of criteria, including access to bike lanes, if there are any bike races or tours in the area, as well as if people can rent bikes easily and partake in bike clubs.
We did a thorough scan to find out which cities might have a backed-up line at the gas pump.
Hollywood
Out of 200 cities, Hollywood, Florida, comes in at 194, just a few spots shy of last place. Among the cities ranked, Hollywood has the most bike-related deaths for every 100,000 people that live there. The location is known for its Hollywood Beach Boardwalk, which has a ton of souvenir shops, ice cream stores and fun places to dine along the waterfront.
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a bit surprising as it's in the northern area and has more people living there than any other city in the state. You'd think the residents would love to ride outside in the gorgeous Florida winters. You'd also think there would be a large bike population with all those people there.
However, it comes in at 191.
Miramar
Coming in a few spots higher than JAX is Miramar at 185. This city is located in South Florida and has the fewest bike shops per square mile of all the cities ranked.
It's no wonder it ranks so low if so many people must travel so far to even make a purchase!
Pembroke Pines
Pembroke Pines ranks at 178 and is located in Broward County, along with Miramar and Hollywood. This city has more of a community feel to it with many neighborhoods and exciting shopping centers, rather than a beach town.
According to the city's website, it was awarded "All-America City."
Hialeah
Another South Florida city ranks as one of the worst in the U.S. at 165. It's in the Miami area and is known for its large Hispanic culture — some street signs are even in Spanish.
You can ride on the Miami Metrorail and Tri-Rail, which were being offered for free for a while during the pandemic, so that might add to why bikes aren't so popular here... aside from the Miami Beach traffic, of course.
Cape Coral
Cape Coral is a small town in Fort Myers, on the west coast of the state. This area is known for its waterfronts and has about 400 miles of canals. What it's not known for is its bike population. In fact, this is one of the areas with the fewest bike trails.
The city, although better than the previous five towns, lands in the 128th spot.
Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie is known for its golf scene — many of the people that live there must be trading in their two wheels for four-wheel golf carts. Not only is it ranked as one of the places with the fewest bike trails, but also the fewest bike clubs.
Port St. Lucie comes in at 125.
These seven cities were at the bottom of the barrel, and many of them are located in the southern area where the beach towns thrive. Maybe all that sand gets in the way of the wheels.