Northwest Arkansas ranks among country's best cycling cities

NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER Kaedon Steinert of Fayetteville (LEFT) looks at a pedal-assist bike Sunday March 31, 2019 with Nickel Potter at the Phat Tire Bike Shop booth during a BikeNWA Open Streets event on Prairie Street near the Razorback Greenway trail in south Fayetteville.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER Kaedon Steinert of Fayetteville (LEFT) looks at a pedal-assist bike Sunday March 31, 2019 with Nickel Potter at the Phat Tire Bike Shop booth during a BikeNWA Open Streets event on Prairie Street near the Razorback Greenway trail in south Fayetteville.

Four Northwest Arkansas cities were named among the country's top 25 bike towns by a national cycling organization.

Bentonville was ranked No. 11, Fayetteville No. 15, Springdale No. 19 and Bella Vista No. 22 in a list of the nation's best cycling cities by PlacesForBikes, according to a news release.

Rogers and Siloam Springs also ranked at No. 67 and 72, respectively.

"The investment in bike infrastructure, education, bike culture, volunteer and community capacity building is truly world class," Jenn Dice of PeopleForBikes said of the region.

The PlacesForBikes rankings are determined by cities' ratings in five categories: ridership, safety, cycling network, cycling network reach and acceleration of cycling programs and infastructure.

Northwest Arkansas cities ranked at or near the top in certain categories.

Bentonville, Fayetteville and Bella Vista each received high placement in the acceleration category, a measure of how quickly the cycling infastructure is improving and local ridership is growing.

Fayetteville tied for No. 1 in the category. Bella Vista placed at No. 6 and Bentonville at No. 12, according to the release.

Springdale was named No. 1 in the cycling network reach category, the measure of how well the local cycling network serves the entire community.

NW News on 05/17/2019

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