and passing cars—has almost tripled nationwide since 2011, from 62 to more than 200. In 2013, more than a hundred cities competed for just six slots in a free program from PeopleForBikes, which offers consulting services to help cities build new protected lanes. Bike-sharing programs—which of-
fer access to a fleet of rental bikes on a subscription or hourly basis—are also spreading. New York City’s bike share program received 90,000 signups within six months of its debut last year. With 6,000 bikes in use and an- other 4,000 on the way, it’s the larg- est bike share program in the United
States. But the Big Apple is far from alone: about 50 American cities cur- rently have share programs in place or in planning—from cycling meccas like Portland and Boulder to surprising spots like Fort Worth, Kansas City, and Omaha.
RECLAIMING INDUSTRIAL SPACES The decline of the railways left hundreds of miles of disused tracks and rights-of-way crisscrossing cities across the country. By the 1980s, communities began to see the potential in the abandoned lines as trails. Back then, there were fewer
than 200 converted railways. Today there are more than 1,600. The Minneapolis Midtown
Greenway is one example. It’s a 5.5- mile path that cuts through the city from east to west. In places sunk 20 feet below street level, the corridor allows cyclists and pedestrians to cross town without tangling with traffic. There are 1.5 million trips on the greenway every year—many by people commuting to work. At rush hour, it can get as busy as a freeway. The Greenway is open 24/7 and lit at night. It even gets plowed in winter.
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