Why bike commuting is benefical

Citizen's ability to commute to work safely is affected by many variables. One very important variable is policy making; how much support local governments want to invest into reliable infrastructure to keep anyone on a bike safe. Like most policy making in the us, it varies largely from state to state. Another important variable is the weather patterns of a state, which vastly differs between states in the US. People enjoy biking in the rain/cold weather significantly less than in sunny environments. A factor which may dissuade less experienced cyclists may be how hilly an area is, as if you're commuting, hills are a pain. However, cyclists looking for a good workout will seek out the hills.

Top 5 US Cities with the most bike commuting (by percentage)

1. Portland, OR, 6.3%, 650,000,
2. Washington, DC, 5.0%, 694,000,
3. Minneapolis, MN, 3.9%, 423,000,
4. San Francisco, CA, 3.1%, 884,000,
5. New Orleans, LA, 2.9%, 393,000,
https://www.move.org/cities-most-bicycle-commuters/

Why?

When looking at the data, there is quite the geographical spread between top biking cities. The number one city by percentage is Portland, Oregon. Portland is infamous for it's drafty weather, hills, and political views. This combination is perfect for brewing a strong bike community. Furthermore, bikes have the political backing of the local government, as they have more than 200 miles of paved bike path. Furthermore, they have rules that mandate cars must give cyclists a certain distance when passing them. The second choice, Washington DC, is more condensed than Portland, and has robust public transport. These variables enable citizens to avoid driving, and bike to the public transport terminals. Minneapolis is an example of moderate terrain, where the lack of hills encourages biking.