Why Seattle is the 4th Bike Friendliest City

When most people think of Seattle,they think of rain, coffee, and the Emerald City-like skyline. What most people don't know is how bike friendly Seattle is and how large a biking population the city has. Over 520,000 citizens ride a bike for recreation and up between 4000 and 8000 people use their bike for transportation on any given day. The weather in Seattle is certainly a major concern, the city has an average rainfall of 37 inches per year and it rains about 50 percent of the time. Those that use their bikes as a means of daily commuting can take advantage of the city buses which now include multiple racks on the front. This is useful when a biker is met with foul weather and has to quickly change their mode of transportation. There are some cons to this bike friendliness that are not so friendly. Seattle's terrain can be very tricky with its steep hills and dangerous slopes. The city can account for a large amount of emergency room visits and even deaths based on bike accidents, most of which could have been prevented by wearing a helmet.

When I think of factors such as weather and terrain, it would seem to me that Winston Salem would be the easier of the two to navigate on bike. The weather here is almost always nice, even when you factor in the often hellish heat southern summers can bring. There is really no extreme terrain here, which may also more desirable. Yet, even with these factors working in favor of Winston Salem, this area is still considered the second most sprawling, which is not conducive for greener modes of transportation such as biking and walking.