Transportation

How to Keep Cyclists Riding Even in the Frigid Snowy Winter

The two key lessons learned by Northern European cities.
Boegh / Flickr

U.S. cities aren’t the easiest places to navigate by bike even on a perfect day, so it’s not a surprise that many cyclists send their wheels into hibernation come the snows and slick roads of winter. Mobility wonk Steve Raney of Joint Venture Silicon Valley keeps a running list of seasonal cycling drop-off in various metros, based on local bike counters. The mode shares, already low by global standards, suffer considerable shrinkage in the cold:

Nature takes its toll on a will to ride (or to generally leave home) everywhere. But there are parts of the planet that still maintain respectable bike shares even in the dead of winter. Here’s a few choice examples from the chilly borders of Scandinavia and Northern Europe, again via Raney: