Atlanta logs so-so score on 2026 PeopleForBikes ranking. What gives?

Despite a surge of recent Beltline construction, many miles of new bike lanes, and Complete Streets success stories galore, Atlanta’s biking network still ranks nowhere near the top in the U.S. right now, according to a closely watched national ranking released today. 

PeopleForBikes, a national bicycle advocacy nonprofit, has given the City of Atlanta a 33 of 100 score in its 2026 City Ratings, an annual data-driven analysis that gauges how well bike networks in more than 3,000 cities and towns link people to everyday destinations.  

Among large cities with at least 300,000 people, Atlanta ranked 39th overall. Its 33/100 score was good for merely 28th best in the state of Georgia, too. (Senoia took top honors in the Peach State, with a 75 score.) 

According to the analysis, the top five major cities in the U.S. for biking right now are: Brooklyn (score: 70), Minneapolis (68), Seattle (66), Queens (63), and San Francisco (61).

Atlanta’s 33 score ties it with five other cities: New Orleans, Boston, San Jose, Newark, and Albuquerque, respectively. 

PeopleForBikes’ City Ratings take into account various aspects of bicycling infrastructure, including connected, protected bike lanes, off-street paths, slow shared streets, and safe crossings that enable people to safely and comfortably bike around cities and towns. 

The scores are published each summer, based on results of PeopleForBikes’ Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA) data analysis software that measures the quality and connectivity of bike networks. 

Despite the 33 score, Atlanta was spotlighted as one of the year’s “Cities to Watch,” a designation for places that have made “impressive improvements” in scores in recent years. 

“Atlanta has one of the more compelling bike infrastructure stories in the South right now,” a PeopleForBikes rep wrote via email. “As a large metro area with high commuter rates and a clear growth trajectory, Atlanta represents one of the region's most significant infrastructure opportunities, with real equity implications for how residents across all neighborhoods access transportation." 

This year, under a new methodology standard, PeopleForBikes says 555 communities scored 50 or higher. That’s the threshold at which the organization considers a city’s bike network connected enough to support accessible, easy, everyday riding. 

So yes, there’s still work to do, ATL. 

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