2025 PeopleForBikes City Ratings: Progress and Challenges in the Pikes Peak Region
Bike riders in the Pikes Peak region saw mixed results in the 2025 PeopleForBikes city rating, with our score slipping to 38. While trails and shopping access improved, failing transit connections dragged us down (more on this below) – and put us 26 points behind our neighbor to the west, Manitou Springs. This places COS as 17th in Colorado and Manitou as 4th.
These ratings shape how visitors see our city, and for locals, they confirm what riders already know: we’re great for recreational rides, but commuting still feels risky.
Colorado Springs: Steady Progress, Room to Grow
Colorado Springs earned a Network Score of 38 in the 2025 ratings, placing it slightly below the 2024 score of 40 but still above the national average of 30. This year’s results highlight both progress and persistent challenges in building a truly bikeable city.
Explore Colorado Springs’ 2025 rating details here:
PeopleForBikes 2025 City Rating – Colorado Springs
Key Category Breakdown (2025 vs. 2024)
- People (39 → 39): Steady access to residential areas.
- Opportunity (37 → 38): Slight improvement in job and school access.
- Core Services (28 → 29): Marginal gains in reaching essential destinations.
- Recreation (51 → 52): Continued strength in trail and park access.
- Retail (51 → 54): Improved bike access to shopping centers.
- Transit (40 → 17): A notable drop in transit hub accessibility—an area needing urgent attention.
While Colorado Springs has made strides in retail and recreation, the decline in transit accessibility and stagnant core services score indicate key areas for improvement. According to PeopleForBikes, cities that reach a 50+ SPRINT score see a “tipping point” where cycling becomes a mainstream transportation option. Colorado Springs isn’t there yet—but strategic investments in protected bike lanes, better transit connections, and safer routes to grocery stores/hospitals could accelerate progress.
Help Improve Colorado Springs’ Bike Network Data!
That drop in our transit score may have more to do with our data accuracy verses our actual infrastructure but we need your help to improve our analysis locally.
Do you have experience with GIS, Python, or data analysis? Bike Colorado Springs needs volunteers to locally analyze cycling infrastructure and ensure the 2026 ratings reflect the most accurate, up-to-date conditions. By mapping bike lanes, trails, and trouble spots, you can help:
- Identify gaps in the city’s bike network.
- Prioritize high-impact infrastructure projects (e.g., protected lanes near transit hubs).
- Advocate for data-driven improvements with city planners.
Get involved today:
👉 Volunteer with Bike COS’s Mapping Team
Explore Colorado Springs’ 2025 rating details here:
PeopleForBikes 2025 City Rating – Colorado Springs
Manitou Springs: Leading the Region, But Core Services Lag
Manitou Springs improved its Network Score to 64 (up from 57 in 2024), far exceeding the national average. Its small size and advocacy efforts by groups like PAC Manitou contribute to high scores in people, opportunity, and transit access. However, challenges remain.
Key Category Breakdown (2025 vs. 2024)
- People (66 → 73): Better access to residential areas.
- Opportunity (65 → 70): Improved job/school connections.
- Core Services (19 → 38): Significant progress, but still the weakest category.
- Recreation (61 → 65): Stronger park/trail access.
- Retail (51 → 61): Easier biking to shops.
- Transit (87 → 86): Consistently excellent transit hub access.
Manitou’s 38 in Core Services (up from 19) shows efforts to address gaps in grocery/healthcare access, but more work is needed. The town’s walkability and transit-friendly layout remain strengths—proving that smaller cities can lead in bike-friendliness with focused advocacy.
Explore Manitou Springs’ 2025 rating details here:
PeopleForBikes 2025 City Rating – Manitou Springs
How Can We Improve?
For Colorado Springs
- Prioritize transit-bike connections to reverse the drop in transit accessibility.
- Expand protected bike lanes to core services (grocery stores, hospitals).
- Support local advocacy and show the city support for infrastructure upgrades and a better connected network.
For Manitou Springs
- Boost Core Services by incentivizing bike-friendly grocery/pharmacy options.
- Leverage high transit scores to promote bike-transit commuting.
Get Involved!
- Join Bike Colorado Springs or PAC Manitou to advocate for safer streets.
- Volunteer your tech skills (GIS/Python/mapping) to improve local data accuracy – Link
- Contact city leaders to demand bike-friendly policies – link to city COS council – link to COS mayors office
Together, we can pedal the Pikes Peak region toward a brighter, bike-friendlier future!
Additional Resources
