Support Us Button Widget

How much of your day can you spend on a bike in San Jose?

We take a look at our bicycling infrastructure and how we can make the area more bikeable.

A narrow bike lane with bicycle symbols and arrows indicating direction.

It’s time to put the pedal to the metal.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels

Table of Contents

San Jose scored a 62 out of 100 on Walk Score’s bikeability meter, deeming it a “bikeable” city. Nice. Our score is determined by four components: bike lanes, hills, destinations and connectivity, and bicycle mode share. Wondering what all that means? Let’s bike it out.

Bike lanes 🛣️

Walk Score rates this category on the total length of bike paths and lanes. Learn more about bike lanes or plan a bike commute.

Hill score 🏔️

Hilliness is based on the steepest grade within our area, calculated using the National Elevation Data set from the United States Geological Survey (USGC). Play with the USGS’ interactive map to learn more about nearby topography.

Destinations and connectivity 🗺️

This uses our city’s Walk Score, which measures whether or not you need a car to run daily errands.

Bicycle mode share 🤝

This category takes into account the social nature of bicycling. There’s safety in numbers. Even if a city doesn’t have tons of infrastructure for cyclists, more cyclists mean more drivers are aware of bicycles — which makes roadways safer.

How can we boost our score? 🚲

The top way to increase the bikeability of our city is — you guessed it — by biking more. WalkScore praised San Jose for having plenty of bike routes, but we can boost our community score by learning more about biking in our city.

Don’t have a bike yet? Support one of these local bike shops:

More from SJtoday
No cash? No problem. Whether you are spending a day or a lifetime in San Jose, these are some of the best offerings that won’t break the bank.
We’ve made a concerted effort to orchestrate this roadmap, so you can focus on finding the artists you adore.
We love a game plan — here are some big events and festivals to look forward to this year in the great 408.
Reach your local community with our help.
We’re bringing you 25 fun facts about the Capitol of Silicon Valley, so you’ll want to quiz yourself whether you’re a trivia fiend or local enthusiast.
Don’t just pick a spot with pancakes and eggs — pick the spot that’s perfect for your gathering with this guide that includes menu recommendations, brunch categories, and beyond.
We scream, you scream, we all scream for local ice cream.
Kali Uchis. Check. Dave Matthews Band. Check. It’s not a bad idea to triple-check this list and get your concert tickets before they sell out.
Hit the town and enjoy a discounted drink at one of these cheers-worthy happy hours in the great 408.
Pack your reusable bags and your shopping list, because we’re shopping local at these 13 farmers markets around San Jose, CA.