OR: Here’s where Portland ranks among best U.S. cities to live without a car

Portland might be No. 1 in Portlanders’ hearts, but it can’t be No. 1 in everything.

Portland might be No. 1 in Portlanders’ hearts, but it can’t be No. 1 in everything.

For example, the Rose City is known as a great place for alternative forms of transportation, from walkable neighborhoods to a thriving cycling community to a robust public transit system. But, according to a new analysis from CoworkingCafe, Portland ranks No. 14 in the country when it comes to the best cities to live without a car.

So, glass half empty: That’s outside of the top 10. Yet, glass half full: That’s better than nearly 100 other U.S. cities from the study.

CoworkingCafe ranked 111 U.S. cities across 13 metrics, including share of people using alternative commuting methods, walk and bike scores, and public transit station density.

The study found that Portland ranks third for highest share of commuters who bike to work (3.4%) — behind only Eugene (4.3%) and Fort Collins, Colo. (4.0%). Portland ranks 22nd for highest share of commuters who walk to work (4.3%) and 21st for share of commuters using public transit (6.1%).

Overall, Portland finished right behind Pittsburgh (No. 13) and just ahead of Salt Lake City (No. 15).

The only other Oregon cities included in the rankings were Eugene (No. 33) and Salem (No. 68).

Not surprisingly, New York topped the list, followed by San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Newark, N.J. and Boston. Seattle checked in at No. 6, with Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago and Minneapolis rounding out the top 10.

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