#36-38: Bike nation

Move over, cars—we’re fast becoming the most bike-happy part of the country. Here’s just a taste of what’s going on.

36 | Car-free festivals: Since 2008, cyclists have taken over San Francisco streets on designated Sundays (sundaystreetssf.com). As of 2010, Portland (portlandsundayparkways.org), Oakland (oaklavia.org), Boulder (bouldergreenstreets.org), and even L.A. (ciclavia.org) are joining in.

37 | City planning: Believing that biking to work should be easier for locals, Tucson’s Department of Transportation is planning a network of 40 bicycle boulevards, with traffic-calming elements for safer commutes. The first, along Third Street, is already complete.

38 | Bike sharing: Home to more than 300 miles of trails, Denver launched the West’s first bike-share program (bcycle.com) last April, with 50 kiosks of cherry red bikes (pictured). They reopen March 1 for the season; Seattle hopes to follow suit in 2011.