Bicycling first boomed back in the 1890s. In 2020 the boom returned again when COVID-19 hit. Cities from Oakland to Philadelphia scrambled to meet the needs of a public abruptly uprooted from its daily routine. Taking advantage of a steep drop-off in car traffic, transportation departments began closing streets to give people more space to roam while designating temporary bike lanes to accommodate a pandemic-era surge in cycling. 

Check out the full article: HISTORY: How bikes got sidelined from American streets - Business Insider