Well-designed and well-landscaped bicycle facilities can be an important attraction, especially for the recreational bicyclist. Whereas bicycle commuters will typically choose routes based upon their directness and safety, recreational riders are more likely to be drawn to routes that are aesthetically pleasing and where they feel comfortable riding. The aesthetic of the riding environment is also of critical importance to attracting new riders — an individual is much more likely to try commuting to work if his route takes him along an attractively maintained greenway or roadway than along an unkempt, urban street.

Aesthetics are an integral part of building a livable, bikeable, and walkable community. Streets and bicycle facilities that are well-designed and well-maintained, buffered from traffic, attractively landscaped, and that are either a destination in their own right (e.g., a popular off-road trail in a park) or that connect popular destinations (e.g., houses with shopping, neighborhoods with schools) will attract bicyclists.

Well-designed and landscaped facilities are also easier to maintain, lead to fewer safety and security problems, and are more likely to be supported by the neighborhoods and businesses they access.