"Women are considered an “indicator species”

for bike-friendly cities for several reasons."

Gotcha! Interesting article. You can make your own determination about indicator species though.

I want to discuss off-street bike paths located along rivers and in parks. They occur for several reasons. Implementation convenience is one. Another, bicycling is primarily considered recreation, not transportation. Locating off-street paths along rivers such as the Mississippi can serve both recreation and transportation needs. The non-motorized transportation plan we are developing will close gaps and make connections to the MRT. The goal is to provide corridor access to both recreation and transportation users. Strategic improvements, connections to transit, filling gaps, etc. will make the MRT a viable transportation option for many users, while providing a recreation experience within a National Park!

How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road
To boost urban bicycling, figure out what women want

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=getting-more-bicyclists-on-the-road