2019 Bicycle Friendly States Rankings Released

The League of American Bicyclists released its annual Bicycle Friendly State rankings at the end of November, commencing with a note on the tragedies that defined 2018: "In 2018, more people were killed while biking than in any year since 1990." That tragedy is followed by a note of hope: "After several years of increasing bicyclist deaths, there is still reason to believe we can be safer: every state is taking some action to make bicycling better. Some, but not enough."

According to the article by Ken McLeod that announces the new rankings, many state departments of transportation are making progress on bicycle safety. As listed in the article:

• Every state has now taken at least one of our five Bicycle Friendly Actions;
• State legislatures are increasingly providing funding for biking and walking improvements and helping state Departments of Transportation ensure that the safety of all users is a core part of their work;
• Eight statewide bike plans [pdf] have been adopted since 2017 and nine are currently in progress; and
• There is more data available than ever on biking and walking, often thanks to federal and state collaboration.

As for the rankings, West Coast states are clearly in the lead, with Washington and Oregon taking the top two spots, respectively. California came in at #4. Minnesota was at #3 and the fifth spot went to Massachusetts.

More insights and the full report can be found in the article. For local coverage of the rankings, see an article by Jonathan Maus on the progress made in Oregon to achieve that state's highest ranking ever.