The Most Bike-Friendly States in the Nation

The League of American Bicyclists issued its list of most bike-friendly states, with Washington and Massachusetts topping the list. The top five are rounded out by Oregon, California, and Minnesota.

As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, “The League ranked states on the basis of five actions it advocates every state to take, said the organization’s policy director, Ken McLeod. These are centered around bicycle infrastructure, safety, funding, planning and laws.”

The report assesses state-owned roads, which see the highest number of fatalities for people biking and walking. “The biggest difference between the best-ranked states and those at the lower rungs is whether they have specific planning around bike safety and update their plans every 10 years,” McLeod said.

While most states are still spending less than 2 percent of federal transportation funds on bike and pedestrian infrastructure, New Hampshire improved its ranking by spending more than 2 percent and creating a new bike plan. “The report calls out Kansas for improving its ranking more than any other state and three states — Maine, Oklahoma and South Carolina — for adopting or planning to adopt their first statewide bike plans.”