Bicycle Friendly America Winter 2018 - 4

BICYCLE FRIENDLY STATES

2017 BICYCLE FRIENDLY
STATE RANKING MAKES
STATE ACTIONS EASIER
KEN MCLEOD

I

n October, the League of American Bicyclists announced its 2017
Bicycle Friendly State ranking. Washington leads the state rankings, as it has each year since 2008, while Minnesota comes in
again at second. In this latest ranking, California moves up from
eighth to third due to the strength of its new statewide bike plan.
Virginia makes its first appearance in the top 10 in 10th place. Two
states made their way to the top 20 for the first time: Vermont (14th)
and Georgia (19th).
To learn more and find the report card for your state, please
visit: http://bikeleague.org/states
The 2017 Bicycle Friendly State ranking is the League's ninth
ranking and the first
2017 Ranking since 2015. According
to Ken McLeod, Policy Director for the
League, "2016 proved
an ideal time to reexamine and improve
the Bicycle Friendly
State program. With
the passage of the
Fixing America's Surface Transportation
(FAST) Act in late
2015, it was important to ensure that
our Bicycle Friendly
State ranking process
reflected current federal funding laws and
provided a strong
basis for state improvements now that
federal transportation funding was set
until 2020."
The League
Key: Category rank among all 50 states

1-10

11-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

Categories

# of Bicycle Friendly
Actions*

1



2



3



4



5



6



7



8



9



10



11



12



13

Infrastructure
& Funding

Education &
Encouragement

Legislation &
Enforcement

Policies &
Programs

Evaluation &
Planning



14



15



16



17



18



TOTAL COUNTS

BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES 2
BICYCLE FRIENDLY BUSINESSES 15
BICYCLE FRIENDLY UNIVERSITIES 2

SEE THE DATABASE MAP: BIKELEAGUE.ORG/BFA/AWARDS

STATE ADVOCACY GROUP: LOCAL MOTION

Summary

Comparison States

Vermont has a lot going for it, including the second highest per
capita use of federal funds for biking and walking and a strong state
advocacy group - so why isn't it a Top 10 state? There is no one
obvious missing effort, but several areas are notable:

National (Overall)

1. Although the state has the second highest per capita federal
spending on bicycling and walking, they spend less than 2% of
their federal transportation funds on bicycling and walking. This
statistical quirk of a high per capita figure and lower percentage
figure applies to 3 of the 5 states with the higher per capita federal
spending on bicycling and walking.

Eastern Region (out of 11)

12. Pennsylvania

4. Maryland

13. Michigan

5. Pennsylvania

14. Vermont

2. The state has a safe passing law that recommends (but does not
require) a safe passing distance of 4 feet. While this is very close to
defining a safe distance, we do not give full credit due to the softer
recommendation language.

6. Vermont

15. Florida

7. Maine

16. Illinois

8. Rhode Island

Categories

Rank out of 50

14
5
15
26
26

Infrastructure & Funding

Education & Encouragment

3. The state speed limit statutes make it difficult to post a speed
limit of under 25 mph. This may affect local decision-making
related to low-speed street designs since there is no procedure for
establishing lower speed limit zones.

Legislation & Enforcement
Policies & Programs

4. The state lacks a formal bicycle advisory committee. Regular
state summits likely fill this void, but it is possible that the state is
missing out on important feedback from bicyclists. The recent kickoff meeting for a Bike-Walk Working Group is a step in the right
direction towards ongoing user group input for state agencies.

Evaluation & Planning

Bicycle Friendly Actions = Progress = New in 2017
Complete Streets Law / Policy

Feedback Points



Safe Passing Law (3ft+)

The Vermont DOT is planning a 2018
Walk/Bike Summit, its third annual
summit. The DOT, cities, towns, and
advocates should work together
to develop a program that builds
upon recent increases in commuter
bicycling in Vermont and addresses
recent increases in bicyclist fatalities
in Vermont. Bicycling in Vermont
continues to be very safe despite
recent fatalities, most of which
involved driver impairment, but it is
important to recommit to bicyclist
and pedestrian safety.
Adopt a law allowing transportation
agencies to post 20 mph or
lower speed limits under certain
circumstances.

The state DOT, and local cities and
advocates, should continue existing
small-scale biking and walking grant

programming. Consider whether
planning grants or technical
assistance for municipalities would
improve current grant programming.
Continue to provide specific
training to engineers and planners
on how to plan, design, and
implement bicycle and pedestrian
infrastructure, including protected
bike lanes, safe rural bicycling
routes, and other facilities that have
become more widespread in recent
years. Significant changes in best
practices have occurred recently
and training is essential to ensuring
that communities in your state have
access to the best possible solutions
for their bicycle and pedestrian
safety and mobility issues.

>> Feedback Continued on Page 3

Statewide bike plan last 10 years



2% or more fed funds on bike/ped
Bicycle Safety Emphasis Area



Federal Data on Biking

Rank

Ridership 0.8% of commuters biking to worki 12/50
Safety

3.1 fatalities

5/50

per 10k bike commutersii

spending
Spending $7.43 per capita FHWA
iii

2/50

on biking and walking

i
This figure is based upon the Census
Bureau's American Community Survey
(ACS) 5-year estimate.

iii
FHWA spending is based upon
projects coded using any of three
project types associated with bicycling
and walking projects through the
Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA)'s Fiscal Management
Information System. To calculate per
capita spending we used a five-year
average for fiscal years 2011-2016 and
the 2015 5-year ACS state population
estimate.

This figure is based upon fatalities
reported over a five-year period
according to the National Highway
Administration (NHTSA)'s Fatality
Analysis Reporting System and the 2015
5-year ACS estimate of the number of
bicycle commuters.

ii

The Bicycle Friendly States ranking is based on a comprehensive survey completed by state departments of transportation and state bicycling
advocates. For more information, visit bikeleague.org/states or contact Ken McLeod at (202)-822-1333 or ken@bikeleague.org.

PAGE 1

19



20



Vermont Report Card: Detailed Category Scores

21



The Category Scores below are aggregated from smaller sub-categories-each of which is
sorted in descending order, from the topic with the highest possible points available to least.

22







41





0




* Bicycle Friendly Actions include a Complete Streets policy, a safe passing law, a statewide bike plan, spending 2% or more
of federal transportation money on biking and walking, and a bicycle safety emphasis area.

Learn more at bikeleague.org/states

Average of All States
Percentage of commuters who walk
Percentage of commuters who bike

Average of the 50 Most Populous Cities
Percentage of commuters who walk
Percentage of commuters who bike

2007

2010

2.5% (3)
0.4% (3)

2.8%
0.4%

4.4% (3)
0.7% (3)

SMART CYCLING RESOURCES

60/100 pts

Benchmarking Report Year:

Mode Share

2012

2.9%
0.5%

4.8%
0.7%

4.8%
0.9%

2014

2016

2.8%
0.5%

2.8%
0.6%

5.0%
1.0%

5.0%
1.2%

Dig into the data: Robust interactive report + Downloads

Data Source - Point in Time

ACS - 3 Years
ACS - 3 Years
ACS - 3 Years
ACS - 3 Years

Public Health

Percentage of U.S. Population...
Meeting physical activity level recommendations
Living with obesity (BMI over 30)
Living with hypertension
Living with diabetes
Living with asthma

Ranked 15 of 50 States

49.1%
24.4%
25.5%
7.3%
8.0%

49.5%
26.3%
27.8%
8.0%
8.4%

51.0%
26.9%
28.7%
8.3%
8.8%

51.7%
27.8%
30.8%
9.5%
9.1%

50.8%
28.8%
31.4%
9.7%
9.0%

CDC BRFSS - 1 Year
CDC BRFSS - 1 Year
CDC BRFSS - 1 Year
CDC BRFSS - 1 Year
CDC BRFSS - 1 Year

11.2%
1.7%
-
-
326
3,497

11.3%
1.8%
-
-
309
3,179

11.7%
1.8%
11.0
9.2
352
2,626

12.9%
1.9%
11.0
8.5
438
2,950

14.1%
2.2%
11.9
8.7
400
2,511

NHTSA FARS - 3 Years
NHTSA FARS - 3 Years
NHTSA FARS - 3 Years
NHTSA FARS - 3 Years
CDC WISQARS - 1 Year
CDC WISQARS - 1 Year

The Bicycle Friendly State survey used to create this ranking is also the
basis for a biennial report. Explore tons of bicycling, walking, & health data
on states and cities at bikingandwalkingbenchmarks.org.

SMART CYCLING

QUICK GUIDE

Traffic Safety

Laws that regulate driver behavior and methods of enforcement

Does the state have strong comprehensive distracted driving
laws and allow photo enforcement?

27/37 pts

The Alliance for Biking & Walking creates, strengthens, and unites state

and local bicycling and walking advocacy organizations. We give advocates tools to win
campaigns that transform communities into great places to bike and walk.

26/28 pts

The Benchmarking Project tracks bicycling and walking trends across the

How does the state unnecessarily restrict the behavior of
people who bike and walk? (low points = more restrictions)

United States and publishes an updated report every two years. It is produced as a
resource for bicycle and pedestrian advocates, elected officials, agency staff, researchers,
media, and anyone searching for a means to measure bicycling and walking progress.
Made possible in part by:

Laws that create protections for people who bike and walk

Does the state have laws that provide specific protections for
people who bike and walk?

Laws that influence the built environment

18/25 pts
0/10 pts

www.BikeWalkAlliance.org/Benchmarking

Total of Possible 100 Points:

U.S. Population
Percentage of roadway fatalities that are pedestrians
Percentage of roadway fatalities that are bicyclists
Pedestrian fatality rate (fatalities per 10k commuters) (4)
Bicyclist fatality rate (fatalities per 10k commuters) (4)
Pedestrian injury rate (injuries per 10k commuters) (4)
Bicyclist injury rate (injuries per 10k commuters) (4)

71/100 pts

BICYCLING
& WALKING
in the United States

2016

VT

VA

WA

WV

AL
WI WY

AK AZ

AR

BENCHMARKING REPORT

U.S. Trips, by Mode of Transportation

Key to Data Source Abbreviations (SeeCA
page 172 for more details)

CO

Alliance Benchmarking Project Surveys
ABW
ACS

CDC BRFSS
CDC WISQARS
FHWA FMIS
LAB

NCSC

NHTSA FARS
PBIC

10%

CT

Walking Trips

Alliance Member Organization Profiles Database
American Community Survey

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

1%

Biking Trips

2%

4%

Public Transit Trips

All Other
Modes

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Webbased Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System
Federal Highway Administration Fiscal
Management Information System
League of American Bicyclists

National Complete Streets Coalition

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Fatality Analysis Reporting System

83%

Car, Van, SUV,
and RV Trips

Biking and Walking to School Trends

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information System

Source: NHTS 2009

% of kids who walked to school
Executive Summary

Alliance for Biking & Walking * 2016 Benchmarking Report

xv

Increase Walking

Increase Biking

Increase Physical
Activity

Decrease Pedestrian
Injuries

Decrease Bicyclist
Injuries

Decrease Pedestrian
Fatalities

2007: 11.9%

2013: 15.2%

» Navigating Intersections

Visit
bikeleague.org/ridesmart
to access Smart
» Principles of Traffic Law
advocacy
organization, lead»Cycling
Sharing the Trail Quick Guides (available
ing the movement
to createSmart
a
Cycling
videos,
Bicycle Friendly America
for15.2% 2013:
» Riding
on Sidewalks
2013: 2.2%
18.4%
2007:
ineveryone.
English
& Spanish),
and Smart Cycling manuals.
We believe
that,
» And more...
Our three areas of focus,
PEOPLE, PLACES AND POLICY,

PAGE 2

OUR VISION

is a nation where everyone recognizes and enjoys the many
benefits and opportunities of bicycling.

OUR MISSION

is to lead the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America
for everyone. As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn,
define standards and share best practices to engage diverse
communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.

Are you looking for ways to promote
your current education program or
add to your student materials? Are you a bicycle or outdoor retailer, interested in giving your

The allBicycle
ranking
isonbased
onguide
a comprehensive
survey completed by state departments of transportation and state bicycling
support thisFriendly
belief. The States
customers
the basics
bicycling? This
is a perfect resource.
League is bringing together
advocates.
For more information, visit bikeleague.org/states or contact Ken McLeod at (202)-822-1333 or ken@bikeleague.org.
the most passionate, action-

2009: 13% of kids walked or biked to school

oriented people to lead the
movement.

Trips by Foot and Bike: Youth and Seniors www.bikeleague.org
Youth (under 16) represent...

PURCHASE QUICK GUIDES

Sources: NCSRTS 2011, NCSRTS 2015

Our new Quick Guide is a full-color,
24-page, pocket-sized booklet that
provides basic bike education for the

Seniors (65 and older) represent... beginning and intermediate bicyclist.

Its convenient size and enaging il-

(1)
14% of the U.S. population
lustrations make it easy to understand
10% of all U.S. walking trips (2)
- and share with others. Content
6% of all U.S. biking trips (2)

39% of all U.S. biking trips (2)

includes:

Contact Lili Afkhami, Director of
Development, (202) 621-5458, lili@
bikeleague.org

Sources: (1) ACS 2013, 1-yr est; (2) NHTS 2009

In 2014, the Pew Research Center asked
respondents to imagine living in a community with
large houses, spaced farther apart with schools,
stores, and restaurants several miles away or a
community with smaller houses, closer to each
other with schools, stores and restaurants within
walking distance. Of those age 65 and older,
58% (more than any other age group) preferred
the idea of living in a walkable community

12

Bicycling brings people together. When more people ride bikes:
» Life is better for everyone;
» Communities are safer, stronger and better connected;
» Our nation is healthier, economically stronger,
environmentally cleaner and more energy independent.

>> ADD YOUR MOMENTUM AT BIKELEAGUE.ORG/JOIN

when more people ride bikes,

1969: 48% of kids walked or biked to schoollife is better for everyone.

Decrease Bicyclist
Fatalities

The Bicycle Friendly States ranking is based on a comprehensive survey completed by state departments of transportation and state bicycling
advocates. For more information, visit bikeleague.org/states or contact Ken McLeod at (202)-822-1333 or ken@bikeleague.org.

21% of the U.S. population (1)
17% of all U.S. walking trips (2)

4 BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA

WE BELIEVE

Bike Safety Education is a key
component to keeping roadways
THE LEAGUE'S
SMART
CYCLING
program has been the
safe
for all users.
Having
League
trusted source of bicycle education in communities nationwide for more
than three decades.
With more (LCIs)
than 3,500in
certified
Cycling
Instructors
yourinstructors across
the country, Smart Cycling provides bike safety and handling skills for
state
more
opportunities
all levels, creates
from beginning
to advanced
bicyclists.
for bike safety education to be
SMART CYCLING QUICK GUIDE
shared.
LCIs are certified by
Our new Quick Guide is a full-color, 24-page, pocket-sized booklet that provides basic bike
the
League
through
anbicyclist.
intense
education
for the beginning
and intermediate
Its convenient size and enaging illustrations make it easy to understand - and share with others.
3-day
seminar focused on how
Content includes:
to
effectively deliver the Smart
» ABC Quick Check
Cycling
curriculum. To host a LCI
» What to Wear
seminar
in your state, contact
» Fitting a Helmet
» Rules of the Road
education@bikeleague.org.

THE LEAGUE OF % of kids who walked from school
AMERICAN BICYCLISTS

% of kids biked to & from school

is the nation's oldest bicycle

ME

49

50

Highlighted Trends, Output Benchmarks: 2005-2014

Total of Possible 100 Points:

th

Does the state allow speed limits of 20 mph or less?

0/8 pts

Does the state have an official Bicycle and/or Pedestrian
Advisory Committee and does it follow best practices?

Legislation & Enforcement

Laws that restrict the behavior of people who bike and walk

10/10 pts

Does the state have programs in place to collect data on
people who walk and bike?

LA

0

Formal User Group Engagement

76/100 pts

KY

48

15/15 pts

Support the League by becoming a member today and add
your voice to the bicycling movement! Over 75% of our
funding comes from individuals. Members support our timetested programs like Bicycle Friendly America, Smart Cycling
and Federal Advocacy. As a member, you'll enjoy valuable
perks like Bicycling Magazine, discounts at dozens of national
bike retailers and manufacturers, and exclusive pricing to the
National Bike Summit. Together, let's advance bicycling on
Capitol Hill and in your community!

25/34 pts

Has the state made bicyclist and pedestrian safety an
emphasis and what does data say about safety?

KS



Total of Possible 100 Points:

Understanding People who Bike and Walk

IA

47

Does the state have a bicycle advocacy group that is a
member of the League of American Bicyclists or was
identified by the state?

10/20 pts

IN



Advocacy

16/30 pts

IL

46

Does the state require drivers to answer questions about
bicyclist safety as part of the driver's licensing test?

25/48 pts

ID

44

45

ABOUT THE LEAGUE & MEMBERSHIP

State DOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Plans

Does the state have a bicycle and/or pedestrian plan and
does that plan follow best practices?

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

HI



Driver Education Requirements

35/35 pts

GA

43

Do many people bike to work and is that number
increasing relative to other modes?

FL



Mode Share

DE

42

State DOT Education & Encouragement Support

Does the state DOT support bicycling and walking events and
education materials?

UT



53/100 pts

Total of Possible 100 Points:

Ranked 26th of 50 States

TX

37

38

39

40

Establish a statewide bicycle advisory committee to
provide user input for bicycle projects and programs.
The BAC should include diverse representation,
formal inclusion in decision making, a workplan, and
regularly held meetings (at least quarterly).

4/6 pts

Evaluation & Planning

Ranked 5th of 50 States

TN



66/100 pts

Education & Encouragement

SD

36

>> Cont'd from Page 1

9/13 pts

Does the state work incorporate multi-disciplinary
considerations in the development and implementation of
transportation projects?

SC



7/25 pts

Does the state support trainings on bicycle and pedestrian
infrastructure and complete streets implementation?

RI



Design and Access Policies

Does the state have policies in place to ensure good design
and access for people who bike and walk?

State of Practice Development

Sustainable Transportation Policies

OR PA

34

35

8/8 pts

Feedback Points, CONTINUED

33/56 pts

OK



Total of Possible 100 Points:

10/10 pts

OH

33

Does the state have any policies that limit the ability to fund
bicycling and walking infrastructure?

12/16 pts

ND





State Transportation Funding Restrictions

23/28 pts

NC

0

31

32

How many lane miles of bicycle and pedestrian facilities has
the state reportedly planned to build and built?

NY

30



Does the state take advantage of available federal funding for
biking and walking?

NM

29

Does the state report that funding is allocated to bicycling?

Use of Federal Transportation Funding

Planned and Recently Built Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities

NJ



#14

SEE THE DATABASE MAP: BIKELEAGUE.ORG/BFA/AWARDS

STATE ADVOCACY GROUP: LOCAL MOTION

Complete Streets

Does the state have a complete streets policy and processes
to support its implementation?

NH



BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES 2
BICYCLE FRIENDLY BUSINESSES 15
BICYCLE FRIENDLY UNIVERSITIES 2

Ranked 26th of 50 States

13/38 pts

NV



27

28

TOTAL COUNTS

VERMONT

Policies & Programs

Ranked 14th of 50 States

MO MT NE

26

Infrastructure & Funding
Design and Existence of Infrastructure

Has the state made it easy to build bicycle infrastructure and
installed a variety of infrastructure on state facilities?

State Transportation Funding

MS



MN



MI



24

STATE RANKING
OVERALL (OUT OF 50)

REPORT CARD

MA

23

25

BICYCLING AND WALKING IN THE UNITED STATES: 2014 BENCHMARKING REPORT

Washington
Minnesota
California
Massachusetts
Oregon
Colorado
Delaware
Utah
New Jersey
Virginia
Maryland
Pennsylvania
Michigan
Vermont
Florida
Illinois
Maine
Ohio
Georgia
North Carolina
Arizona
Rhode Island
New York
Connecticut
Texas
Wisconsin
Tennessee
Idaho
Louisiana
Iowa
Nevada
Missouri
South Dakota
New Hampshire
Arkansas
Alaska
West Virginia
Indiana
Alabama
Mississippi
South Carolina
Wyoming
Kentucky
New Mexico
Montana
Oklahoma
Kansas
North Dakota
Hawaii
Nebraska

2017 Rank

STATE RANKING
OVERALL (OUT OF 50)

REPORT CARD

MD

STATE

launched the Bicycle Friendly State program in 2008 to better understand state efforts related to bicycling and provide a
comparative framework that allows states to easily identify areas of improvement. Through our ranking, we hope that states
and the public can easily understand the relative strengths and
weaknesses of each state's efforts related to bicycling.
To provide an easy to understand basis for comparison, each
state received a 3-page report card summarizing key data, comparable states and feedback
developed by League staff and
#14
VERMONT
state bicycle advocates.
This year, the League placed
a focus on 5 Bicycle Friendly
Actions chosen because they
are verifiable actions that each
state can take to show its commitment to improving conditions for people who bike. For
these Bicycle Friendly Actions,
the League produced national
maps showing which states

with smaller houses compared to 48% of all age
groups (Pew Research Center, 2014a). A report
from the TransitCenter, though, suggests these
preferences may not match their reality. Most
(58%) Americans over age 60 live in suburban
communities; more than one-third of them (37%
of all Americans over age 60) are in residentialonly communities (TransitCenter, 2014).

Introduction: Active Transportation Trends
Alliance for Biking & Walking * 2016 Benchmarking Report

Bulk #

Cost

50
100
250
500
1,000
2,500
8,000

$50
$100
$250
$485
$920
$2,200
$6,560

Co-branded #

Cost

2,500
4,000
5,000

$2,425
$3,680
$4,400

PAGE 3
http://www.bikeleague.org/states
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bicycle Friendly America Winter 2018
