Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Cyclists in rainy Washington state enjoy the rosiest climate for cycling, while hilly West Virginia presents the most obstacles for its two-wheeled travelers. Those are the findings from this year's Bike Friendly States program from the League of American Bicyclists.

false

Washington was joined by a regionally diverse set including Maine, Wisconsin, Minnesota and New Jersey, respectively, in the League's top five spots. The Northeast, Northwest and Midwest dominated the top half of the list. Meanwhile, rural and Southern states continued to be overrepresented at the bottom. The lowest-ranking states were Montana, Alabama, Arkansas, North Dakota and West Virginia.

Each state was graded in six categories: legislation; policies and priorities; infrastructure; education and encouragement efforts; evaluation and planning; and enforcement.

Network blog the Kansas Cyclist took the time to investigate its state's ricocheting rankings and has some interesting insights for the majority of states which populate the list's middle-ground:

When we interviewed Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, on the podcast (episode #21), and asked about why Kansas’ ranking had jumped 20 places last year (from #33 to #13), he said that while there is a big difference between the few states at the top of the list and the few states at the bottom, there wasn’t much separating the states in the middle, so those ranks could be expected to fluctuate quite a bit from year to year. Kansas was #25 in 2008, #33 in 2009, #13 in 2010, and now #23 in 2011, so we are indeed bouncing up and down a bit in the rankings, but overall not changing much.

This year the League placed additional emphasis on the states' use of federal bike and pedestrian funds. States were penalized if they failed to use a disproportionate amount of their federal bike-ped money during the rescission process.

That emphasis was kind to Maine, which has risen from sixth place to the number two spot since 2008.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Biking in LA reports on a new map showing the location of traffic injuries in the city -- and how it helps visualize how much work needs to be done to make LA safe for pedestrians and cyclists. Half Mile Circles examines the potential for transit oriented development around bus stops. And Urban Review STL explores how regional and national demographic trends are reshaping St. Louis.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Got DOGE’d Again

Amidst uncertainty about future federal funding, Amtrak is cutting $100 million and 450 jobs.

May 9, 2025

Friday Video: Where Was the First Public Bus Route in the World?

...and which surprising historical figure helped launch it?

May 9, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: ‘Normal’ is Not Correct, Someone Died Here

After a crash, the debris is quickly cleaned up and everyone moves on (usually too quickly). But these two experts are asking us to all slow down.

May 8, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Not Gonna Pay a Lot for This Truck

President Trump's tariffs, along with rising insurance costs, are driving down Americans' interest in owning a car.

May 8, 2025

How One Suburb is Using Transit to Transform Into a True City

A Washington State suburb may be poised to evolve into a true transit-oriented hub – and offer lessons for other bedroom communities, even during an anti-transit era.

May 8, 2025
See all posts