“For the primary time because the Bicycle Pleasant States rating started in 2008, a state apart from Washington claimed the highest place,” wrote the League of American Bicyclists in their abstract of their 2022 Bicycle Pleasant States report. Nonetheless, Massachusetts and Oregon ought to get pleasure from their victory whereas they will as a result of Washington has already taken main motion to handle the realm the place the state was docked most of its factors: Funding. The 2022 rating is predicated on information from 2021, so it doesn’t embody Transfer Forward Washington, the foremost transportation funding measure handed in March. Transfer Forward Washington consists of $1.29 billion for “energetic transportation” tasks.
Washington’s reign as the highest state within the Union for bicycling is the results of a number of laborious work from advocates and a few WSDOT employees and state legislators. However being essentially the most bike-friendly state has for lengthy been a fairly low bar. Our headline for the final rating in 2019 (they didn’t launch rankings in 2020 and 2021 as a result of, effectively, ) was “Different 49 states nonetheless seemingly tired of being extra bike pleasant than WA.”
However that’s altering. Massachusetts took the highest spot in 2022, and Oregon took spot quantity two. In the event that they wish to preserve Washington from reclaiming the highest spot in 2023, as soon as Transfer Forward Washington is accounted for, they’ll have to do one thing large. I hope they do, as a result of having actual competitors for the highest spot is nice for everybody.
Washington’s report card recommends that the state make investments extra federal Freeway Security Enchancment Program funds into tasks to extend security for nonmotorized customers. Apart from that, it largely praises actions by the state resembling its efforts for embody environmental justice in its transportation planning and its creation of the Secure, Wholesome, Energetic Streets program through the pandemic.
Under is the complete rating record:
