Maryland moves up and Virginia moves down in Bike Friendly States rankings

Maryland moved up to #7 from #11 and Virginia dropped from #16 to #18 in Bike Leagues 2014 Bike Friendly States rankings announced last week. 

Maryland moved up in part because of added bicycle education for police and bicycle safety emphasis in strategic highway safety planning. The League has some feedback for them, like recommendations that they drop the mandatory bike lane law, expand education efforts and spend more money on implementing the state's bike plan. 

Virginia dropped because of decreased funding and lack of infrastructure. Among other things, the League recommends a anti-dooring law, a vulnerable road user law and Complete Streets policy.

DC does not get ranked in this, since they're ranked with other cities. 

Comments

[GWH]

"Virginia dropped from #18 to #16"

Other way around? 16 to 18

[washcycle]

thanks, fixed it.

[T]

Perhaps if they're considered on a statewide basis, but I think locally in the DC-area, NOVA is far better. I've lived in every jurisdiction bordering DC (and including it) except Arlington.

[DE]

Yeah, agree that NOVA is far better than suburban MD. I'm frankly terrified to bike anywhere over there that isn't a trail. Part of that knowing where to go in NOVA, but I'd still rather bike in DC than suburban MD. You look on a bike map of where they say a bike route is and then go there and it's insane that it could be considered a bike route at all.

I used to try to get out to Lanham from across DC. Once you got across the Anacostia, there was nothing safe. And I never even tried to get up to upper Rockville when that was my workplace. It was not survivable.

[Crickey7]

The demise of the dooring bill was perplexing. It's a bit of a red flag for the public perception problem cyclists have in Virginia.

[Jonathan Krall]

As best I can tell what happened this year in VA was that some Dems who where happy to vote for cycling when they thought is wouldn't pass knee-jerked against it (I almost typed "thought again") when they thought it might pass.

We in VA need to educate our representatives, starting from square one. Now that they've noticed that biking legislation can pass, they might pay attention to what we have to say about its merits.

I think message number one is that study after study shows that, even though most people are still stuck in cars, most people wish they were not. This goes for bike lanes, "complete streets," and desirability of living near a bus or other transit stop. All three consistently poll in the majority (caveat: my bike lane example polls are from metropolitan areas; the other two are nationwide results).

It is easy to mistake the few, the loud, the haters for a majority. They are anything but.