Washington still leads as #1 “bike friendly state”

Washington state is again ranked as the number 1 “Most Bicycle Friendly State in America.” Washington is the only state in the nation to be consistently named by the League of American Bicyclists (League) as a leader for the past decade.

In the Bicycle Friendly State Report Card, the League credited Washington for enacting a Safe Passing Law in the 2019 session and beginning to update the state’s Active Transportation Plan. Stay tuned for a draft plan for public comment expected from the Department of Transportation.

The great news comes with a note of caution. In the past year alone, serious injuries to people walking increased by 12% and serious injuries to people bicycling increased by 32% in Washington.

Target Zero serves as the Washington State Strategic Highway Safety Plan. It is updated on a three-year cycle and is intended to help agencies at every jurisdictional level. The 2019 update of the Target Zero Plan includes a new chapter on the Safe Systems Approach, which focuses on the most effective strategies with the broadest reach. Concerns for people walking and rolling are combined in a chapter focused on pedestrians and bicyclists. While each mode has its own challenges and concerns, many of the strategies work well for both modes. The plan presents data and identifies issues and strategies intended to move us toward our shared goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.