Six years running, or better yet, six years biking, Washington has received tip-top marks in two key biking categories — “Legislation and Enforcement” and “Education and Encouragement.”
These distinctions have paved the way for Washington’s seizing once more “Most Bicycle Friendly State” raves from the 133-year-old League of American Bicyclists.
In its recent press release touting this Evergreen State recognition, the Washington State Department of Transportation pointed to the robust “partnerships among the state’s cities, counties, advocacy organizations, state agencies and transportation providers.”
We were the only state to capture a perfect “5” in more than one category. Certainly, the mighty-fine “4” we earned in the “Policies and Programs” division locked up this latest in Washington’s half-a-dozen years of titling.
Frankly, it should also be noted that our two “3s” in the “Infrastructure and Funding” and “Evaluation and Planning” competition are apt to go up next year, what with the new transportation budget OK’d in the final hours of the just-concluded 105-day regular legislative session.
Now awaiting gubernatorial ink, this new budget includes $32 million in bike, pedestrian and transit improvements.
As we posted last year, Washington won its fifth straight bike-friendliest-state honors. The 2012 Advance post observed that an active-duty bicyclist is burning anywhere from 500 to 1,000 calories an hour. She or he is also:
- Cutting down air pollution — thereby building up every citizen’s health.
- Decreasing traffic congestion — thereby increasing every motorist’s street, road and highway safety.
- Getting a very pleasant opportunity to smell the roses — thereby making every bicyclist’s trip from Point A to Point B way more fun.
The Washington State Bicycle Laws website has a wide variety of bicycling “Do” and “Don’t do” pointers.