Arizona rides high as bicycle-friendly state

It seems more people in Arizona are using two wheels instead of four to commute to work and for recreation. Arizona was named the third most bicycle-friendly state in the nation by the League of American Bicyclists for its encouragement of bicycling among riders of all ages.

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) applied for the prestigious award this summer. Arizona was officially awarded the third-place ranking on Sept. 5. Bicycle advocates from around the state as well as transportation planners from Arizona’s seven Bicycle Friendly Communities were able to weigh in on the extensive application process. States were judged on six categories that support bike use: legislation, policies and programs, infrastructure, education and encouragement, evaluation and planning, and enforcement.

According to the league, Arizona received the third-place ranking because it’s one of the few states to promote protection of cyclists through a three-foot minimum passing law and was one of the early adopters of a bike-friendly rumble strip policy. The state has also taken a leading role by including bicycling in the statewide plan to reduce carbon emissions.

Washington is ranked number one on the list of bicycle friendly states, followed by Wisconsin at number two. Oregon received a fourth-place ranking, and Minnesota rounds out the top five.

This is the first time a ranking system has been established for bicycle friendly states. However, 84 communities in 31 states have already been designated Bicycle Friendly Communities. Arizona has seven Bicycle Friendly Communities. They include Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe and Tucson. A community must demonstrate achievements in the five categories of engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation and planning in order to be considered for an award.

“Anytime cycling is brought to the forefront as transportation, it’s a great thing,” said Anthony Quintile, a board member of the Flagstaff Biking Organization. “Oftentimes, driving is taken for granted. Bicycling can take the place of many of those trips and can help save gas. Bicycling is healthy, and using a bike for transportation puts the idea out there for people who may not have considered it before.”

The League of American Bicyclists encourages bicycle friendliness in both cities and states. The league promotes bicycling as an effective way to address the challenges of climate change, traffic congestion, rising obesity rates and soaring fuel prices.

For more information on bicycle friendly states, and to see the rankings of all 50 states, log onto www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlystate.

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