View Poll Results: What do you think of your state's grades given by LAB?
Mostly agree
9
33.33%
Agree somewhat
3
11.11%
Neither agree or disagree
6
22.22%
Disagree somewhat
3
11.11%
Mostly disagree
6
22.22%
Voters: 27. You may not vote on this poll
LAB's Bike Friendly State Ratings and Grades - What did they get right or wrong?
05-31-11, 07:51 PM
#1
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LAB's Bike Friendly State Ratings and Grades - What did they get right or wrong?
You can look up you state here https://www.bikeleague.org/programs/b...and_grades.pdf
Do you agree or disagree (or question) the grades given to your state? Do you think the grades given will help or hurt certain aspects of advocacy in your state?
Do you agree or disagree (or question) the grades given to your state? Do you think the grades given will help or hurt certain aspects of advocacy in your state?
05-31-11, 08:04 PM
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Oregon got an A in enforcement? What kind of curved grading scale are they using. Most of the population lives in cities that refuse to do any meaningful traffic law enforcement. Only the small towns take that job seriously.
Also, what's up with education and encouragement? Are they talking about educating cyclists or motorists? I haven't been in a state that does a passable job of educating motorists. One might exist, but I haven't been there yet. In OR motorists don't even have to take a written test to renew a license. The obvious test would be which state has achieved zero deaths on its roadways, since it is pretty hard to kill with a car while obeying the law.
At least they didn't do what they do with the "bike friendly" awards by giving out a bunch of high awards for achieving nothing. The grades are still a bit inflated (I've ridden in a fair sampling of the states that got graded B and C and I wouldn't have given any of them passing grades).
Also, what's up with education and encouragement? Are they talking about educating cyclists or motorists? I haven't been in a state that does a passable job of educating motorists. One might exist, but I haven't been there yet. In OR motorists don't even have to take a written test to renew a license. The obvious test would be which state has achieved zero deaths on its roadways, since it is pretty hard to kill with a car while obeying the law.
At least they didn't do what they do with the "bike friendly" awards by giving out a bunch of high awards for achieving nothing. The grades are still a bit inflated (I've ridden in a fair sampling of the states that got graded B and C and I wouldn't have given any of them passing grades).
05-31-11, 10:34 PM
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I'm in Arkansas. The Bicycle Friendly City program is basically a gauge of how much money a city spends on bicycle related things. If the state program follows the same guidelines, then the grading for Arkansas is completely accurate. The state spends next to nothing on bicycle related things. The traffic laws as they relate to cycling are excellent, however. I guess that is why the state got a C in legislation.
06-01-11, 11:21 AM
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Nice comments so far! One wonders if LAB grades on a curve which might help to recognize those who have made the most progress or it might stall the process of further improvements. How would you grade? On pure idealistic grounds that may not yet exist or recognize what states have it better?
Education: As far as I can tell from LAB's questionnaire it is about the drivers' manual and test along with the commercial drivers' manual and test and if they teach about cyclists rights and responsibilities as well as drivers rights and responsibilities around cyclists. So given that information would that change how you grade your State?
Education: As far as I can tell from LAB's questionnaire it is about the drivers' manual and test along with the commercial drivers' manual and test and if they teach about cyclists rights and responsibilities as well as drivers rights and responsibilities around cyclists. So given that information would that change how you grade your State?
06-01-11, 12:31 PM
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I can only comment from my experiences, cycling primarily in Mass (Eastern and Northern), New Hampshire (all over), Maine (southern mostly), and Vermont (all over). And I would have to say that I agree with the grades.
I cannot comment on the enforcement aspect too much in other states other than Mass., as I have never had nor witnessed any law enforcement difficulties in other states. Hell, in Vermont, you rarely see any police outside the "larger" communities, as most towns rely on the State Troopers for their only law enforcement. Similar with Northern NH.
Maine, the roads are first rate. I love riding there. It doesn't take too much to get away from the over-populated coastal corridors and onto wide open, smooth, well maintained, (often with huge marked shoulder lanes). You get enough "traffic" that it is not too remote, but coming from northeastern Mass, it is downright remote and peaceful! Northern NH is very similar on certain primary roads, yeah the MV traffic speeds can be 55+ but it is intermittent and the shoulders are big and smooth, plus the climbing is first rate.
I am a bit surprised by Mass's Legislative grading of C, I would have given it an A or B based on the recent "new" bicycle legislation, which IMHO is one of the better in the country. On top of that, the additions to the driver's manual which emphasizes the riders right to the road and explains why riders do certain things (take the lane, have a right to the lane, etc.) and what the drivers limits and responsibilities are on approaching and/or passing a cyclist.
I guess I am spoiled in that all the states I ride in primarily, are ranked 2d, 9th, 14th and 15th. (Maine, Mass, NH and VT respectively)
zac
I cannot comment on the enforcement aspect too much in other states other than Mass., as I have never had nor witnessed any law enforcement difficulties in other states. Hell, in Vermont, you rarely see any police outside the "larger" communities, as most towns rely on the State Troopers for their only law enforcement. Similar with Northern NH.
Maine, the roads are first rate. I love riding there. It doesn't take too much to get away from the over-populated coastal corridors and onto wide open, smooth, well maintained, (often with huge marked shoulder lanes). You get enough "traffic" that it is not too remote, but coming from northeastern Mass, it is downright remote and peaceful! Northern NH is very similar on certain primary roads, yeah the MV traffic speeds can be 55+ but it is intermittent and the shoulders are big and smooth, plus the climbing is first rate.
I am a bit surprised by Mass's Legislative grading of C, I would have given it an A or B based on the recent "new" bicycle legislation, which IMHO is one of the better in the country. On top of that, the additions to the driver's manual which emphasizes the riders right to the road and explains why riders do certain things (take the lane, have a right to the lane, etc.) and what the drivers limits and responsibilities are on approaching and/or passing a cyclist.
I guess I am spoiled in that all the states I ride in primarily, are ranked 2d, 9th, 14th and 15th. (Maine, Mass, NH and VT respectively)
zac
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Last edited by zac; 06-01-11 at 12:38 PM.
06-01-11, 01:58 PM
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What prompted me to post this question was a conversation elsewhere where it seems states with mandatory bike lane use laws got good grades in the legislative area and those states with less restrictive laws got poor grades.
06-01-11, 02:08 PM
#7
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Interesting that the States are graded, not cities. I can see Colorado with a C grade in 12th place, but infrastructure varies a lot from town to town. If you were to look at Boulder from a cyclists point of view and then Longmont they don't seem to be from the same statee, though they are less than 20 miles apart.
06-01-11, 02:24 PM
#8
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Why did they give A grades on legislation to states with mandatory bike lane use laws like CA and NY, and to Illinois, where bicyclists are not legally considered intended users of roadways? Meanwhile, NC, with no mandatory bike lane use law and no bicycle-specific stay-right law got a B for legislation. That seems upside-down to me.
06-01-11, 02:28 PM
#9
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It was interesting to note the differences for enforcement between my current state of NC (F) and the the state where I learned to drive my bike, NH (A). It matches the difference in culture I noticed when I moved here.
06-01-11, 05:01 PM
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My state is #1. But they didn't have a column for the number of national parks, or a column celebrating our two mountain ranges, or even just the coffee shops and Indian restaurants. If they put in a little more effort next year, they might do a better job.
06-01-11, 09:35 PM
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Bad legislative states should be the ones with restrictive bicycle use laws. It's chipping away at privileges and rights and depressing when the LAB promotes those views.
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06-02-11, 06:01 PM
#13
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Illinois got a C for infrastructure. Last time I was in Illinois most of the roads outside the metro areas did not have shoulders.
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06-02-11, 06:22 PM
#14
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It might help to look at what the various categories mean, what kinds of questions are asked, and what goes into the state rankings. The article below describes the some of the items that go into calculating the state rankings.
https://www.bikeleague.org/programs/b...tate/about.php
https://www.bikeleague.org/programs/b...tate/about.php
HOW BICYCLE FRIENDLY STATES ARE RANKED 1-50
The League annually ranks all fifty states for bicycle friendliness. We do this based on a multi-faceted Bicycle Friendly State (BFS) questionnaire that is answered by each state’s Bicycle Coordinator. The data collected – based on 95 questions, across six categories – is verified by League staff in concert with advocates in each state. States that continue to promote bicycling and improve conditions can expect to improve their scores. The BFS program and rankings system work to increase the level of bicycle-friendliness in each state, therefore hopefully increasing their ranking, and to provide the incentives and assistance to states. Our BFS annual ranking measures to the best of our degree the states bicycle-friendliness but does not include everything states can and should do for bicycling. This ranking is designed to rank each state objectively and establishe best practices for others to follow. However, every state has great riding opportunities, dedicated state-agency staff, determined advocates and cyclists of all stripes working to make a great state for cycling.
Legislation: The Legislation component of the Bicycle Friendly State (BFS) ranking questionnaire covers basic laws and regulations that govern bicycling. Questions include whether cyclists can legally use the shoulder, signal turns with either hand or leave the right-hand portion of the road when their safety requires it. This section also covers motorist responsibilities like passing at a minimum of three feet and making sure traffic is clear before opening automobile doors.
Programs & Policies: The Programs & Policies component of the BFS questionnaire covers what state agency requirements are for accommodating cyclists, be it a Complete Streets policy, a plan or agreement for mountain bike trails, how much state agency staff time is dedicated to bicycling, and whether or not bicycling is included as part of the state’s carbon-reduction plan.
Infrastructure: Infrastructure is a critical element of the BFS questionnaire, and the question aim at collecting data on specific performance measurements, i.e. in the amount of facilities and spending amounts for bicycling. Other examples include the percentage of state highways with shoulders, signed bike routes, trail miles, and bicycle-related project obligation rates for available federal funding. As states improve their numbers for many of the BFS questions, the bar will continue to rise for states in regards to bicycle-friendliness.
Education and Encouragement: In the Education and Encouragement portion of the BFS questionnaire, the section covers the amount of bicycling education in the state for adults and youth alike, as well as for motorists. A few ways that states can educate drivers on the road about cycling, for example, are Share the Road campaigns and questions concerning cyclists’ rights in state drivers’ exams. States can encourage more and better bicycling by promoting bicycling tourism, producing bike maps and collaborating with state and local advocacy groups, along with education efforts.
The Evaluation & Planning: The Evaluation & Planning section of the BFS questionnaire surveys how bicycling is incorporated into each state’s yearly planning. Questions include how bicycling is included in the highway safety plan, outdoor recreation plan or a bicycle transportation plan. This section also measures results of the state’s crash and bike commuting rates.
Enforcement: The Enforcement section the BFS questionnaire gathers data on the types of training law enforcement officers and traffic court judges receive to ensure protection of cyclists’ rights to the road and safe travel on our shared roadways.
The BFC National Advisory Group provides guidance on BFS program development and priorities. Members include:
Tim Blumenthal, Bikes Belong Coalition
Natalie Cappuccio-Britt, Palmetto Conservation Foundation
Ariadne Delon Scott, Stanford University
Tom Huber, Wisconsin DOT
Rob Sadowsky, Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Jeff Olson, Alta Planning+Design
Robert Ping, Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Tim Potter, Michigan State University
Jim Sebastian, DC Office of Transportation Planning
Sarah Strunk, Active Living By Design
Jennifer Toole, Toole Design Group
Zoe Kircos, Bikes Belong Coalition
Alan Turnbull, National Park Service
Dru van Hengel, City of Santa Barbara
Jill Van Winkle, International Mountain Bike Association
Robbie Webber, Bike Walk Madison
Charlie Zegeer, Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center
The League annually ranks all fifty states for bicycle friendliness. We do this based on a multi-faceted Bicycle Friendly State (BFS) questionnaire that is answered by each state’s Bicycle Coordinator. The data collected – based on 95 questions, across six categories – is verified by League staff in concert with advocates in each state. States that continue to promote bicycling and improve conditions can expect to improve their scores. The BFS program and rankings system work to increase the level of bicycle-friendliness in each state, therefore hopefully increasing their ranking, and to provide the incentives and assistance to states. Our BFS annual ranking measures to the best of our degree the states bicycle-friendliness but does not include everything states can and should do for bicycling. This ranking is designed to rank each state objectively and establishe best practices for others to follow. However, every state has great riding opportunities, dedicated state-agency staff, determined advocates and cyclists of all stripes working to make a great state for cycling.
Legislation: The Legislation component of the Bicycle Friendly State (BFS) ranking questionnaire covers basic laws and regulations that govern bicycling. Questions include whether cyclists can legally use the shoulder, signal turns with either hand or leave the right-hand portion of the road when their safety requires it. This section also covers motorist responsibilities like passing at a minimum of three feet and making sure traffic is clear before opening automobile doors.
Programs & Policies: The Programs & Policies component of the BFS questionnaire covers what state agency requirements are for accommodating cyclists, be it a Complete Streets policy, a plan or agreement for mountain bike trails, how much state agency staff time is dedicated to bicycling, and whether or not bicycling is included as part of the state’s carbon-reduction plan.
Infrastructure: Infrastructure is a critical element of the BFS questionnaire, and the question aim at collecting data on specific performance measurements, i.e. in the amount of facilities and spending amounts for bicycling. Other examples include the percentage of state highways with shoulders, signed bike routes, trail miles, and bicycle-related project obligation rates for available federal funding. As states improve their numbers for many of the BFS questions, the bar will continue to rise for states in regards to bicycle-friendliness.
Education and Encouragement: In the Education and Encouragement portion of the BFS questionnaire, the section covers the amount of bicycling education in the state for adults and youth alike, as well as for motorists. A few ways that states can educate drivers on the road about cycling, for example, are Share the Road campaigns and questions concerning cyclists’ rights in state drivers’ exams. States can encourage more and better bicycling by promoting bicycling tourism, producing bike maps and collaborating with state and local advocacy groups, along with education efforts.
The Evaluation & Planning: The Evaluation & Planning section of the BFS questionnaire surveys how bicycling is incorporated into each state’s yearly planning. Questions include how bicycling is included in the highway safety plan, outdoor recreation plan or a bicycle transportation plan. This section also measures results of the state’s crash and bike commuting rates.
Enforcement: The Enforcement section the BFS questionnaire gathers data on the types of training law enforcement officers and traffic court judges receive to ensure protection of cyclists’ rights to the road and safe travel on our shared roadways.
The BFC National Advisory Group provides guidance on BFS program development and priorities. Members include:
Tim Blumenthal, Bikes Belong Coalition
Natalie Cappuccio-Britt, Palmetto Conservation Foundation
Ariadne Delon Scott, Stanford University
Tom Huber, Wisconsin DOT
Rob Sadowsky, Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Jeff Olson, Alta Planning+Design
Robert Ping, Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Tim Potter, Michigan State University
Jim Sebastian, DC Office of Transportation Planning
Sarah Strunk, Active Living By Design
Jennifer Toole, Toole Design Group
Zoe Kircos, Bikes Belong Coalition
Alan Turnbull, National Park Service
Dru van Hengel, City of Santa Barbara
Jill Van Winkle, International Mountain Bike Association
Robbie Webber, Bike Walk Madison
Charlie Zegeer, Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center
06-02-11, 07:35 PM
#15
Cycle Year Round
I suspect the legislative grade has a great deal to do with how much money the state throws at bike lanes.
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06-02-11, 08:05 PM
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Pretty much right on for Louisiana... if anything, a bit optimistic. Mostly F's.
06-02-11, 08:49 PM
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Setting aside the validity of their criteria and the unreliable nature of self-reported data, particularly when the reporter has a dog in the fight, I think they could improve their reporting method. I would suggest using a scale from 1-100 for each item where 100 is absolute perfection (i.e. every motorist can be demonstrated to know all laws regarding bicycle use and the safe operation of motor vehicles, every street is complete or demonstrably safe to cycle, etc). Obviously, no one is likely to achieve 100 on any aspect, but that's okay. The urge to inflate the scores should be resisted. Under such a system, most states would score well below 50 in every category, and probably below 10. LAB would then have to decide whether to continue grading on a curve or just give all F's, which is what our nation deserves.
As to the validity of the data, I'm at a loss to explain how a state like OR gets an A for education when we don't require our motorists to take a written test to renew their license. Even new-resident commercial drivers only need to take the class C test upon establishing residency to retain their class A CDL. All the wonderful laws in the world don't help when the vast majority of the motoring public has no reason to learn what they are. I would also change the criteria for enforcement to something a bit more objective like selecting a random sample of intersections and roadways and documenting the rate of violations by motorists. This would be no more difficult than the bike-counts and would provide meaningful data on something other than the weather.
Regarding Barry's note on mandatory use laws: any state with a mandatory use law should automatically score 0 on legislation as well as programs and policies portions of the evaluation. These "back of the bus" laws just have to go.
As to the validity of the data, I'm at a loss to explain how a state like OR gets an A for education when we don't require our motorists to take a written test to renew their license. Even new-resident commercial drivers only need to take the class C test upon establishing residency to retain their class A CDL. All the wonderful laws in the world don't help when the vast majority of the motoring public has no reason to learn what they are. I would also change the criteria for enforcement to something a bit more objective like selecting a random sample of intersections and roadways and documenting the rate of violations by motorists. This would be no more difficult than the bike-counts and would provide meaningful data on something other than the weather.
Regarding Barry's note on mandatory use laws: any state with a mandatory use law should automatically score 0 on legislation as well as programs and policies portions of the evaluation. These "back of the bus" laws just have to go.
06-03-11, 06:48 AM
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I'm not sure how to interpret the LAB score. All I know is having lived out West for many years in states that ranked low (C, D, F), I much rather ride there then here in New England in a state that ranked higher.
06-03-11, 09:11 AM
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You can look up you state here https://www.bikeleague.org/programs/b...and_grades.pdf
Do you agree or disagree (or question) the grades given to your state? Do you think the grades given will help or hurt certain aspects of advocacy in your state?
Do you agree or disagree (or question) the grades given to your state? Do you think the grades given will help or hurt certain aspects of advocacy in your state?
If you convert the letter scores to numbers (4=A) here's what I get for rankings for the first 15.
HTML Code:
State Calc rank LAB RANK Sum Washington 1 1 19 Oregon 2 8 17 Maine 3 2 16 Wisconsin 3 3 16 Massachusetts 3 9 16 New Hampshire 3 14 16 New Jersey 4 5 15 Minnesota 5 4 14 Colorado 5 12 14 Iowa 6 6 13 Florida 6 7 13 Maryland 7 10 12 Illinois 7 11 12 Virginia 8 13 11 Vermont 8 15 11
HTML Code:
State 2011 RANK Washington 1 Wisconsin 3 Colorado 12 Maryland 10 Massachusetts 9 New Hampshire 14 Maine 2 Oregon 8 Iowa 6 Illinois 11 Minnesota 4 Virginia 13 Florida 7 Vermont 15 New Jersey 5
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Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
06-03-11, 09:12 AM
#20
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That's also something I've noticed about LAB...very East Coast centric.
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Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
06-03-11, 12:06 PM
#21
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06-03-11, 12:42 PM
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I was truly surprised to find Wisconsin third. There is a lot of room for improvement, the rest of the country must really suck.
06-03-11, 12:59 PM
#23
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They appear to be grading on a rather odd scale. I have no idea what rankings they rate how but based on raw scores the rankings aren't borne out by the data. Florida ranks higher then Oregon?
If you convert the letter scores to numbers (4=A) here's what I get for rankings for the first 15.
If you go by grade count, i.e. number of A, number of B, etc., the rankings change a lot
I found LAB evaluations to be highly suspect in the past. I think it tends to be biased by who they pole and people with agendas. For example, they give Colorado an F for infrastructure. Perhaps at the state level the rank is somewhat deserved but there's lots of stuff going on at the county and municipal level that should rank us much higher. Even the state level isn't that bad.
If you convert the letter scores to numbers (4=A) here's what I get for rankings for the first 15.
HTML Code:
State Calc rank LAB RANK Sum Washington 1 1 19 Oregon 2 8 17 Maine 3 2 16 Wisconsin 3 3 16 Massachusetts 3 9 16 New Hampshire 3 14 16 New Jersey 4 5 15 Minnesota 5 4 14 Colorado 5 12 14 Iowa 6 6 13 Florida 6 7 13 Maryland 7 10 12 Illinois 7 11 12 Virginia 8 13 11 Vermont 8 15 11
HTML Code:
State 2011 RANK Washington 1 Wisconsin 3 Colorado 12 Maryland 10 Massachusetts 9 New Hampshire 14 Maine 2 Oregon 8 Iowa 6 Illinois 11 Minnesota 4 Virginia 13 Florida 7 Vermont 15 New Jersey 5
Then there is the formate of the questions, too many yes or no questions and no on a scale of 1 to 10 type of questions. So something that would get a rating of 2 now gets 100% yes score.
It seems to me the way the details are getting executed is really hurting this tool.
06-05-11, 05:58 AM
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Florida got a surprisingly high score. I know Central Florida and not that much about the rest of the state. Central Florida has put in a number of paved bike trails which is good. They have passed some bike friendly and some bike hostile laws. Laws are almost immaterial because the average law enforcement officer is blissfully ignorent of the laws purtaining to cyclists and just follows his own caprice. In this, the officers are in line with the local drivers who vary from being careful about cyclist to openly hostile and possibly murderous.
I ride in the annual Florida Bicycle Safari every year in the rural parts of the Florida panhandle. Now this area is what one would presume would be serious red neck terrain. Strangely enough, it is also has the most cycling courteous drivers I have ever seen. I think that the area is so lacking in anything much happening that a bunch of cyclists in colorful lycra out on the roads is a sight of such novelty that the local just want to savor it.
I ride in the annual Florida Bicycle Safari every year in the rural parts of the Florida panhandle. Now this area is what one would presume would be serious red neck terrain. Strangely enough, it is also has the most cycling courteous drivers I have ever seen. I think that the area is so lacking in anything much happening that a bunch of cyclists in colorful lycra out on the roads is a sight of such novelty that the local just want to savor it.
06-05-11, 08:49 AM
#25
Senior Member
Why did they give A grades on legislation to states with mandatory bike lane use laws like CA and NY, and to Illinois, where bicyclists are not legally considered intended users of roadways? Meanwhile, NC, with no mandatory bike lane use law and no bicycle-specific stay-right law got a B for legislation. That seems upside-down to me.