Pedal power: Washington named America’s most bike-friendly state

The Evergreen State reclaims #1 spot in national advocacy group's latest rankings

OLYMPIA - There is no state more supportive of people who travel by bike than Washington, according to the nation's largest bicycle advocacy organization.

Washington leads U.S. states in fostering bicycling and systems that support it, earning it the top spot in the League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly State rankings for 2024. The competitive ranking program evaluates states based on their commitments to bicycling across five categories: infrastructure and funding, education and encouragement, traffic laws and practices, policies and programs, and evaluation and planning.

"Making it easier for more people to cycle safely to work, school or for fun has been an important part of our transportation planning," said Gov. Jay Inslee. "Many of these efforts are supported by our Climate Commitment Act which is paving the way for more riders and also educating them so they can ride confidently. I appreciate the work of our Bicycle Friendly communities, businesses and universities that have all contributed to building active, healthy transportation options."

"It's great to once again lead the nation in recognizing that bicycling is an important part of a multimodal transportation system," said Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar. "We're committed to providing transportation choices for all users of the system - including people who bike, walk and roll. We have more work to do, but this ranking affirms that we're on the right path."

Washington received top ranks due to the state's comprehensive attention to the issues faced by cyclists as well as its longstanding and continued leadership that moves bicycling forward, according to the League. The advocacy group highlighted Washington's Statewide School-Based Bicycle Education Program as a national model for what state government, local agencies and bicycle-education organizations can accomplish together. It also pointed to the state's planning work that provides safe bicycle infrastructure and design guidance and training that supports those plans.

Washington has an extensive history of support for cyclists. The state has taken the program's top spot for all but one year since it launched in 2008. Washington was rated third in the nation in 2022, ending the state's 14-year run at the top the rankings. Rankings were not awarded in 2023.