Tennessee recognized for efforts to become a more bicycle friendly state

Tennessee Moves Up 19 Positions in Most Bicycle Friendly States Ranking

As Tennesseans celebrate National Bike to Work Week a new ranking shows they now have more bike friendly paths and roadways to travel.  The League of American Cyclists recently announced their third annual Bicycle Friendly State rankings.  Tennessee jumped an astounding 19 spots in one year.  The state moved to 24th place this year from a ranking of 43^rd in the 2009 report. 

“I’m pleased to see this marked improvement in Tennessee’s bicycle friendly ranking, but there is much work left to do,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely.  “Clearly one area where improvement is needed is educating the public about safe bicycling and driving practices.

The ranking lists Tennessee as 5^th in the nation for 2010 legislation, 11^th for programs, 17^th for infrastructure, 19^th for evaluation, 27^th for enforcement and 41^st for education.

The Bicycle Friendly States rankings were first conducted in 2008 and are conducted annually, with all questions and methodology remaining consistent to track states’ progress. The BFS rankings are based on a 95-item questionnaire that evaluates a state’s commitment to bicycling and covers six key areas: legislation, policies and programs, infrastructure, education and encouragement, evaluation and planning, and enforcement.  The League offers feedback and technical assistance to states in an effort to improve their ranking as well as overall conditions for bicycling.

“The improvement in Tennessee’s ranking is due in large part to the better collaboration among TDOT, regional and municipal planners, legislators, advocates, and sharing of information across the state,” said Tom Evans, Founder and Secretary/Treasurer of Bike Walk Tennessee. “We’ll use the 2010 rankings and feedback as a guide to prioritize efforts for future improvements.”

To view the 2010 BFS Rankings list, complete with BFS awards, and a breakdown of how the states fared in each evaluation category visit .  For more information on the Bicycle Friendly States program and the state rankings e-mail Meghan Cahill at meghan@bikeleague.org or call (202) 822-1333.