Chances are a little greater that you live in a bicycle friendly community this week after the League of American Bicyclists announced that it has added 26 to its updated list.
Bellevue Bike to Work Day
That means there are about 350 towns and cities across the U.S. — at least one in every state — that have received the designation from the League. Some 69 million people live in bicycle-friendly communities, or one of every five U.S. citizens.
Among the latest crop of bicycle friendly communities are four in Washington state, bringing the state’s total to 17. Included among those Washington state communities is Bellevue, currently my home.
I’m a little surprised that Bellevue made the cut. Living here, I know first-hand and obsess over all the “bike lanes to nowhere,” poorly designed intersections, and incomplete bike paths.
Olympic Discovery Trail passes Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Looking at the Bellevue Report Card, however, I’m reminded that the city does have a bicycle-pedestrian plan in place, and, according to information supplied to the League, the city’s bicycle network mileage is 16% of the total road mileage.
In the Five E’s (engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement and evaluation/planning) that determines if the city can be judged bicycle friendly, Bellevue scored a 32 out of 100. Hardly a passing mark, but I suppose the League grades on the curve.
To see how you individual city fared, go to the Award Database map, click on your state, then find your city on list that appears. Scan to the right to find the “review profile” and click that to find how your city scored. It also tells improvements that can be made to move up to the next step.
John Wayne Pioneer Trail passes through Ellensburg
Spring 2015 cities
-Boise ID Silver 214,237 New
–Ellensburg WA Silver 18,363 New
-Athens OH Bronze 23832 New
–Bellevue WA Bronze 134,400 New
-Columbus GA Bronze 202,824 New
-Crosby MN Bronze 2,186 New
-Essex Junction VT Bronze 9,695 New
-Glastonbury CT Bronze 34,427 New
-Glenview IL Bronze 45,417 New
-Grand Junction CO Bronze 61,081 New
-Indian River County FL Bronze 141,994 New
–Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe WA Bronze New
-Lambertville NJ Bronze 4,000 New
-Memphis TN Bronze 657457 New
-Norfolk VA Bronze 246,392 New
-Oak Park IL Bronze 51,878 New
-Oberlin OH Bronze 8,300 New
Approaching Port Angeles on Olympic Discovery Trail
–Port Angeles-Callam County WA Bronze 72,312 New
-Portsmouth NH Bronze 21,233 New
-Rancho Cordova CA Bronze 67,911 New
-Richardson TX Bronze 99,223 New
-Salisbury MD Bronze 30,805 New
-Troy OH Bronze 25,058 New
-Warrenville IL Bronze 13,140 New
-Zionsville IN Bronze 23,319 New
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