A national bicycling advocacy group has ranked the 50 states for cyclist friendliness.Their determination: Kentuckyis not so bicycle-friendly.Kentucky ranked 47th in the U.S., according to the League of American Bicyclists. That's better than North Dakota, Alabama and New Mexico. (And worse than the rest.)Kentucky ranked poorly in almost all of the report's five categories—legislation/enforcement, policies/programs, infrastructure/funding and evaluation/planning. On education/encouragement, Kentucky got a middle ranking. The League of American Bicyclists had much to say about Kentucky. Here's a sampling: Adopt a safe passing law with a minimum distance of 3 feet to address bicyclist safety. Adopt a vulnerable road user law that increases penalties for a motorist that injures or kills a bicyclist or pedestrian. Adopt a statewide policy that requires bicycle accommodations on all bridge and tunnel projects. The state is spending a low amount of federal funding on bicyclists and pedestrians. Adopt federal funding project rating criteria that incentivize bicycle projects and accommodations.There are more suggestions. You can read them here.Indiana ranked 42.Washington, Colorado and Oregon were the top three, in that order.Here's how the rankings were created: 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 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.Troy Hearn from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet was listed as Kentucky's bicycle coordinator. I've put in a request for comment from the cabinet and will update when I hear back.For Louisville's part, my colleague Erica Peterson noted in October that the city has projects that are encouraging for bike fans,such as the Louisville Loop. But the city's bike infrastructure leaves something to be desired for some enthusiasts.The rankings coincide with National Bike Month, which starts today.(Image via Shutterstock)
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