The fall 2021 issue of American Bicyclist magazine is now available online at American Bicyclist - Fall 2021 by League of American Bicyclists - Issuu.  This issue has a 4-page article by Ken McLeod titled “How Washington State Plans to Stay #1 for Biking”.  We’re number one!  According to McLeod “Since the League of American Bicyclists began its Bicycle Friendly State ranking in 2008, there has only been one state to earn the number one ranking: Washington State.”  Oregon is #2 and Minnesota is #3.  There are five Bicycle Friendly Actions for which a state is judged for bicycle friendliness, and a state-wide plan to improve bicycling conditions is where Washington State outshines all the others.

Key elements of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Active Transportation Plan include:

• A Safe Systems Approach – design to reduce the likelihood of high-speed crashes.
• Hierarchy of Controls – five distinct layers of methods to maximize safety in transportation systems from the most to least effective.  It is interesting to see personal protective equipment, like helmets, in the least effective category.
• Positive Feedback Loop – a cyclic process to help improve conditions for everyone over time.