Colorado ranked Xth most bicycle-friendly state in the nation

October 2, 11:01 AMDenver Cycling ExaminerGary Koenig

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Are more bike lanes the answer?

Quick Quiz. What lofty position does Colorado hold on the League of American Bicyclists’ rankings of most bicycle-friendly states?

A. 1st, naturally
B. Top 5 without a doubt
C. Top 10, because, let’s face it, Boulder is not the only city in Colorado
D. Embarrassingly, 22nd
E. 50th

If you guessed anything other than D, you’re wrong. How can this be? How could a state that seems to breed cyclists be so poorly ranked? Even worse, how could Wy-fricking-oming have beaten us out?

For the full LAB results, check here. For more information about our sorry performance, check out Bicycle Colorado’s news item on this surprising state of affairs. The bottom line seems to be that our state-level legislation and policies are not keeping up with the likes of Washington (1st), Arizona (3rd), New Jersey!?(9th) or either of the Carolinas (13th and 15th, north to south). On a more positive note, we kicked Mississippi’s butt and we have 7 Bicycle Friendly Communities, more than all but a handful of other states. In the metro area, Denver, Arvada and Longmont are listed, along with Boulder, one of only 3 Platinum cities in the country.

Does this really matter to any of us? Only to the extent that we take our lives in our hands every time we venture outside our homes on our road bikes. It would be great if the women and men who make the laws and rules for our fair state cared as much about our rights and safety as we do.

There is, however, something each of us can do to help increase the safety of each and every future cyclist – hope for better conditions. If you think “hope” is a stupid strategy, then I encourage you to join Bicycle Colorado. As the largest bicycle advocacy group in the state, with your dollars and your help, they have the best chance to not only elevate our rankings, but also deliver tangible results in making Colorado a safer and more enjoyable place to ride your bike.