Mass Makes Great Leap Forward to Fourth Overall

By LAUREN LeCLAIRE, MassBike Communications Coordinator

BOSTON (May 11, 2015) - The League of American Bicyclists released its 2015 Bicycle Friendly State ranking with Massachusetts on its way to the top of the charts. Now in the top five in the country, Massachusetts jumped from number 10 to number four this year, largely due to a new transportation bond, committing over $400 million in the next five years for biking and walking initiatives.

“This is a tremendous recognition of our collective efforts and the many initiatives in place throughout the Commonwealth which have contributed to our current status as the fourth friendliest bicycle state," said Stephanie Pollack, Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO. "This has been a great team effort and I want to commend all of our partners in regional and municipal government, and in the bicycling advocacy community for their efforts. And of course, thank you to our many bicyclists across the state who continue to choose bicycling as both a means of transportation and recreation."

With increased financial commitments and major improvements in bike friendly legislation and infrastructure, Massachusetts is on track to be the number one bicycling state in America.  Take a look at the full report and you will see, we’re already well on our way. The DCR has made a commitment to overhauling its parkways to meet Federal standards. We have pending legislation on the hill with the Vulnerable Road Users Bill and the Bike Lane Protection Bill. “When we studied the criteria by which the League ranks the states, we expect to check off several more boxes in 2015. With our membership growing, strong leadership from the state Department of Transportation, and visionary partners statewide, we see a powerful opportunity to move into the top spot by 2016,” stated MassBike Executive Director, Richard Fries.

"We're encouraged to see measurable progress and improvement in many states, including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Utah," said League President Andy Clarke. "We hope to see continued improvement as more statewide leaders recognize and invest in the many benefits bicycling has to offer."

The Bay State has made tremendous strides in implementing Complete Streets projects and MassDOT’s GreenDOT Initiative, thanks in great part to the hard work of local advocacy groups. “So much of this credit goes to the steady leadership of David Watson, who recently stepped down from the helm at MassBike. And we got a lot of support from government and non-government organizations, including our friends at The Livable Streets Alliance, Boston Bikes, and the Boston Cyclists Union,” said Fries.

This is amazing news for Massachusetts, and there are big, exciting changes to come. But to keep moving forward, MassBike needs your support. Help us get to that top slot by becoming a member today.