California Ranks Fourth Most Bicycle Friendly State in 2022
For Immediate Release: 4/19/22
Contact:
Dave Snyder, CalBike, 916-251-9433, dave@calbike.org
California Ranks Fourth Most Bicycle-Friendly State in League of American Bicyclists 2022 Report
Sacramento, Calif. – California took 4th Place in the annual ranking of Bicycle Friendly States by the League of American Bicyclists released today in Washington, D.C.
The state Report Card found in today’s report praises California for…
“…significant advances in bicycle policy in recent years, but those advances must be institutionalized more thoroughly in local Caltrans offices and in funding decisions made by Caltrans and the state legislature. For example, while California’s Active Transportation Program has expanded in recent years, it still fails to meet the demand for biking and walking investments with a nearly $2 billion gap in funding in the last application round.”
CalBike’s $2 Billion for Bikes campaign aims to fill the funding gap identified by the League. Many excellent projects in the Active Transportation Program didn’t get funded in the last cycle due to lack of budget. Governor Newsom and the legislature have, so far, tentatively committed to $1.1 billion in additional funding for biking and walking infrastructure in the next fiscal year, which is an encouraging first step, but California needs more.
Dave Snyder, executive director of CalBike, said of the League’s report:
“California being named the fourth most bike-friendly state is wonderful news. But California can and should be the MOST bike-friendly state in the nation. The pandemic showed us that Californians love to bike recreationally. But more Californians would love to use bikes for commuting and shopping too, if they felt the streets were safe enough.
“While funding for bicycles in California has increased recently, we are still ranked at 39th in per capita spending and 23rd in safety nationwide. To catch up, let’s invest $2 billion in safe bikeways that reach destinations where people want to go. By vastly expanding our bike infrastructure, California can become the climate and equity leader we claim to be.“