Bicycle Friendly State Rankings: Missouri remains 34th in rank, gains 4 points; What is our priority list for improving our ranking?

The League of American Bicyclists has announced the Bicycle Friendly State scores and rankings for 2015.  Missouri is still 34th out of the 50 states in rankings, though we gained 4 points (out of 100) from 2014 to 2015--a significant gain.  The 2015 score sheet for Missouri summarizes Missouri's ranking and goals.

Bike Month 2015

In general, the trend that we have seen since Missouri reached its high water mark in the BFS state rankings (17th in 2009) continues: Missouri is improving the situation for bicycling slowly, but other states are improving their bicycle accommodations much faster.

Thus, Missouri scores noticeably better than last year--a 4 point increase is more than 10% in a single year--but our state ranking does not change because the 33 states ahead of us are improving even faster.

So we have our work cut our for us--because people want to live and like to live where they and their families can walk and bicycle safely. 

What changes do we need to make to improve bicycle safety and access in Missouri--to bring Missouri on par with other states, and to reach our goal of Gold Level Bicycle Friendly status for Missouri?

Goals to improve Missouri's Bicycle Friendly Status--and our work plan for the next few years

As part of the Bicycle Friendly State process, the League asks the statewide advocacy organization to identify top goals to improve the state.  We take the priority goal list to our Advisory Commission--representing over 60 groups, organizations, and agencies from around Missouri.

The final list is then approved by the League--and represents the unified priority list for Missouri of local, state, and national bicycle organizations, including, dozens of organizations across the state, the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, and the League.

The goals we have identified through that process and which the League and the MoBikeFed urges Missouri legislators and agencies to implement:

• Fully include bicycling and walking in all state transportation funding proposals, in accordance with MoDOT’s stated goal of expanding and improving bicycle and pedestrian options throughout the state.
   
• Create and implement a Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, including a timeline for creation of regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans in each of Missouri’s transportation planning regions.
   
• Improve the state’s rumble strip design guidelines to include more bicycle friendly elements.
   
• Build upon MoDOT’s current program that routinely considers sidewalk and ADA needs in all projects, to more thoroughly consider needs of all non-motorized users, including those of bicyclists, in all projects. Dedicate more funding to meeting those needs.
   
• Adopt Complete Streets policies in the remaining three (of eight) Metropolitan Planning Organizations that do not have CS policies. Pilot rural Complete Streets policies in at least two Regional Planning Commissions.
   
• As part of the Statewide Bicycle Plan develop a timeline and plan to designate and officially adopt into the U.S. National Bicycle Route System all current national bicycle routes in Missouri, and other regional and statewide bicycle routes as appropriate.
   
• Create and distribute a printed version of the new electronic statewide bicycle map; continue to update the map on a regular basis.
   
• Adopt laws banning distracted driving and texting while driving, banning harassment and intimidation of people who bicycle, walk, or use a wheelchair, requiring motorists to safely pass people who bicycle and walk, and protecting vulnerable road users.

Find out more about the Bicycle Friendly America program in Missouri, including Bicycle Friendly Communities, Businesses, and Universities, here.  Find out more about the Walk Friendly Community program in Missouri here.

Working to make Missouri and more Bicycle Friendly State by implementing solutions like those outlined above, encouraging more communities, businesses, and universities to participate in the Bicycle Friendly America and Walk Friendly Communities programs, and raising Missouri's Bicycle Friendly State ranking to Gold level are among the priorities in MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri.  

Your membership and generous financial support of MoBikeFed helps make our Vision a reality!