Arizona earned a bronze-level designation for bicycle friendliness in the first statewide awards from the League of American Bicyclists.
In the past, the leaguehas assessed only individual communities, and the Tucson region has earned and maintained a gold-level recognition, the second-highest. The bronze designation means the state does well enough with its bicycling programs to earn a rank but still has room for improvement.
Only six states applied in this first round of state evaluations, said Jeff Peel, the Bicycle Friendly America program specialist at the League of American Bicyclists.
Washington and Wisconsin earned silver awards, while Arizona and Minnesota got bronze. Delaware and Maryland were given honorable mentions. No state met the gold standard.
"It's about what we expected," Peel said, noting not every community applies, so the league didn't anticipate many states applying in the first round.
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The feedback from the evaluators will be sent to the state bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in a few weeks, Peel said.
The award could bring attention to bicycle tourism here, said Michael Sanders, the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the Arizona Department of Transportation.
"We get a lot of requests from people coming to Arizona, people coming here on vacations bringing their bike along, and wanting info on bicycling in Arizona," he said.
The added recognition could pay dividends.
Some communities have spent money on bicycling facilities, including bike lanes, and noticed a big economic return through more bicycle tourism, said Matt Zoll, Pima County's bicycle and pedestrian program manager.
Seven Arizona communities have earned bicycle-friendly designations. The Tucson/ eastern Pima County region has a gold designation, Scottsdale and Tempe have silver, and bronze designations have gone to Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert and Mesa.
"My role as the coordinator here was really just to bring together a lot of these good things that have happened over time," Sanders said.
Three U.S. cities have earned the highest designation, platinum: Davis, Calif., Boulder, Colo., and Portland, Ore.
The application included more than just bicycle commuter programs, such as off-road biking on trails and in state parks.
"This is not just about transportation. The league is looking at the whole range of bicycling, everything bicycling in Arizona," Sanders said.
Sanders said he expects that Arizona scored well on planning for bicycle facilities and bicycle use, and on educating people on the laws for vehicles and bicycles.
The state's roadway-design guidelines call for at least four-foot-wide shoulders on all state highways, Sanders said.
He said he hopes to take the league's feedback and turn it into an agenda for improving bicycling in Arizona.
Some other things that stood out on Arizona's application include: requiring driver training every four years for all state employees who drive a state vehicle; the cross-state Great Arizona Bicycle Adventure and the El Tour de Tucson bicycling events; the University of Arizona's and Arizona State University's plans for bicycles on campus, including bike routes and bike-sharing programs, Peel said.
