In 2009 the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) ranked Tennessee 43'rd (or 8'th from the bottom) as a Bicycle Friendly State [1]. That was a drop of 5 points from 2008. The rankings are based on overall scores to the ranking questionnaire [2] that was sent to State Bike Coordinators. [3]
In the individual categories used by LAB, Tennessee ranked as follows:
In his May 28, 2009 note to Philip Pugliese (Bicycle Coordinator, Outdoor Chattanooga) Jeff Peel, (Program Specialist-Bicycle Friendly America League of American Bicyclists), identified the following deficiencies
Legislation
no legal requirement to open door only when safe
right turn only lane not included in far to right exclusions
no restriction on the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle
Policies & Programs
No Complete Streets or bicycle accommodation policy for state roadways
Infrastructure
No info on percentage of state roadways with paved shoulders or shoulder width
No rumble strip policy with a minimum clear space of 4 feet or greater
No dedicated state funding source for bicycle projects
No safety funding spent on bicycling in last 3 years
Education
No funding for bike education programs
Bicycling not included in any physical activity program
No statewide bicycle advocacy organization
No info on motorist responsibilities in driver’s manual
No info on bicyclists rights and responsibilities in driver’s manual
No questions on bicyclists rights and responsibilities on driver’s test
No questions on motorists responsibilities towards cyclists on driver’s test
No questions on motorists responsibilities towards cyclists on CDL test
Evaluation & Planning
No performance measures included in statewide bike plan
No info on bicycle ownership or usage rates in State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan(SCORP)
No statewide Bicycle Advisory Council
No statewide bicycle conference or summit
Enforcement
Information on cyclists rights and responsibilities not made available to traffic judges
No education of officer on cyclist rights & responsibilities through academy or continuing education
In the individual categories used by LAB, Tennessee ranked as follows:
3) Unknow who completed form for Tennessee. LAB lists Diana Benedict as Bike/Ped Coordinator, while official TDOT Web Site (http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/bikeped/) lists Rusty Staggs.
Ranking of Bicycle Friendly (BF) States versus Tax Burden (Low/Hi in 2000-2008) [4]. Tennessee's BF ranking is consistent with it's tax burden. However, Washington, Arizona, and New Hampshire might offer role models for doing more with less finances.
In 2010 the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) ranked Tennessee 24'th as a Bicycle Friendly State. That was a jump of 19 points from 2009. The rankings are based on overall scores to the ranking questionnaire [2] that was sent to State Bike Coordinators.
In the individual categories used by LAB, Tennessee ranked as follows:
A copy of the questionnaire completed and submitted by Jessica Wilson (TDOT) and reviewed by Tom Evans (BWT) is found by clicking here. Whereas Tennessee improved in most categories its performance is below average in Education and Evaluation with little improvement over 2009.
The problems are lakiely to be the same as noted in 2009
Education
No funding for bike education programs
Bicycling not included in any physical activity program
FIXED: No statewide bicycle advocacy organization
No info on motorist responsibilities in driver’s manual
No info on bicyclists rights and responsibilities in driver’s manual
No questions on bicyclists rights and responsibilities on driver’s test
No questions on motorists responsibilities towards cyclists on driver’s test
No questions on motorists responsibilities towards cyclists on CDL test
Evaluation & Planning
No performance measures included in statewide bike plan
No info on bicycle ownership or usage rates in State Comprehensive
Outdoor Recreation Plan(SCORP)
No statewide Bicycle Advisory Council
No statewide bicycle conference or summit
The 2010 Benchmarking Report by the Alliance provides a resource for government officials, advocates, and those working to promote bicycling and walking. This second report contains the following bike/ped data:
- levels and demographics;
- safety;
- policies and provisions;
- funding for projects;
- staffing levels;
- bike infrastructure: lanes, signed bike
routes, and parking;
- bike transit integration: racks on buses
and bike parking at transit stops;
- education and encouragement activities;
It also has the following public health indica-tors:levels of obesity, physical activity, dia-betes, and high blood pressure. It includes tables and graphs comparing state and city performance.
Alliance 2010 Benchmarking Report: Information & Findings
