Florida was named 15th most bike-friendly state in the 2017 Bicycle Friendly State ranking produced by the League of American Bicyclists. View the Report Card for Florida. The ranking is based on four public data sources and a Bicycle Friendly State survey that is answered by each state's Department of Transportation and/or a statewide bicycle advocacy organization. See the report card for all 50 states
The data analyzed for the Bicycle Friendly State ranking is organized into five categories. The chart below shows each state’s ranking for 2017, the number of Bicycle Friendly Actions taken by each state (these are actions that the League believes are key indicators of a state’s commitment to improving bicycling) and each state’s rank in each of the five categories used in their analysis (these rankings can help states, citizens, and advocates understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of their state and comparable states).
The report card gave Florida some extra feedback:
The report card gave Florida some extra feedback:
- Repeal the state’s mandatory bike lane law. These types of laws ignore the quality and safety of available bike lanes. The best way to get people to use bike lanes is to make them safe, convenient, and connected so that they are appealing and accessible to people who bike.
- Florida has a long and sustained record as one of the most dangerous states for bicyclists. Florida has the highest per capita bicyclist fatality rate by two standard deviations and this rate is increasing. This extraordinary safety crisis deserves extraordinary actions by FDOT and all communities in Florida to improve safety, particularly for people who bike and walk.
- Florida should develop and adopt a statewide bike plan. While Florida has taken steps to institutionalize the state’s complete streets law and create better bicycle facilities the state still does not have a statewide bike plan to provide a consistent and comprehensive framework for long-term improvements.
- Florida is a large and diverse state that needs similarly diverse educational materials so that drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists are informed about traffic laws and using the road safely. Public education reports, and driver education, should attempt to bridge cultural gaps relevant to recent migrants and older person in order to effectively reach these groups with information about safe riding and safely sharing the road with bicyclists.
