Maryland Ranks 11th Most Bike-Friendly State

Maryland is one of the best states in the region to bike, according to new rankings from the League of American Bicyclists. A combination of citizen advocacy for safe bike routes, dedicated state funding and a "Share the Road" campaign helped the state earn No. 11, behind places like Washington state, Colorado, Oregon and Massachusetts.

Neighboring states also fared well on the rankings list: Delaware was 5, Pennsylvania was 15 and Virgina was 16.

The League created a list of 10 signs that show progress on bikeability for states, including more than 1 percent of the commuters using bikes, bike education for police and congestion mitigation, none of which the organization noted positively for Maryland.

"As the scores clearly highlight, there's much work to be done in critical areas like infrastructure and planning in every state," said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, in a statement on the rankings. 

Four communities within the state—Baltimore City, Bethesda, Frederick and Rockville—were recognized as bike-friendly communities this year by the same organization. 

Columbia is currently working on a bike and walking plan to update the city's network of bike paths, as well as add bike lanes to busy roads.

• State Awards Grants for Local Bikeway Improvements
• County Wants Input on Bike Plan