Bicycle Friendly State

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should complete the questionnaire?

The State Bike Coordinator should complete the ranking questionnaire with the assistance of statewide bicycle advocacy organizations.

if the questionnaire is not compeleted, is a state still ranked?

Yes, all 50 states will still be ranked. League staff will complete unanswered questionnaires to determine ranking. However, as state coordinators, bicycle advisory committee representatives or state bicycle advocates have a better understanding of the laws, policies and practices in their states, their questionnaires will be more complete and likely scored better.

What if my state ranks low, won't it be used against me? Why should i bother continuING to update my ranking questionnaire annually?

The goal of the BFS program is not to punish states that perform poorly, but rather to recognize those that support bicycling and use them as models for the rest of the country. Rankings will allow states to see how they stack up nationally.

All state bicycle coordinators, and the main representatives of the state legislature and state advocacy groups will receive detailed feedback from our expert review panel as well as local cyclists on things that are working well and areas that need improvement. In our successful Bicycle Friendly Community program, communities use the application and feedback as a template and action plan to improve their bicycling - often with tremendous results!

is there a program fee?

No. Thanks to the generous support of the Bikes Belong Coalition and Trek Bicycle we are able to waive all program fees.

i need help completing the questionnaire, what should i do?

Review the BFS Resources page which offers links to information needed and examples of best practices. If you cannot locate the answer to your question or the appropriate resource, please contact Matt Wempe at matt@bikeleague.org or call 202.822.1333.