Michigan and Metro Detroit slip in rankings
Bicycle Friendly State
The League of American Bicyclists have released their 2010 rankings of U.S. states based on their bicycle friendliness.
Michigan dropped one slot to 16th. This slip appears due to other states passing legislation which gives them additional points.
Here is Michigan’s rankings within the six categories:
- 37th – Legislation
- 12th – Policies and Programs
- 5th – Infrastructure
- 4th – Education
- 38th – Evaluation
- 27th – Enforcement
America’s Fittest Cities
American College of Sports Medicine has released their 2010 American Fitness Index report.
Washington D.C. is the top Metro area for the third year in a row.
The nation’s capital is also a well-endowed city when it comes to community recreation centers, ball fields and other places to exercise. Washington has the second-highest rate of people walking or biking to work, aided by 60 miles of bike lanes. [Ed. emphasis ours]
On the other hand, just because there are a lot of parks and bike lanes being built doesn’t mean that everyone uses them. And by giving points simply for having infrastructure, the index might favor wealthier cities or those with bigger governments. “It’s a fair point,” says Brenda Chamness, who gathers the data for the index. Chamness points out that research has found that fitness levels rise along with the building of new facilities. “If individuals do not have access to safe, convenient and affordable places to exercise, they would be less likely to exercise.”
Where’s Metro Detroit? We’re near the bottom, 47th out of 50. Metro Detroit was 44th in 2009 and 41st in 2008. The trend is apparent.
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Tags: American Fitness Index, Bicycle Friendly State, bike lanes, Detroit, League of American Bicyclists, Michigan