As Tennesseans celebrate National Bike to Work Week, a new ranking shows they now have more bike friendly paths and roadways to travel. The League of American Cyclists recently announced their third annual Bicycle Friendly State (BFS) rankings. Tennessee jumped an astounding 19 spots in one year, climbing to 24th place this year from a ranking of 43rd in the 2009 report.

"I'm pleased to see this marked improvement in Tennessee's bicycle friendly ranking, but there is much work left to do," said Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner (TDOT) Gerald Nicely. "Clearly one area where improvement is needed is educating the public about safe bicycling and driving practices."

The ranking lists Tennessee as fifth in the nation for 2010 legislation, 11th for programs, 17th for infrastructure, 19th for evaluation, 27th for enforcement and 41st for education.

The Bicycle Friendly States rankings were first conducted in 2008 and are conducted annually, with all questions and methodology remaining consistent to track states' progress. The BFS rankings are based on a 95-item questionnaire that evaluates a state's commitment to bicycling and covers six key areas: legislation, policies and programs, infrastructure, education and encouragement, evaluation and planning, and enforcement. The League offers feedback and technical assistance to states in an effort to improve their ranking as well as overall conditions for bicycling.

"The improvement in Tennessee's ranking is due in large part to the better collaboration among TDOT, regional and municipal planners, legislators, advocates, and sharing of information across the state," Tom Evans, founder and Secretary/Treasurer of Bike Walk Tennessee, said. "We'll use the 2010 rankings and feedback as a guide to prioritize efforts for future improvements."

To view the 2010 BFS Rankings list, complete with BFS awards and a breakdown of how the states fared in each evaluation category, please visit www.bikeleague.org. For more information on the Bicycle Friendly States program and the state rankings, e-mail Meghan Cahill at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Pictured: A bicyclist and jogger cross a bike/pedestrian bridge in Chattanooga (image courtesy of TDOT)