Delaware Rises to 4th Most Bike-Friendly State!

On May 1st, we were delighted to hear the news that Delaware has continued its rapid ascent in the rankings of “Most Bicycle Friendly States” to FOURTH.  Delaware eked out even the State of Colorado, an incredible accomplishment for those familiar with the City of Boulder.  The American Heart Association has teamed up with Bike Delaware, Sussex Outdoor, Nemours, and other health advocacy coalitions to advocate for multimodal infrastructure investments and to put on this year’s annual Bike Summit.  During their remarks, the Governor and the Transportation Secretary spoke about the return on investment of these projects in improving the health and quality of life for all Delawareans.  The American Heart Association addressed the summit urging on and commending the advocates for the amazing progress in just a few short years.  We were honored to be joined by transportation officials from Boulder, Colorado and from Portland, Oregon as well as Professor Peter Furth whose work on low-stress bike network research is helping provide leadership in the field. 

An excerpt from the remarks of Dr. Ray Blackwell, Cardiothoracic Surgeon and President of the Northern Delaware Division of the American Heart Association from yesterday’s summit: “….this isn’t just about making fun opportunities for recreational cyclers and those of us that are committed to bicycling.  This work is also about motivating Delawareans who want to ride bicycles or walk to participate in those activities because they finally feel like there’s a safe place for them in our transportation system. We categorize this group of individuals as “interested but concerned”.  If we increase the numbers of interested but concerned Delawareans, who frequently and routinely utilize the active means of transportation we’ve mentioned, we will reduce the number #1 and #4 causes of deaths in this country, cardiovascular diseases and strokes.   That is what the American Heart Association is so excited about doing with all of you, Bike Delaware, the Delaware General Assembly, and the Administration.”