Tacoma — A recent survey of cyclists from across the U.S. ranked three Washington cities the most feared by cyclists and three more Washington cities the safest for cyclists.
Binar Chase, a personal injury law firm based in Southern California, commissioned Cherry Digital, a marketing agency, to survey 3,000 cyclists to ask them to rate how safe or unsafe they felt on daily commutes on a scale from 1-10, 10 being the safest.
The survey lists a total of 250 cities ranked from the safest to the scariest places to bike in. The survey found that the safest place for cyclists in the country is Virginia Beach, Va., due to its “comprehensive set-up of cycling lanes and paths that provide a safe distance from vehicular traffic.”
Kent, Tacoma, Bellevue, Seattle, Vancouver and Spokane were among the cities ranked in the survey as best and worst for cyclists.
Here are the scariest and safest cities for cyclists in Washington, according to the survey.
Scariest cities for cyclists in Washington
Bellevue: No. 139 — 6.4/10
Tacoma: No. 227 — 5.4/10
Spokane: No. 245 — 4.9/10
Spokane was ranked the scariest city in Washington and was ranked the 245th most-feared city in the country for cyclists. Spokane was given a 4.9/10 due to the lack of bicycle lanes throughout the city that lead to cyclists sharing the road with motor vehicles. The city is also covered in many hills that can “pose considerable difficulty and potential danger, particularly for novice cyclists,” according to Cherry Digital.
Safest cities for cyclists in Washington
Kent: No. 3 — 8.8/10
Seattle: No. 25 — 7.8/10
Vancouver: No. 95 — 6.9/10
The Kent was ranked the safest city in Washington for cyclists and the third safest city in the country. Kent was given an 8.8/10 rating due to its low traffic volume and dedicated Bicycle Advisory Board that works with city authorities. The group collaborates with city authorities to create more bicycle lanes and trails while also advocating for bicycle safety education.
The survey with the list of safest and least safe cities for cyclists can be found on the Bisnar Chase website.
