West Virginia is making improvements as a bike-friendly state, according to data published by a national bicycle advocacy group.
The League of American Bicyclists lists West Virginia as 28th for laws and policies designed to keep bicyclists safe and to promote bicycling.
West Virginia ranked last in the league’s first ranking in 2008.
States are rated on infrastructure and funding as well as traffic laws and practices.
In a press release, the West Virginia Department of Transportation highlighted the 2014 passage of the Bicycle Safety Law, which requires drivers to give cyclists three feet of safe passing distance when overtaking them on the road.
The department has also been providing funding to communities to better accommodate bicycles.
The League of American Bicyclists has also designated three West Virginia communities, Morgantown, Wheeling and Beckley, as bronze-level bicycle-friendly communities.
To qualify, communities must have bike lanes on a third of their arterial streets and bicycle education programs in schools and for the public.