Is Your Community a “Bicycle Friendly Community”?
What do Boulder, Colorado and Madison, Wisconsin have in common? Both have earned the designation of a “Bicycle Friendly Community.” That means that the cities have incorporated bicycles into their infrastructure planning and have passed a rigorous rating system managed by the League of American Bicyclists.
We’ll explore here what it means to be a bike friendly community and how to encourage your city to apply for the status.
About the Program
The Bicycle Friendly Communities Campaign is an awards program that recognizes municipalities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle-Friendly Community provides safe accommodation for cycling and encourages its residents to bike for transportation and recreation.
The program which is run by the League of American Bicyclists. (www.bikeleague.org).
League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The agency was founded as the League of American Wheelmen in 1880. Bicyclists, known then as “wheelmen”, were challenged by rutted roads of gravel and dirt and faced antagonism from horsemen, wagon drivers, and pedestrians.
In an effort to improve riding conditions so they might better enjoy their newly discovered sport, more than 100,000 cyclists from across the United States joined the League to advocate for paved roads. The success of the League in its first advocacy efforts ultimately led to our national highway system.
Earning the Designation of Bicycle Friendly Community
To earn the designation someone has to submit an application to the League and you or a group of bicyclists can bring the process to the attention of your mayor or city transportation planner.
First, there is an application to submit. After a review of your general community profile, the League will inform you if you have met some of the basic criteria required.
Step 2 is a detailed audit of the engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation efforts in your municipality. This comprehensive inquiry is designed to yield a holistic picture of your community’s work to promote bicycling.
A committee reviews the application and awards the Bicycle Friendly designation as warranted.
If you would like to learn more about the program, please check the League of American Bicyclists website at: www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org
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L, Jim Kirkendall Says:
I forwarded this to Keyne Schlager who’s young, active, progressive and on the Casper WY. city council…
thanks for all you do… take care, Jim
Brandon Wolf Says:
My town of Wilmington, NC is NOT a bicycle friendly town at all.
We barely get any road to ride on, and what we do get cars go right by you and most of the time will lean out the windows and yell causing you to jump and swirve out to the traffic and just about die.
Help!
Rebecca Says:
Brandon,
Maybe Wilmington needs to apply for Bicycle Friendly Community status? Have you considered writing a letter to the Mayor suggesting that? You can find some excellent stats to bolster your argument on the bikelegue.org website.