Kicking off National Bike to Work Week, the League has announced its latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC), including a new Platinum-level community. Fort Collins, Colo., moved from Gold to Platinum this round, joining the ranks of Portland, Ore.; Boulder, Colo.; and Davis, Calif., as the country’s very best for bicycling.
With this impressive round of 17 new BFCs, there are now 259 BFCs in 47 states. The BFC program is helping transform the way communities evaluate quality of life by assessing investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and municipal policies.
City of Fort Follins, CO
“We’re excited to see another ‘Platinum’ city in the west,” said League president, Andy Clarke. “And with new cities climbing the ranks in the East, it’s clear that civic leaders are investing in their communities by embracing the benefits of bicycling. That investment will be returned many times over in the health, environmental, transportation, and quality of life benefits of a thriving, attractive community.”
See the full list of Bicycle Friendly Communities here. An additional 18 communities received Honorable Mentions.
A bicycle culture is evident in the top BFCs, and in Fort Collins, a new Platinum community, bicycling is, simply, a “way of life.”
“A bicycle culture is key in defining the fabric of what makes Fort Collins a great place to live, work and play,” said Fort Collins Mayor Karen Weitkunat. ”We know it is a primary means of transportation for many, a major form of recreation for most, and a significant factor in attracting new businesses and new residents. Our City works alongside many community organizations to build a seamless bikeway network and ensure a safe cycling community. Bicycling is a community value and a way of life in Fort Collins.”
In the East, Cambridge, Mass., a new Gold-level BFC, has seen its ridership grow threefold in the past decade alone. Cambridge’s Harvard University was also honored with a Silver Bicycle Friendly University award last month.
“Cambridge is proud of its reputation as one of the best cities for bicycling in the U.S.,” said Cambridge City Manager Robert W. Healy. “The City has actively invested in making cycling a priority, including establishing the Hubway bike share program and creating an expansive network of bicycle facilities. The popularity of bicycling here can be seen in the exponential growth in cycling, with numbers tripling in the past decade. The bicycling culture here is epitomized in such events as the award-winning community bike rides, which highlight the collaborative nature of our work, with citizens, local businesses and the City working together.”
And the long, snowy winters in Anchorage, Alaska, which moved up from a Bronze to Silver community, haven’t put a stop to the thriving bicycling community there.
“Anchorage bicyclists are so committed to bicycling that nothing can stop them,” said Lori Schanche, Municipality Of Anchorage Non-Motorized Transportation Coordinator. “Anchorage’s eight long winter months come with darkness, frozen roads and snow but our bicyclists have adapted by gearing up with cold weather gear, lights, fat tires and studs. When summer arrives we all enjoy almost 24 hours of daylight to be out cycling our miles of beautiful trails and bike lanes.”
Learn more about the program and view the full list of Bicycle Friendly Communities at www.bikeleague.org/bfa.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
To kick of Bike to Work Week, we’ll be announcing the latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities — including some new cities joining the ranks of Platinum and Gold — on Monday. And, with every announcement, we always get the same (great!) questions.
What are the key components that make a community bicycle-friendly? What will it take for my community to get on the board with a Bronze designation? My city made it to Silver — how do move up to Gold?
Well, we worked with our design partners at Language Dept to create an infographic to help answer those questions.
Now, the beauty of the BFA program is the fact that it’s not one-size-fits-all. We’re able to take into account the unique characteristics of each community — so it’s not a rigid rubric. But we love the way this distills some of the key benchmarks and metrics in an interesting and engaging way.
So who will join the more than 250 communities that are already BFCs? Stay tuned for our announcement on Monday!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
For folks of a certain age, the mention of Texas Instruments takes us back to high school math, poring over our trusty calculators to get through our algebra assignments. But TI is making a name for itself beyond the classroom — and out in the community.
TI’s headquarters in Dallas, Texas, employs 6,500 people (all of whom probably got As in algebra) and their leadership’s commitment to bicycling as a viable commuting option secured them a Bronze in our latest round of Bicycle Friendly Business awards.
Texas Instruments employees on Bike to Work Day
David Thomas, TI’s Vice President of Worldwide Facilities, is an avid cyclist, and said TI has made investing in bicycling resources — like bike racks, repair stations and onsite showers — is a priority for the company.
“Texas Instruments sees great value in supporting alternative commuting solutions for employees,” Thomas says. “We want to make it easy for our existing bike commuters to get to work safely and to encourage more employees to try biking to work. We continually seek new ways to educate, encourage and engage employees in safe bike commuting.”
TI’s commitment shone through its work to help secure funding and ensure construction of a 35-mile bike trail within its community. TI worked with the local government, donated land to Dallas County and provided seed money to help kick off the $6.5 million Cottonwood Trail extension project. What’s more, the company committed to matching any employee donations to the project, in addition to offering project management support.
But that’s not the only reason TI should be proud of its work:
It maintains a Commute Solutions program, which encourages transportation alternatives like subsidizing carpools and mass transit, in addition to offering bicycling amenities. This program also has an online forum component, which allows its employees to chat about their routes and share tips.
It sees the value of the National Bike Challenge, and it has provided employee incentives for participation. Leadership offered 10 TI cycling jersey for riders who exceeded 2,000 points in the Challenge.
It hosts Bike to Work Days, as part of Bike Month, annually and has seen a steady increase in participation.
Keep up the great work! And check back for future profiles of leading BFBs.
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
As businesses race to retrofit their buildings, streamline waste policies, and purchase more and more recycling bins, some companies have already targeted a free and easy way to be more environmentally conscious: bicycling.
On this Earth Day, the League of American Bicyclists announced 63 new Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFB) from across the country that are leading America toward a greener future.
The BFB program has now expanded to 44 states and Washington, D.C., and these new awardees join a visionary group of more than 500 local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies across the United States that are transforming the American workplace.
“More and more business leaders are realizing that bicycling is a simple and cost-effective way to move toward a more productive company,” says Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “Promoting healthy transportation is increasingly attractive to employers and prospective employees – and it’s moving America toward a more sustainable future.”
Bicycle-friendly businesses encourage a more bicycle-friendly atmosphere for employees and customers alike. Through cost-effective investments, BFBs attract, reward and retain staff that are not only healthier and happier, but more productive, driven and passionate about the work they do and the communities they live in.
Award winners in this round include:
Texas Instruments Inc. (Bronze)
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis. (Moved from Silver to Gold)
The World Bank Group (Moved from Bronze to Silver)
Peace Corps, Seattle and Chicago offices (Bronze)
Texas Instruments, a new Bronze-level BFB, worked with its local government to secure funding and build a 35-mile trail that will enable employees to bike to work safely, in addition to widening transportation options for those living in the community. TI also has employee representation on the City of Dallas Bicycle Advisory Committee as it updates the Dallas Bike Plan.
“Texas Instruments sees great value in supporting alternative commuting solutions for employees. We’ve invested resources to build bike paths that connect to local trails, added bike racks, repair stations and onsite showers, and created social networks that support TI bike commuters,” says David Thomas, Vice President of Worldwide Facilities at TI. “We want to make it easy for our existing bike commuters to get to work safely and to encourage more employees to try biking to work. We continually seek new ways to educate, encourage and engage employees in safe bike commuting.”
To apply or learn more about the free BFB program, visit the League online at bikeleague.org/businesses
(Photo: TI employees bike along the Cottonwood Trail, the path for which the Texas company helped secure funding.)
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
Harvard joined the ranks of Bicycle Friendly Universities this past week, rising to the ranks of Silver status in its first award. Joining Princeton and Yale as Ivy League BFUs, Harvard certainly has plenty to brag about.
“Harvard is extremely proud to be recognized as a Bicycle Friendly University,” said Lisa Hogarty, vice president for campus services, in a University news release. “While the work of our CommuterChoice team has been exceptional, our initiatives and programs are successful because of the complete support and enthusiasm of Harvard’s biking community. Being named a BFU highlights just how strongly students, faculty, and staff are committed to using alternative forms of transportation.”
Harvard has reason to be proud:
Approximately 17 percent of its campus commuters used bicycle as their primary means of transportation last year.
It’s home to almost 400 bicycle racks, creating about 4,000 spaces for bicycles on campus.
It’s invested more than $600,000 in the Hubwaybike share system, of which Harvard has sponsored 12 stations throughout Cambridge and Boston (oh, and they have two other Bikeshare programs, known as CrimsonBikes and Read & Ride Bikeshare, too).
What’s more, it offers a Departmental Bike Program, which gives all schools and departments at Harvard the option of buying bicycles for campus transit. The program, which involves 20 Harvard departments currently, aims to reduce automobile trips and air pollution and increase the health of those on campus.
“Our students, faculty and staff have created a vibrant bicycling community and, in partnership with Harvard’s Schools, departments and community partners, we’re working to make the University safer and more accommodating for bicyclists,” Harvard University Commuter Choice program coordinator Ben Hammer told me this week. “Harvard’s strong support for bicycling makes the University stronger and helps our community explore alternatives to driving that are healthier and better for the environment.”
Keep up the good work! And keep an eye out for award announcements for our other Bicycle Friendly programs in the coming weeks!
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
When Wayne Byrd came up with the concept for Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) and the League took that idea to the national level, we knew it would be a powerful tool to make biking better for millions of Americans. But we’re happy to admit: We didn’t think we’d get this far this fast.
In our latest issue of American Bicyclist — the 10th Anniversary of the Bicycle Friendly America program — we give you a glimpse at the next generation of the BFA program. From communities to businesses, we’re continuing to raise the bar for leading communities and corporations that want to improve cycling for their residents and employees.
Last year, for instance, we announced our new Diamond BFC designation — an award that challenges and guides our top Platinum communities to become world-class cycling cities. In this Anniversary issue, Bill Nesper, our VP of Programs, shares the full story behind the development of this new award and how we’ll measure success…
“We never thought Platinum would be the end of the road, the pinnacle of bicycle friendliness,” Bill writes. “But the degree of innovation and pace of improvement in the top BFCs blew us away. We knew we needed new ways to support and challenge the Platinum-level communities. And they were eager to step up their game, too. Last year, we had a call with advocates and city staff from Davis, Boulder and Portland. The consensus was clear: ‘We need a higher bar. We need you to push us to become even better — and give us clear metrics to make our communities world-class cycling cities,’ they said.”
So what will it take to be world-class?
“Attaining Diamond is different than any other BFA designation,” Bill explains. “The biggest change: Defined minimum requirements for ridership, safety and bicyclists’ perceptions. Right now, the average Platinum-level BFC has a bicycle mode share of 12 percent. To get to Diamond, you’ve got to hit at least 15 percent. But that’s not all.”
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
In this issue of American Bicyclist, we mark a major milestone for the League: the 10th Anniversary of the Bicycle Friendly America program. Since its inception, the initiative has boosted biking in more than 700 communities, businesses and universities.
So who dreamed up the idea for this roadmap to bicycle-friendliness?
Well, the BFA program didn’t get its start here at the League office in D.C. It wasn’t launched in a city known for cycling or by one of our hundreds of advocacy affiliates, either.
Nope, it started in Kansas — Overland Park, Kansas.
As Hamzat Sani, our Equity and Outreach Fellow, writes in this issue:
“For Wayne Byrd (pictured above right, below left), the Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) concept was a combination of his two passions. Byrd had his second date with wife, Anne, on a bike and worked as a public servant and elected official in Overland Park, Kan., for more than 16 years. In 1993, he was inspired by the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City program. “As an avid bicyclist,” he says, “I wondered why there wasn’t a similar program to encourage safer bicycling in urban and suburban areas.” So Byrd set out to create that program — an initiative that would recognize communities that were making strides for bicyclists and create clear criteria for others looking to get on the path to better biking.”
How did it evolve from one member’s dream to a national program with hundreds of designations? Read the full story…
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
The latest issue of our American Bicyclist magazine is a transformation on two fronts. At the National Bike Summit this year, we revealed the new face of the League — a fresh look and branding that honors our past and looks to the future — and the March-April edition is the first issue of the redesigned magazine.
But this magazine also showcases a transformation that goes far beyond the pages of American Bicyclist — or even the League itself. A decade ago, we launched a program that in just 10 years, has guided hundreds of communities, businesses and universities to make biking better.
“The results [of the Bicycle Friendly America program] have been impressive,” League president, Andy Clarke, writes in his opening letter. “Since 2000, Bicycle Friendly Communities have seen an 80 percent increase in bicycle traffic — compared to just 32 percent in non-BFCs. We’ve applied the model to businesses, universities and states to tremendous effect, as well. Companies are saving thousands of dollars per person in health-care costs. Colleges and universities are using the program to meet sustainability and mobility goals. And states are developing tourism and economic development strategies around bicycling.”
Now, I know I’m biased, but this may be our best issue yet — showcasing the history and future of the BFA program, great graphics and, of course, the latest (and longest!) list of current BFA awardees. Read it online now, or become a member to make sure you get American Bicyclist delivered to your mailbox.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
It looks like the age-old rivalries among the Ivy League are taking a new shape: the race for gold in bike-friendliness. Harvard University now joins the likes of Princeton and Yale as Bicycle Friendly Universities (BFU).
Today, the League announced the designation of 14 new Bicycle Friendly Universities, expanding the program to 58 colleges in 30 states across America.
“More and more young people are getting on their bicycles instead of in their cars,” says Andy Clarke, League President. “The League commends universities like Harvard that are embracing that trend by providing better access and improved safety for bicyclists on their campuses.”
At Harvard, a new Silver-level BFU, there are plenty of options to travel by bike at the Cambridge, Mass., campus. With a Departmental Bike Program — which involves 20 departments and offers the purchase of bicycles over reliance on a car or taxi around campus — and two bike share programs, Harvard has cemented its commitment to bicycling as a sustainable, healthy and environmentally conscious transportation choice.
“Our students, faculty and staff have created a vibrant bicycling community and, in partnership with Harvard’s Schools, departments and community partners, we’re working to make the University safer and more accommodating for bicyclists,” said Harvard University Commuter Choice program coordinator Ben Hammer. “Harvard’s strong support of bicycling makes the University stronger and helps our community explore alternatives to driving that are healthier and better for the environment.”
The high marks don’t end with the Ivy League. Also taking home honors this round is the University of California, Berkeley, which received a Silver award for its efforts to make bicycling accessible on campus.
“It’s a great honor to receive this award from the League,” says Greg Haet, Chair of the Campus Bicycle Committee at Berkeley. “The number of students, faculty, and staff coming to the campus by bicycle continues to increase, and we’re working hard to make Cal a better place for our growing cycling community. This award confirms that we’re on the right track, and motivates us to continue making improvements.”
In the Midwest, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was awarded with a Silver, as well. The campus’s new Outdoor Adventure Center is just one of the reasons the Lincoln, Neb., university received the award. It provides bicycle repair opportunities, access to 24-hour end-of-commute shower facilities and bike locker storage. The University is also working on a new master plan, which will include multi-modal transportation priorities and projections for new bike infrastructure.
“The Bicycle Transportation Committee has worked diligently to evaluate, assess and execute a number of initiatives to support the university’s goal of becoming a Bicycle Friendly University,” says Steve Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln spokesman. “Bicycling is on the rise at UNL, and is increasingly seen as a healthy, supportable method of getting to, from and around campus. We’re pleased that UNL’s new designation will bring renewed attention to the university’s as well as the City of Lincoln’s progress in this important area.”
(Photos: A student shows off her bicycle at Campus Bike Day in Berkeley at left; Students ride their bicycles on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus at bottom)
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
To achieve her dream of waving the Afghan flag at the Olympics, 16-year-old Salma Kakar rises before dawn, to train under the cover of darkness. For the new Afghan Women’s Cycling Team, participating in the sport is a direct — and perilous — challenge to the prohibition against women cycling.
“These women are literally risking their lives to ride bikes,” says Shannon Galpin.
Over the past five years, Galpin has dedicated herself to improving the lives of girls like Kakar through her organization Mountain2Mountain. In 2006, the Colorado trainer and avid mountain biker established her nonprofit to empower women and girls in conflict zones — through cycling.
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According to National Geographic, which honored Galpin as a 2013 Adventurer of the Year: “The 38-year-old has braved some of the most violent periods in Afghanistan—a country considered by many humanitarian agencies to be the worst place in the world to be a woman—to work on women’s education and health. She fostered midwife training to combat infant and maternal mortality in the Panjshir Province. In Kabul and Kandahar, she helped develop reading programs for the daughters of women in prisons, some of whom were jailed for adultery after they were raped or for escaping arranged marriages.”
In 2010, she became the first person to ride across Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley and has been a key supporter of the Afghan Women’s Cycling Team.
“I started challenging that barrier [against women riding bikes] myself by being a foreign woman and looking for other women riding bikes,” she told NBC Nightly News. “Finding out that a small group of women were riding in Kabul as part of a cycling team it was a really natural segway to work I was doing in Afghanistan to support this burgeoning group of women pushing the boundaries on bicycles… It brings bikes into a whole new realm that could galvanize women’s rights in Afghanistan.”
And, if women like Kakar are willing to take the risk, Galpin says, the least we can do is support them. The first step: gear. The Mountain2Mountain founder has garnered hundreds of pounds of donations from bike shops, industry and individuals in a matters of months. And with her new Combat Apathy campaign she’s encouraging all of us to step up, building a “battalion of passionate mothers, daughters, and sisters, that are willing to sacrifice time, money, and energy to be crusaders of gender equity and human rights.”
Watch the video above to hear more from Galpin — and see the incredible passion of the Afghan Women’s Cycling Team. Galpin, along with Let Media and Side of the Road Sessions, are currently working on a full documentary about the team; click here to learn more and support the effort.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
You might be wondering: Do I qualify to become a Bicycle Friendly America local reviewer? How is my feedback integrated into the award and feedback process? How do I choose the most accurate award level recommendation?
We’ve got you covered!
Bicyclists and advocates, like you, play an important role in the Bicycle Friendly America program. It would be nearly impossible for program staff to visit each community, university or business that has applied for an award, so we rely on YOU for critical local perspective.
Already, more than 350 anonymous local bicycle experts and cyclists of all skill levels are reviewing BFA program applications. Their knowledgeable feedback not only influences the final award decision, but their detailed recommendations of needed improvements are also included in the final report provided to each applicant. Those reports are often used to inform future policy and funding decisions.
Interested in learning more?
The League is hosting a free webinar for potential and current local reviewers to discuss best practices, share tips and answer questions. Panelists will include:
Bill Nesper, Vice President, Programs
Nicole Wynands, Program Manager, Bicycle Friendly Community
A recording of the webinar will be available on the League blog and on the local reviewer sign up page shortly after.
Liz Murphy Communications Manager
Ms. Murphy joined the League in January 2013. She previously worked as a reporter covering the Justice Department. Liz has journalism and women's studies degrees from Penn State University. She commutes to work on her bright red bike daily.
I traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, this past weekend to give a workshop as part of the Iowa Bike Summit. The state’s Summit was capped with the RAGBRAI announcement party that drew 1,200 people — yes, you read that right, the announcementof this year’s RAGBRAI route drew a massive, enthusiastic crowd.
Photo courtesy of the Des Moines Register
RAGBRAI is touted as the “world’s oldest, largest and longest two-wheeled recreation tour,” and it begins this year on July 21 in Council Bluffs. People made wagers on the starting city, finishing city and every town in between. Why the big to-do? Well, bicycling means business in Iowa — and RAGBRAI means tourism dollars for the cities along the way. Recreational bicycling is a huge economic driver for the state, generating $364.8 million in direct and indirect impacts to Iowa and saving the state $73.9 million in healthcare costs, according to a recent study.
Needless to say, I was blown away and inspired by the thought of this model spreading throughout the country.
“Believe it or not, one of the best celebrations of bicycling in America happens in Iowa during January,” said Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. ”The Iowa Bicycle Summit trained over 150 planners, engineers, and government officials on cutting edge bikeway design. More than 5,000 people turned out to the Iowa Bike Expo for the latest gear, bikes, trails, and destinations. And we raised more than $45,000 for Iowa bicycle advocacy in one weekend!”
At the Summit, I was fortunate to be joined by friends from Bicycle Friendly Business Rockwell Collins to lead a workshop on building bicycle-friendly communities and businesses.
That’s me in the middle with Rockwell Collins’ bicycling ambassadors Nikki Northrop Davidson and Richard Bradford
We were thrilled to share success stories from communities and businesses in our Bicycle Friendly America program, which encourages and incentivizes bicycle friendliness for towns and companies alike. We discussed communities that haven’t reached the Platinum-level heights of bike-friendliness of Portland, Boulder or Davis, but whose efforts have resulted in an 80 percent growth in bike commuting since 2000. We also looked at places like Pittsburgh, Pa., which has seen a greater than 200 percent growth in that same span.
We shared the story of company QBP, whose bicycle-friendly promotions have created a savings of $170,000 in employee health care costs and saved another $300,000 per year in lost productivity. Talk about music to the ears of business owners and community leaders eager for economic sustainability and attracting talent!
Rockwell Collins, one of seven Bicycle Friendly Businesses in Iowa, provided attendees with a common-sense approach to making it easier for people to bike, like offering employees more opportunities to get together to ride, improving bike parking options and offering flexible work hours, to name a few. I was also very happy to tell participants that communities of all shapes and sizes can get something out of participating in the BFC program: Sisters, Ore., the least populous BFC with 1,925 citizens, is a great story for those who think of BFCs as a strictly urban phenomenon.
Learn more about Iowa’s RAGBRAI here, and check out our ongoing work through the Bicycle Friendly America program here.
Bill Nesper League Vice President of Programs
Nesper directs the Bicycle Friendly America Program, which includes the Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly University and Bicycle Friendly Business recognition programs. Bill first joined the League as a Membership Assistant in 2002 and moved in 2005 to manage the League education programs and Bicycle Friendly Community Program.
Do you ride a bike, work with cyclists, or have a knack for solving bike issues in your community?
Well, we need your insight on the local biking landscape — become a Bicycle Friendly America Local Reviewer!
The final Spring 2013 applications for the Bicycle Friendly Community, Business and University programs are being submitted and soon we’ll begin our bi-annual review of those applications. As always, we’re reaching out to local reviewers to share their on-the-ground perspective of the applications submitted from their area.
As a local reviewer, you may receive applications from communities, businesses and universities and will have two to three weeks to complete your review. Of course, all local reviewers will remain strictly anonymous to allow for candid feedback.
Your feedback will have a direct impact: It will be integrated into the official recommendations each applicant receives at the end of the process. And don’t worry: We’ll give you all the tips and training your need to provide valuable feedback. Mark your calendar for our local reviewer training webinar on February 20 at 3 p.m. EST, which will explain the review process in more detail. Stay tuned for more information on the webinar.
If you would like to become a Bicycle Friendly America local reviewer, please sign-up here. Questions? Contact bfa@bikeleague.org.
Nicole Wynands Program Manager, Bicycle Friendly Community & Bicycle Friendly State
Ms. Wynands joined the League in July 2011 after working for two years at the World Bank. In 2007, she was a member of the team that organized the world bicycling conference Velo-city in Munich as part of an internship with one of the leading bicycle transport planning firms in Germany. She holds a BA in Political Management from the University of Applied Sciences Bremen and a MA in Community Planning from the University of Maryland.
I love football. And, as a University of Florida alum, I’m always happy to see the SEC setting the standard this time of year. But, inspired by a recent USA Today cover story, I took a timeout from the bowl game action and did a quick analysis of where the League’s Bicycle Friendly Universities stack up by conference. It’s not a headline you’re likely to see in the Sports section but, when it comes to bike-friendliness, the Big West dominates.
While the Big Ten conference still leads in total number of awarded schools at eight, the conference is also the standout in quality, with four California universities at the Silver or Gold award level: UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara (Gold), UC Irvine and CSU Long Beach (Silver). The University of California at Davis has been prioritizing bicycling and walking since the 1960s (documented in 1966 by Ansel Adams). For example, on the core of the UC Davis campus is closed to auto traffic, leaving beautifully open boulevards for people bicycling and walking to class. When I visited the university a few years back, I was absolutely blown away by the great bicycling culture and accommodations, like bicycle roundabouts filled with people daily. A survey conducted by the university showed that 39% of those traveling to campus on an average weekday do so by bike (45% of students and 22% of faculty and staff).
UC Davis in action. Photo credit: UC Davis
Like UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara has been working hard at this since the 1960s and has built a great campus for getting around by bike and foot (and skateboard!). UCSB is said to have the highest percentage of human-powered commuters of any suburban national university in the U.S. Policies like the Parking Permit Ban, for those living within two miles of campus, the excellent cycling network and convenient bike parking make going by bike on campus the easiest option.
UC Santa Barbara – picking up recycling by bicycle. Photo: UCSB
It has to also be noted that the PAC-12 is a close second with the only Platinum-level BFU, Stanford, and six other universities across the West. Stanford is a standout for its biking network, educational outreach and promotion of cycling on campus for students, faculty and staff. The return on investment is clear with the university’s bike commuter data showing 22% of people bike commuting and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey showing a five-year average bike commuter rate of 40% between 2005-2010. Impressive stuff!
And it all goes to show what college football has proved for decades: Investment pays off. As the USA Today story explained, the SEC’s domination on the green is no surprise: “(It’s) the commitment they’ve made, financial support-wise, to be one of the best, if not the best,” said coach Chris Ault, whose Nevada team plays in the Mountain West. “To the Southern teams, football is just a different animal than most places in the country. Not that it isn’t important in all other places, but down there it truly is a way of life.”
It’s great to see universities across the country stepping up and making cycling a way of life, too! Read more about the BFU program here.
Bill Nesper League Vice President of Programs
Nesper directs the Bicycle Friendly America Program, which includes the Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly University and Bicycle Friendly Business recognition programs. Bill first joined the League as a Membership Assistant in 2002 and moved in 2005 to manage the League education programs and Bicycle Friendly Community Program.
This March, we’ll celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Bicycle Friendly American program. But 2012 marked a key moment in BFA history, too.
For the first decade, the BFC program ranked communities at the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. But, because of the tremendous progress, innovation and enthusiasm from communities nationwide, we realized it was time to set the bar higher. In September, we launched our effort to help communities become world-class cycling cities, moving beyond platinum to our new Diamond designation.
Portland is one of three cities pursuing Diamond BFC status
But Diamond wasn’t the only shining achievement for the BFC program in 2012. Kicking off Bike to Work Week, we announced the largest round of BFCs in the program’s history, including two new Gold-level BFCs in Durango, Colo., and Missoula, Mont. With the second round of awards in October, major urban centers — including Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville — earned a spot among the bicycle-friendly ranks. And that’s significant: Two-thirds of America’s largest cities are now BFCs.
The Bicycle Friendly University program continued to grow in 2012, too, welcoming prestigious institutions like Duke, Yale and Princeton. Taking a page from the classroom, the Bicycle Friendly States program debuted Report Cards and new maps highlighting where states are making the grade — and needing improvement.
So what’s in store for 2013? A partnership with the Alliance for Biking & Walking on the BFS program, a new multi-location BFB application process, and more. Stay tuned!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Earlier this month League President, Andy Clark, and I traveled to Boulder, Colo., and Davis, Calif. — but I was transported back to my college years in Germany.
Bicycling along the network of paths and bike lanes in these two Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Communities, I was able to comfortably ride for miles and miles without the need to bike on a high-speed road to meet up with city staff at the town hall, grab some food with local bike advocates at a downtown restaurant or attend an evening function at a museum.
In Davis, I got nearly run over by a large group of junior high school students on bikes, trying to pedal to class in time. In Boulder, we witnessed a frolicking group of young men riding around town in the evening with a boom box on the rack and lights in their wheels. These two Platinum BFCs really seem to have it all — the infrastructure, the bike culture and a compact and mixed land use that allow destinations to be quickly reached by bike.
Can it get any better than this? Well, though a good number of people bike in Davis and Boulder, more than half of the residents in cities like Copenhagen in Denmark or Utrecht in the Netherlands have adopted the bicycle as their main form of transportation. To challenge our own top cycling cities to move beyond Platinum and compete with world-class cycling cities, the League developed a new Diamond-designation. Andy and I traveled to Boulder and Davis to kick off their Diamond challenge. (Next month, we’ll pedal that challenge in the third Platinum city: Portland, Ore.
Boulder received us with overcast skies but heart-felt enthusiasm. We checked out two bright red B-cycle bikes for the duration of our stay and got quite a few miles out of them. We met with local government officials and staff, community and advocacy representatives and were treated to a three-hour tour of the city. The Diamond challenge will require the local government and the community to work together to address any remaining obstacles to cycling to encourage an additional 5 percent of commuters to bike to work or school — for Diamond designation, a 15 percent bicycle mode share among the minimum requirements.
Go Boulder Manager Kathleen Bracke is confident the city is ready to step up: “The City of Boulder/GO Boulder is excited to continue our partnership with the League and the Boulder community to advance bicycling as a way of life and look forward to working together to achieve the new Diamond level Bike Friendly Community designation.”
Mayor Matt Appelbaum agreed: “Recognition by the League energizes us to aim even higher. Boulder is looking forward to celebrating as the first Diamond-level Bicycle Friendly community in the future.”
One of the highlights of our visit in Boulder was a tour of the newly constructed 42-acre Valmont Bike Park, which is a one-of-a-kind natural-surface facility that allows residents and visitors of all ages and abilities to practice their mountain biking, BMX and cyclocross-skills. Our B-cycle bikes were unfortunately not made for this type of facility (though some have tried!), otherwise I would have taken a spin on the inviting singletrack course.
Valmont bike park
Davis greeted us with a bike light in our hotel room from Davis Bicycles! and two shiny, black city-owned bicycles. Since I arrived a day early, I got the chance to witness the installation of a new bike corral downtown, which featured a prominently displayed QR code that, when scanned with a smart phone app, takes you to the city’s bicycle website. During our stay we got to meet with Mayor Joe Krovoza, council member Brett Lee and city staff. We also caught up with local bicycle advocates, and representatives from the business community, the University of California at Davis and the Capital Corridor Joint Powers Authority. And got a great tour of the city’s bike infrastructure from Davis Bicycles! members and active transportation coordinator David Kemp.
(from right) Nicole and Andy met with Jim Allison, Manager of Planning with Capital Corridor Joint Powers Authority, to discuss accommodation of cyclists at the Davis train station and on trains (Photo credit: David Kemp)
Fortunately our rather packed schedule allowed us to stop by a city council meeting to present the City of Davis with a Silver Bicycle Friendly Business award on our way from the Bicycle Advisory Commission meeting to the holiday festivities of the Davis Bike Club. But hands down the highlight of our visit in Davis was to see the Active 4 Me program in action at a local elementary school that tracks children that walk or bike to school through bar code technology. The system also automatically informs parents that their child has arrived safely at school, addressing a real or perceived parental safety concern.
“The League’s trip to Davis truly complemented a new renaissance of pro-bicycle energy in Davis,” Kemp said. “After meeting with our elected officials, the business community, city staff, UC Davis, and bicycle advocacy groups, Andy and Nicole provided our community the positive charge and constructive feedback we needed to advance our city to the next level: Diamond! Pair this with the new, Beyond Platinum – Bicycle Action Plan and we’ll strategically propel our community, over the next five years, to work together to make Davis a world-class Bicycle Friendly Community.”
The next step for Boulder and Davis toward Diamond status will be a public survey to allow the community to chime in on the comfort and convenience of the bicycle network, perceived safety and other issues that influence people’s daily transportation and recreation choices.
“Given the City of Boulder’s ethic of ‘continuous improvement,’ we appreciate the League’s challenge for communities like Boulder to reach beyond Platinum Level to the new Diamond designation,” said Director of Public Works for Transportation Tracy Winfree. “Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend; Diamond Designation is.”
Click here to learn more about the Beyond Platinum program.
Nicole Wynands Program Manager, Bicycle Friendly Community & Bicycle Friendly State
Ms. Wynands joined the League in July 2011 after working for two years at the World Bank. In 2007, she was a member of the team that organized the world bicycling conference Velo-city in Munich as part of an internship with one of the leading bicycle transport planning firms in Germany. She holds a BA in Political Management from the University of Applied Sciences Bremen and a MA in Community Planning from the University of Maryland.
We love to hear how our Bicycle Friendly America program is transforming the country one community, business, and university at time. While we often hear these comments during phone conversations or in person, we thought it was about time to get some of them in writing — and share them with you!
We recently polled all BFA partners on what they truly thought of our programs, how the programs have helped them become more bike-friendly, and what we could do to make them stronger. Here is a sample of what we received…
At the USDA, becoming bike-friendly is a way to “be hip without trying!”
Bicycle Friendly Communities
[The BFC program] built recognition of what we have done, which helps get funding for the very long list of what we still have to do. Having the honor actually made it easier for us to give a frank assessment of where we lag and help build political support for future phases. – Wayne Feiden, Director of Planning and Development, Northampton, MA
It has awakened our city council and other city agencies to support cycling and make appropriate improvements and provide elements that focus on cycling and safety. – Michael Tyler, Chairman, Lewes Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, Lewes, DE
Participation in the BFC program has inspired our city leaders to improve conditions for cyclists and ultimately reach our goal of making it to the Platinum level. The community has seen the benefits through the many improvements made throughout the city. – Jim Konopka, Senior Park Planner, Folsom, CA
Bicycle Friendly Businesses
The BFB program has probably had the biggest impact on our recruiting efforts, as the majority of new hires bike at least occasionally bike to work and some are regular bike commuters. It is the one thing an organization can do to be hip without trying. – Tim Wojan, Economist, Economic Research Service/USDA
By receiving the initial recognition, we were able to justify installing lockers and increasing our overall support of cycling in our workplace. – Chuck Krivanek, Human Resources Manager, InterContinental Hotels Group
The big plus is that it holds us up as an example of what a small business can do with not a lot of cost — the shower and changing room being the only large cost. We sincerely hope that we are not Dallas’ only BFB for much longer! – Warren Casteel, Manager, Casteel & Associates, Inc.
Bicycle Friendly Universities
Recognition as the first BFU in our state is a point of pride among students, staff, faculty, administrators and alumni. Our admissions staff promote our BFU status when recruiting new students, and our human resources department includes BFU information during new employee orientation. Also, BFU participation has helped secure funding from our Chancellor to implement projects in our campus bicycle master plan. – Suzanne Williams, Associate Director, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
[The BFU award] brought much greater attention to the feasibility of bicycling for students and staff at the university, which has in turn boosted our mode share and made it easier to push for increased improvements for cyclists. It also demonstrated to our President that his administration’s efforts to support bicycling were not only well-received by students and staff, but also provided an opportunity for national recognition for a low investment (with the added bonus of reducing costs, emissions, and improving student health)! – Johann Weber, Graduate Student and Instructor, Georgia Institute of Technology
Thanks to all our partners who contributed!
Alison Dewey League Program Manager, BFB & BFU
Dewey joined the League in 2008. For four years prior to that, Dewey worked for Massachusetts- based Landry’s Bicycles and served on the board of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. Dewey has a MA in International Relations and Communications from Boston University and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.
Full disclosure, I love Boston. I have loved the city ever since I stepped foot into Jamaica Plain in 2001, freshly home from the Peace Corps to attend Boston University in a masters program. I loved the size of the city: small enough to be able to be walkable but big enough to explore and feel urban. I loved the old-city streets, the small neighborhoods, the history, the many unique areas of the city. All of it seemed to fit me perfectly.
It took me about three months after moving to Boston to figure out that the most direct way to BU’s campus from Jamaica Plain was by bike. The T, Boston’s subway system, took me all the way into the city and then out again — a 45-minute commute. On bike it was 20. A beautiful commute around the Emerald Necklace, a name well-earned, put me straight onto campus. I passed by ponds and rivers and saw very few cars or stoplights the entire five miles.
Once I got to BU, however the honeymoon was over. I had to join the traffic congestion. I saw few cyclists on my ride to class. Commonwealth Avenue, which cuts through the heart of campus, was pretty much exclusively dedicated to moving cars and parking cars.
Last week I traveled back to Boston for the National League of Cities Conference and was amazed at the difference. I rode my bike from the newly developed Seaport District all the way to Landry’s Bicycles, my favorite shop and my former workplace. Nearly all the way from the Public Garden to BU’s campus I had a bike lane in which to ride. There was a green bike box near the famous Newbury Street, where I cozied up to multiple other cyclists. The lanes along Commonwealth Avenue also had a frequent safety reminder: “No Excuse, Wear a Helmet.”
I noticed the dozens of Hub Stations throughout the city and saw many people on the bike-share bikes. Cold weather didn’t stop a lot of the early morning commuters. Along the Charles River Path, the number of cyclists I saw far outnumbered the amount I would have seen on a warm weather day in 2001. It was amazing.
Congratulations, Boston. You have come a long way! I never thought I could love you more, but I do.
Photo credit: City of Boston
Alison Dewey League Program Manager, BFB & BFU
Dewey joined the League in 2008. For four years prior to that, Dewey worked for Massachusetts- based Landry’s Bicycles and served on the board of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. Dewey has a MA in International Relations and Communications from Boston University and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.
Standing at the corner of Route 355 (also known as Rockville Pike) and Veirs Mill Road in Rockville, Maryland, you might be baffled that this city was recently named a Bicycle Friendly Community. Living just south of this area, I sure was, too. But, continue a block east or west of the Pike and you’ll see why.
Rockville — which is situated in the Washington D.C. metro region — didn’t allow a major state highway to get in its way of becoming bicycle-friendly. Instead, the city focused on off-road bike paths through parkland, connecting their network of lower volume streets, and a Safe Routes to School curriculum.
“The city has plans to redesign Rockville Pike – a great area for all kinds of shopping but very auto-centric,” says Nancy Breen, head of the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee (RBAC). “But until the redesign is done, we need to find other ways to invite people to ride a bike.” One of the first steps the city took was to engineer the Carl Henn Millennium Trail (pictured) – an 11-mile bike beltway that circles the city and comes within two miles of all Rockville neighborhoods. The trail was recommended in the city’s 1998 Bike Master Plan and came to fruition in 2006. Rockville then concentrated on connecting their bike network on lower volume streets through road diets, bike cut-throughs, traffic-calming, and bike/ped overpasses. The Sister City Friendship Bridge, that opened in 2007, allows bicyclists to safely and conveniently travel east-west across town over a major interstate, which before was unthinkable.
Bike counting has also been a key tool to determine the best use of city resources. With guidance from their new bike coordinator, Matt Folden, the city collected bicycle user data in 2011 and received a technical assistance grant by the MPO National Capital Transportation Planning Board to analyze the city’s bikeways and transportation network, and recommend improvements for the Bikeway Master Plan.
In addition to the MPO grant, the city received a Federal Transit Administration Job Access/ Reverse Commute (JARC) grant award. The JARC program seeks to provide transportation options to low-income users, as well as individuals who have a reverse peak hour commute. The city plans to install 20 Capital Bikeshare stations, in collaboration with Montgomery County, around the Shady Grove and Rockville Metrorail stations. Rockville will provide a local match of $100,000 annually, for three years, to support this program.
I had the honor of presenting Mayor Marcuccio and the City Council with their BFC award this month. “Designation as a BFC is important for the City of Rockville because it recognizes the Mayor and Council’s commitment to pedestrian and bicycle issues, the dedication of the city’s bicycle community, and the interdepartmental staff coordination necessary to implement bicycle friendly practices,” Folden said. “The BFC application continues to help City of Rockville staff improve the community by identifying bicycle friendly benchmarks and establishing future goals.”
The city has a lot to be proud of — but still has a lot of work ahead. Overcoming a major obstacle such as the auto-centric Rockville Pike is never easy. But year-by-year Rockville is encouraging more bike and less pike.
Alison Dewey League Program Manager, BFB & BFU
Dewey joined the League in 2008. For four years prior to that, Dewey worked for Massachusetts- based Landry’s Bicycles and served on the board of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. Dewey has a MA in International Relations and Communications from Boston University and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.
The ceremony at City Hally included Miami Mayor Tom Regalado (gray suit)
The weather didn’t stop the celebration and the good folks from the Green Mobility Network, University of Miami (a bronze BFU) and Mack Cycle from coming out. While the city still has much work to do in becoming more bicycle friendly, there’s no denying the significant progress in recent years.
The strong cyclist community, events like Ciclovia and Bike Miami days, the growing biking network, and great bike program staff at the city and county levels are all making bicycling a more comfortable and convenient option for people. And we’re certainly looking forward to the coming storm of improvements, including a public bike sharing system.
While I was down there, I learned an interesting fact. Turns out, the city of Miami has deep roots in the history of bicycling. One of the founders of the League of American Wheelmen (1880), Charles Kirk Munroe settled there in 1886 and continued his work writing and promoting conservation with the Florida Audubon Society.
Congratulations again to the City of Miami — and we look forward to working with you to continue to climb the BFC ranks!
Bill Nesper League Vice President of Programs
Nesper directs the Bicycle Friendly America Program, which includes the Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly University and Bicycle Friendly Business recognition programs. Bill first joined the League as a Membership Assistant in 2002 and moved in 2005 to manage the League education programs and Bicycle Friendly Community Program.
This week, Hoboken was among the cities hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy. High winds and intense rain battered the New Jersey town, and, as of this morning, much of the city is underwater. But as Hoboken rebuilds it has a new sign to hang, a new achievement to celebrate: This month, Hoboken became a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community — and a shining example of how much can be done when a community comes together to make biking a priority instead of an after-thought.
Credit: Bike Hoboken
“When it comes to bicycling in Hoboken,” says Ryan Sharp, the city’s Principal Planner and Bicycle Program Manager, “strong support can be found just about everywhere.”
It starts with Mayor Dawn Zimmer, a cycling advocate and bike commuter. It extends to the City Council — typically embroiled in contentious partisan battles — which voted unanimously for the city’s Complete Streets Policy, to adopt the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan, and to stripe bicycle facilities on a huge percentage of Hoboken’s streets. And it ripples throughout the city, too, thanks to Bike Hoboken, the local bicycle advocacy group with more than 600 active members (an impressive membership in a city of just 50,000 people!).
“The city doesn’t begrudgingly consider bicycle accommodation only after vocal members of the community rally to action,” Sharp explains. “Instead, bicycles are at the forefront of every transportation project the city engages in.”
Hoboken has gone innovative, enticing some of its former car-hungry residents to the lighter side of transit. When faced with a car parking problem downtown, instead of looking to build more parking that would eventually just cause more congestion, the city unveiled essentially an Adopt-a-Rack program. In exchange for a small donation, local residents and businesses can have a bike rack installed at their request. And parking will get even more convenient in coming months: This summer Hoboken won grant money to install five bike corrals throughout the city.
Did your chain ring come loose on your way to work this morning? In Hoboken, bicyclists can stop by the bike repair station at the PATH Bus terminal, equipped with a bike stand, air and some basic tools to get them to work without waiting on the local bike shop to open. Is your parking permit incentivizing driving? Hoboken resident are declaring parking freedom by giving up their permit under the “Surrender Your Permit” program, which provides perks like discounts at bike stores, a free helmet, bike commuter classes and bike safety gear.
Helmets and gear certainly comes in handy for the “Summer Streets” program, which makes the roads car-free and open to all types of physical activity every Sunday from June through August. Everyday cycling is getting more comfortable too. Cycle tracks are planned for Observer Boulevard and the city has also committed to having 75 percent of Hoboken streets marked with bike lanes or sharrows.
Hoboken is an illustration of how great leadership, under former DOT Director Ian Sacs and Mayor Dawn Zimmer, can pedal a troubled city forward and win accolades like “The Most Walkable City” (Walkscore), the #1 Transportation City and now a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community. We are looking forward to an even more pedal friendly Hoboken soon to come. It’s achievements like these that allow Mayor Dawn Zimmer to say: “In just a few years, Hoboken has raised the bar for what it means to be bike-friendly in New Jersey.”
And, according to Sharp, the achievements have only just begun. “Having such strong support and leadership for bicycling from top-to-bottom,” he says, “ensures that progress will continue to be made for years to come.”
Our thoughts are with the residents of Hoboken as they rebuild – and we hope they’ll be out on two wheels, soon!
Hamzat Sani Equity and Outreach Fellow
Hamzat joined the League in September 2012 after working with the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Before working in biking, Hamzat worked with Martin Luther King Jr.’s son as a Program Associate at The King Center in Atlanta. A founder of the Red, Bike and Green chapter in Atlanta, Hamzat sees biking as a hub for change on the communal level.
The Omaha-based company has been on the list since 2009, but their recent work has boosted them from the Silver to Gold level. How have they done it? Passion, persistence, and dedication to making their workplace better for bicyclists — in a number of ways.
I had a chance to talk with Cory Scott, RDG City Planner; Stuart Shell, RDG Architect and Sustainability Committee member; and Brian Spencer, leader of the Healthy Lifestyle Learning Community to discuss their recent success in the BFB program.
So why is bicycling important to RDG Planning & Design?
Shell: Everything at RDG starts with our employees and the community. We want to create a healthy culture in our workplace where folks feel empowered to be stewards of their health and their environment. RDG strives to give employees multiple options in commuting to work, whether by bike, foot, public transit, or by car. It’s important to us to provide support for those options equally.
Spencer: We are trying to be a collection of very healthy people, not only physically but emotionally and mentally, so that we can be better employees, community members, spouses, mentors, and contributors. Balance is important.
How has the BFB program helped improve RDG for bicyclists?
Scott: We love the BFB program for many reasons:
It allows us to benchmark how we’re doing compared to other companies like us.
It gives us a roadmap to support bicycling in the workplace.
It gives us a third party perspective on how we can improve.
It provides tangible feedback to put before management and respond to.
Shell: The program provided specific comments on how we could improve — it was expertise that we didn’t have here. The application and feedback were precisely the tools we needed to get action on improving things here. The League helped us identify where we needed to focus.
What were some key things about the BFB program that you think every business should know?
Spencer: The feedback definitely! You make suggestions that we never thought about.
Shell: The four award levels encourage progress and reward our efforts to improve. It also adds a competitive element for us to achieve greater success.
How does it benefit RDG to be involved in local bike advocacy?
Scott: At RDG, we want to be change agents in the community. It is very satisfying as a professional to have a positive effect on our community and other communities. Our work encourages local participation and being involved in local bike advocacy gives us another way of achieving that.
Dewey joined the League in 2008. For four years prior to that, Dewey worked for Massachusetts- based Landry’s Bicycles and served on the board of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. Dewey has a MA in International Relations and Communications from Boston University and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.
Well, we’re not in Kansas anymore! (Sorry couldn’t resist.) But, if Dorothy were looking for safe and accessible streets to make her journey, she’d be well-served to look down the road to Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
A suburb of Kansas City, Lee’s Summit is was among the 28 new Bicycle Friendly Communities announced last week. And they did more than click their heels to make this place a better home for bicyclists. Missouri’s fifth BFC has been working hard to grow its greenway trail network, implement its new Complete Streets policy and implement a new bicycle transportation plan.
The Tour de Lakes ride in Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Brent Hugh, Director of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, says Lee’s Summit’s commitment goes beyond biking to full-spectrum support for active transportation:
Lee’s Summit was the first city in Missouri to be officially recognized as a Walk Friendly Community–and now they will be first in Missouri to be recognized as both Walk Friendly and Bicycle Friendly. The city has definitely been a leader in these areas and has inspired other communities across Missouri and across the bi-state metro area to do likewise.
They were one of the first communities in the Kansas City metro area to adopt a Complete Streets policy. And they didn’t just adopt a policy, either. No, they spent years going through planning and citizens’ committees, getting the principles adopted into the city’s long-range plan, and then working with all city staff, departments, elected officials, and community organizations to develop an approach to complete streets that has broad-based community support. The result is a policy that staff, elected officials, and community groups can support.
Lee’s Summit is a great example of how cities can go from nothing, to better facilities to good facilities to excellent facilities in a step-by-step manner. An outer-ring suburb of Kansas City, the city historically had no bicycle or pedestrian plans or policies. Starting in the 1990s the city looked at trails plans, sidewalk connectivity, and a system of wide sidewalk trails along major roads–but were hesitant to install any on-road bicycle facilities. But the trails system has been implemented in a thorough and consistent manner and it’s used and liked by residents. With more facilities came more use — both bicycle and pedestrian use — and that helped to build support and momentum for the next step: the Complete Streets policy and inclusion of on-street bicycle facilities in the city’s plan.
The city is moving forward, step by step, and the next step hasn’t always been easy. But the work done in previous steps has helped build support for the next step in the process. Citizens — particularly family physician Ed Kraemer of Lee’s Summit — have driven the city’s Complete Streets policy and the push for a more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly city. Ed worked to implement the city’s no-smoking policy and after that success, became interested in the health benefits of making the city more accessible and welcome ot biking and walking. Along the way, a large group of citizens has become involved in the process and community groups has been a huge part of Lee’s Summit’s success.
This is just the next step for Lee’s Summit, and it’s going to be exciting to see the city implement it’s on-road bicycle system alongside the existing trail system and education/encouragement/enforcement programs. We’d love to see Lee’s Summit continue to become more bicycle friendly–Platinum Level should be their goal!
A Platinum mindset: We’ll support that!
The adoption of a Bicycle Transportation Plan into the City’s Comprehensive Plan certainly demonstrates the communities buy-in beyond the cycling advocate’s level. And they’re planning for the next generation of cyclists, too: All of the middle and elementary school students are part of the Safe Routes to School program. With the support of residents and city officials, it’s no wonder Kansas City bike events and the Kansas City Triathlon both take advantage of the city’s bike-ability, with courses staged in the city.
With a dedication to improving the bicycling facilities they currently have along with their willingness to act on recommendations to make their city better, we have no doubt that Lee’s Summit can reach its goal. Like Dorothy might have said: There’s no place like Lee’s Summit, if you’re looking for a model suburban city transforming itself into a Bicycle Friendly Community.
Hamzat Sani Equity and Outreach Fellow
Hamzat joined the League in September 2012 after working with the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Before working in biking, Hamzat worked with Martin Luther King Jr.’s son as a Program Associate at The King Center in Atlanta. A founder of the Red, Bike and Green chapter in Atlanta, Hamzat sees biking as a hub for change on the communal level.
What do Facebook, Angie’s List and General Mills have in common? As of this morning, they’re all Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFBs)!
Today, the League recognized 71 new BFBs for their role in pedaling America toward greater prosperity and making their businesses welcoming to bicyclists. Headlined by iconic companies — like Facebook, Apple, Inc., and the Hewlett-Packard Company — this round of awards pushes the total number of BFBs to nearly 500 businesses in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
Facebook employees “Like” bikes!
“Businesses are the engine of our economy, but more and more companies are realizing the bicycle can be a powerful catalyst for increased profits, reduced health care costs, happier employees and more customers,” says League President, Andy Clarke. “We’re excited to see the most innovative minds in technology, retail, and manufacturing voting for a more bicycle-friendly America and making significant contributions to our economic growth by promoting healthy, sustainable transportation.”
Bicycle-friendly businesses encourage a more bicycle-friendly atmosphere for employees and customers alike. Through cost-effective investments, BFBs attract, reward and retain staff that are not only healthier and happier, but more productive, driven and passionate about the work they do and the communities they live in.
Click here for the full list of all Bicycle Friendly Businesses.
Facebook, a new Gold-level BFB, is just one of the growing number of household names that has taken steps to encourage bicycling as a means to enhance the workplace, contribute to the community and improve their overall earnings.
“We’re honored to receive this award from the League of American Bicyclists,” says Jessica Herrera, Facebook’s Transportation Manager. “Over the years, we’ve focused on providing sustainable, green transportation alternatives to our employees. as well as helping our local neighborhood do the same. These efforts have included providing bicycles to our employees to use on or off campus, helping to re-stripe the roads around our neighborhood for the safety of cyclists in the area, and offering bicycle repairs onsite. Our employees are enthusiastic about these efforts, many choosing to cycle to work each day and others participating in events such as Bike to Work Day. We’re proud to support these initiatives and look forward to more opportunities to help in the future.”
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Yale and Princeton are already among the nation’s elite colleges. Now they’re among the top universities when it comes to bicycling, too. Today the League announced the designation of nine new Bicycle Friendly Universities, growing the program to 44 colleges in 25 states. Click here to see the full list.
“Just like many students aspire to an Ivy League education, a growing number of college students want their university to be smart about biking, too” say League President, Andy Clarke. “Young adults want to drive less and ride more — and they’re choosing schools, like Yale and Princeton, that are making bicycling a vibrant part of campus life.”
Bicyclist Appreciation Breakfast at Yale University
At Yale, a new Bronze level BFU, bicycling is on the rise, thanks to both a student and a departmental bike sharing system; “commuter counseling” for the Yale community, an annual Bicyclist Appreciation Breakfast and more. “With Yale’s dedicated leadership in sustainability, creating a safe and attractive environment at Yale for bicyclists and reducing single occupancy vehicle usage in the city are goals for us and many in our community,” said Holly Parker, Yale’s Director of Sustainable Transportation. “We’re grateful for the attention this award will draw to the extraordinary combined efforts of the City of New Haven, local advocacy through Elm City Cycling, and the university. Together, we will continue making a difference.”
At Princeton, also a Bronze BFU, new students get information about bicycling in their welcome packets, introducing them to the large network of campus paths, weekly bike maintenance classes, plentiful bike parking, free bike locks and the wide array of U-Bikes and CycLab programs and events. “Princeton is honored to become part of the Bicycle Friendly University program,” said Andrea DeRose of the University’s Transportation & Parking Services. “The University encourages biking as an efficient mode of transportation for faculty, staff and students — and strives to increase the number of bicycle-related facilities and bicycle-related polices on campus.”
University of Utah Bicycle Collective tables on campus
Also in this round, the University of Utah shot up the ranks to a Silver designation in its first application. With innovative on-road facilities, bicycle-related academic course offerings, a successful anti-theft campaign, on-campus bike rental and bike collective, and a wealth of pro-cycling policies, the Utes aren’t stopping at Silver.
“Bikes and their riders are not strangers here at the University of Utah — over the years cycling has gathered more attention as a healthy and sustainable mode of active transportation,” said Heidi Goedhart, the university’s Bicycle Coordinator. “We’re conveniently situated within a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community that is surrounded by excellent mountain bike and road bikeways, as well as a growing cycling community. With the adoption of our new Bicycle Master Plan, we have proven our commitment to planning the university’s future with bicycles by outlining a set of clear goals and objectives.”
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Ever wonder how your local engineers determine how wide to make your bike lane? Have you pondered why your local planners made your bike path the width that it is? When it comes to these types of decision, it’s likely they looked to AASHTO for guidance.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recently released their Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities. This long-awaited update includes many wonky measures and standards that your local engineers and planners are using to provide your community with safe bicycle facilities. Just one example? Thanks to this new fourth edition of the Guide, bike paths being designed and planned now are suggested to be at least 10 feet for bicyclists, a two-foot increase from the third edition in 1999.
This is exciting and important stuff so the League has teamed up with Toole Design Group, PBIC, the Federal Highway Administration, and AASHTO to deliver in-depth training across the country to our Bicycle Friendly America partners, local governments, and advocates.
The first training was here in the Washington D.C. region last week. The morning opened with League president Andy Clark welcoming all 35 participants, followed by Toole Design Group — a national firm that specializes in multi-modal planning and key contributors to the Guide — giving the nuts and bolts of the training. In addition to private consultants and bike advocates, seven Washington D.C. region local governments were represented!
The new AASHTO Bike Guide is a key resource for transportation professionals in designing, building, modernizing, and preserving safe and efficient bicycle facilities. Check out our Find It page to see if it is happening in your region.
Dewey joined the League in 2008. For four years prior to that, Dewey worked for Massachusetts- based Landry’s Bicycles and served on the board of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. Dewey has a MA in International Relations and Communications from Boston University and is a graduate of St. Olaf College. She spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal.
Each new round of Bicycle Friendly Community awards is exciting, but today’s announcement is big. With the addition of major urban centers — including Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville — two-thirds of America’s largest cities are now BFCs.
Over the past 10 years of the BFC program, we’ve seen communities of all shapes, sizes, demographics and geography make biking a comfortable, convenient option for transportation and recreation. It’s both a challenge and a triumph in any community, but it’s truly inspiring to see these enormous and enormously influential cities join the club.
CicLAvia brings out thousands of cyclists in Los Angeles
And their efforts pay off. As we highlighted on the blog last week (check out the cool infographic!), bicycle commuting rates in the largest BFCs has increased 80 percent since 2000 — far above the national average of 47 percent and more than double the rate in non-BFCs (32 percent).
Leaders like LA serve as a great example that, even cities known for Carmageddon, can take cost-effective steps to start making cycling an integrated part of the transportation system. This can be done in any region of the country and we can’t wait for all 15 of the largest cities to get on the BFC board: Come on Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville, Phoenix and San Diego!
Click here to read the press release about today’s announcement — and see the new and renewal awards in this round.
Bill Nesper League Vice President of Programs
Nesper directs the Bicycle Friendly America Program, which includes the Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly University and Bicycle Friendly Business recognition programs. Bill first joined the League as a Membership Assistant in 2002 and moved in 2005 to manage the League education programs and Bicycle Friendly Community Program.
The 2012 National Bike Challenge was a collective journey of more than 12 million miles — and it all started with one man’s vision at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
Today the League honored K-C employee Rob Gusky with the second Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Award for his role in the creation and success of the National Bike Challenge.
The new Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Award program recognizes a small number of key civic and business leaders — from mayors and CEOs to governors and university presidents — each year. Winners are chosen by the League’s BFA team in consultation with local bicyclists and stakeholders.
“Over the past decade, we’ve been inspired by incredible leaders across the nation who have taken the BFA program to new heights,” says Bill Nesper, the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program director. “When I heard about Rob Gusky’s efforts at Kimberly-Clark, I knew it was a unique and rare opportunity to inspire more people to get out and ride. Working tirelessly with the National Bike Challenge team over the past six months, Rob has been instrumental in turning a great idea into an inspirational tool that has engaged thousands of Americans from coast to coast.”
In just four months, the National Bike Challenge encouraged new cyclists to start riding, current bicyclists to ride more and showcased the tremendous health and financial benefits of bicycling. The friendly, online competition created a vibrant, virtual community of thousands of cyclists who inspired and encouraged each other on a daily basis to lose weight, leave the car in the driveway and reach their individual goals.
“I’m proud to serve as Kimberly-Clark’s Ambassador of Cycling,” Gusky says. “We initiated our internal bicycle challenge in 2008; it expanded to the statewide Wisconsin Challenge in 2011 and was implemented nationwide as the National Bike Challenge in 2012. The Bicycle Friendly America program helped us focus our efforts to improve cycling and was critical to gain support from senior leadership. This program provides excellent guidance on areas for improvement and we converted these into specific action items our team could rally around.”
Read more about the first BFA Leadership Award honoree here and learn more about the Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Awards at bikeleague.org/bfa.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Bicycling is racing into the mainstream in many American communities and it’s time for the United States to shine on the international stage. To guide and support the rapid progress in top bike-friendly cities, the League has added a new challenge and opportunity for Bicycle Friendly Communities: Diamond status.
Over the past 10 years, the League’s Bicycle Friendly Communities program has transformed biking across North America. From small mountain towns to our nation’s biggest cities, elected officials, local advocates and bicycle planners have used the comprehensive approach of the BFC program to make bicycling safer and more comfortable for millions of Americans.
From 2000 to 2010, bicycle commuting rose 40 percent in the U.S. But, in the 38 largest BFCs, the rise in bike commuters was almost double the national rate, growing a staggering 77 percent over the same time period.
For the first decade, the BFC program ranked communities at the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. But we’ve seen such tremendous progress, innovation and enthusiasm from communities nationwide that it’s time to set the bar higher. It’s time to move beyond Platinum. Welcome to the dawn of the Diamond BFC.
Cities like Portland, Ore.; Boulder, Colo; Davis, Calif., and other leading BFCs are almost ready to join the ranks of world-class bike communities — and the League has been working with BFC representatives to envision a higher standard that challenges and charts new heights for bicycle-friendliness in the United States.
“If it sounds like we are moving the goalposts, it’s because we are,” says Andy Clarke, League President. “Communities are doing so much more, and the state of the practice in innovative infrastructure and programs has developed so rapidly in recent years, that it really is time to challenge communities to do even more to make biking better.”
Attaining Diamond designation will involve an individualized challenge tailored to each community. The League will conduct a detailed audit for each city and work with community leaders to create clear 5-, 10- and 15-year goals for important factors like bicycle mode share, land use, crashes, network connectivity and bike culture.
The primary measure to Diamond designation: The number of people riding and citizen satisfaction. Cities will delve into a more detail evaluation of ridership and level of service, using standard methods of measure like the American Community Survey and National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, but also more challenging and broader tools such as Copenhagen’s Bicycle Account.
The end goal: American communities that rival top international cycling cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam with world-class facilities, like protected bike lanes - and so much more.
“In Portland, bikes mean business,” says Tom Miller, Director of the Portland (Ore.) Bureau of Transportation. “Our commitment to bike-friendly streets has helped to attract a wealth of bicycle-related business, generating more than $90 million in economic activity each year. The League’s announcement of this new bicycle-friendly benchmark — ‘Diamond’ status — is something Portland will actively pursue and ultimately achieve.”
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Bicycle friendly communities don’t start with bike lanes or share the road campaigns or cycling education; they start with a visionary leader. Last night at the opening of the Pro Walk Pro Bike conference, the League recognized Mayor Bob Foster with the first-ever Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Award for his dedication and vision to transform Long Beach into one of the nation’s top cycling cities.
Andy Clarke (left) with Mayor Bob Foster (Photo by Allan Crawford)
Since 2003, more than 500 communities have used the League’s Bicycle Friendly Community program to make cycling safer and more comfortable for millions of Americans. But few cities have made the quick and impressive progress Mayor Foster has led in Long Beach. Combining vision and action, Mayor Foster has worked to expand the city’s bicycling network, increase bicycle education, promote cycling events — and more than double the number of bicycle commuters over the past four years alone.
“Perhaps the most essential ingredient to building great places for bicycling is working with strong, supportive leaders,” League President, Andy Clarke, said. “An industrial city transforming itself into a cycling destination, Long Beach has already risen to Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation — and, with Mayor Foster at the helm, we know that’s just the beginning. As the first recipient of the Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Award, Mayor Foster is setting a high bar for the rest of the nation.”
Launched yesterday, the new Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Award program recognizes key civic and business leaders — from mayors and CEOs to governors and university presidents. Winners are chosen by the League’s BFA team in consultation with local bicyclists and stakeholders.
“This awards program will highlight and honor the individuals who are making a difference where the rubber meets the road, using the tools of the BFA program in new and effective ways to build a bicycle-friendly American from the ground up,” said Bill Nesper, the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program director.
“I’m honored to be the first to receive the Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Award,” said Mayor Bob Foster. “I rediscovered cycling three years ago and now I ride at least 100 miles a week. I share this recognition with the growing number of residents who use their bicycles instead of their cars. Together we will make Long Beach the most bicycle friendly city in the country.”
Learn more about the Bicycle Friendly America Leadership Awards at bikeleague.org/bfa… and stay tuned for more from Pro Walk Pro Bike!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
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See the full list of Bicycle Friendly Communities here. An additional 18 communities received Honorable Mentions.
In this issue of American Bicyclist, we mark a major milestone for the League: 
It looks like the age-old rivalries among the Ivy League are taking a new shape: the race for gold in bike-friendliness. Harvard University now joins the likes of Princeton and Yale as Bicycle Friendly Universities (BFU).
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