Reflecting the city’s long tradition of cycling culture, the city of Gunnison, Colo., attained Silver Bicycle Friendly Community designation last week. Gunnison City Manager, Ken Coleman, shares his community’s enthusiasm for biking and was proud to shed some light on his city’s love of cycling.
Our community culture has embraced cycling for some time. I can only speak to my time spent here in Gunnison, although we do have a picture in our council chambers with one on Gunnison’s founders, Alonzo Hartman, by his bicycle in 1882.
Even Gunnison’s founders were into cycling
I moved to Gunnison in 1981, 100 years after Alonzo. My brother attended Western State College and after graduating began working for the school district here. I ended up relocating to the area and when I arrived he told me I needed three things: shades (it’s sunny), some telemark skis for those long winters, and a mountain bike.
After I settled here, he took me on a day ride over West Maroon Pass to Aspen and back. Although that almost killed me, I immediately went down to the Tune-Up Ski and Bike Shop to buy my first mountain bike. The owner, Chris Haas, talked me into a sweet little Univega number. Since I was all but broke, he let me take that bike, ride it all summer and make payments until we were square. Where else would that happen other than a truly bicycle-friendly kind of place?
Our community has cycling embedded in its soul. As you pass through the community there are bikes leaning against porches, parked in racks, resting by sign poles and ambling here and there with a lucky rider mounting the saddle. The townie scene ranges from utilitarian to outright ostentatious. Children converge on the schools each day in packs and you have to navigate a maze of bikes to get a cup at the local cafes.
The Red Zinger Classic bike race had been successful in Colorado and our local bike shop entrepreneurs brought some of the professional riders to our town for training. The Coors Classic followed the Red Zinger and, with it, our local sports enthusiasts hosted some stages. A citizen criterion also brought some cycling excitement to our downtown. The mountain bike scene grew up right outside our doors and we offered training to Olympians. Alexi Grewal, Connie Carpenter, and Rebecca Twig tuned up their ride for the 1984 games on our county roads. Davis Phinney was a regular at these events.
It wasn’t just the pros that were enjoying our venue, though. The town has had year round biking long before I arrived. It’s how folks get around here. There are many commuters enjoying the brisk mountain air each morning, and each weekend there are road and mountain bikes winding their way through the network of trails and scenic roadways. I guess it just seemed natural that we ARE a bicycle-friendly kind of place — so naturally we’d apply for Bicycle Friendly Community status.
Our city staff has picked up the ball and carried it to the goal line. The planning for trails and bike lanes, the events that bring the community together, the educational material, enforcement strategies, and actual building of infrastructure along with the BFC application were handled by city staff. Since we are a small community with a smaller budget we do not have a dedicated bicycle program director. I felt it was important, so I personally volunteered to help organize the effort.
Thus far, I’ve been learning by trial and error. We hope to improve our ranking with each application. I would love to see us roll out a solid school program that gets our youth educated to the benefits and proper use of bicycles. It only makes sense to give the young folks the right information up front so they can enjoy many years spinning their wheels.
On Monday, Long Beach attained Silver Bicycle Friendly Community status. In this guest post, Allan Crawford, Bicycle Coordinator for Bike Long Beach, describes his community’s recent bicycle improvements — and push to become the nation’s most bike-friendly city.
Four years ago, Long Beach put the audacious statement “Long Beach the most bike friendly city in the US” on the wall of our City Hall. We knew that wasn’t true at the time — but it gave us a something to strive for. And we knew that we needed milestones to measure our progress along the way.
Long Beach’s Bicycle Ambassador and cycling Olympian Tony Cruz and his son Aidan (Credit: Allan Crawford)
In 2009, we were given Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community status from the League and we immediately set our sights on becoming Silver, then Gold and eventually Platinum. We knew that this recognition would be important to our civic and business leaders. We also knew that the measures and metrics that are set out in the League’s application were important measures for us. They helped us identify key things that where important to accomplish. All of this led us to apply for — and achieve — Silver status as soon as we thought we were ready, and will lead us to apply for Gold in the not-too-distant future.
Long Beach’s goal is to become the most bike friendly city in the U.S. and all that this title entails. We know that this is very bold goal. We know that other cities in the U.S. are sprinting to get ahead because they see, just as we do, the value in being bike friendly. But by setting this goal we have been able to enlist our civic and business leaders in the cause. We have been able to articulate to them what it takes to be truly bike friendly and, more importantly, what it takes for them to make our city bike friendly.
The city’s bike culture has and continues to change quickly. We used to be a city where riding a bike was something a few people did, but it wasn’t the norm. It was something that was accepted, but not necessarily encouraged. It was something that collage kids did to get to school and a few Lycra-clad folks did for fitness.
We had a few bike lanes along with beach and river paths that were mainly for recreation. But as a result of our efforts, over the past 24 months, more than 20 new bike-related businesses have opened in Long Beach. We have added over 170 bike friendly businesses to our Bike Saturday program. We have created four bike friendly business districts. And most importantly we are seeing more and more people on their bikes, riding for fun, to get to school, to get to work and to run errands.
Nicole Maltz of The Bicycle Stand and Joseph M. Bradley of The Pedaler Society enjoy an afternoon ride (Credit: Allan Crawford)
On some streets, where we have put in new bike infrastructure, we have doubled the number of kids walking and tripled the number of kids riding bikes to school. We are seeing people move to Long Beach because of our biking and our active living culture. We are seeing conventions, such as Pro Walk Pro Bike, select Long Beach because of what we are doing.
Anytime there is change there are challenges. We have put streets on road diets. We have added separated bike lanes, removed vehicle travel lanes, added sharrows, and put in bike traffic signals. All of these are very noticeable changes that get people’s attention. For most people, these have been positive changes. Of course, not everyone has that view. But overall we’ve found that, if you’re willing to experiment and give things a try, people will find that Armageddon — or in the case of Southern California, Carmageddon — has not set in. Listening and adjusting your plans will take you a long way toward meeting your overall goals of becoming bike friendly.
Bicycling is making a big difference in our community. It is making Long Beach feel more friendly and more attractive to residents, businesses, and visitors. It is helping Long Beach become the type of city where the 20- and 30-somethings want to live; where people are eager to raise their families; and where baby boomers like to live car-light. We are not trying to say “Don’t use a car.” We are saying, “We want you to have options.” We want it to be safe and easy for you and your kids to walk and bike. We want it to be easy to go to the grocery store, the restaurant or the local merchants.
Women On Bikes SoCal member Katie Taylor and Geraldine Knatz of the Port of Los Angeles in a transit shelter ad proof that is now up around Long Beach (Credit: Matt Fukushima)
We have so many things on the horizon. We have several bike boulevard projects lined up over the next 18 months. These will greatly enhance our Safe Routes to Schools program and encourage more children to bike and walk to school. We have a two-year grant for safety education in the schools. We are launching a new website and doing more on the social media side to reach out to the community. But the most notable will be bike share. We are anticipating launching a city wide bike share program in January of 2013. We think that this will have an enormous impact on the day to day use of bikes in Long Beach.
From an advocacy perspective we are very excited about the Long Beach-based Women On Bikes SoCal program. Working closely with our cadre of Long Beach-based League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) the goal is to double the number of women and girls riding bikes in the next five years. We also see working closely with our Public Health, and Park and Recreation departments. We know that childhood obesity is a major problem in our city and we’re confident that by working with these departments and our schools, by providing safe places for kids to ride combined with our education programs, we can make a difference in our children’s future.
Click here to learn more about the Bicycle Friendly Community program.
On Monday, Morgantown added another state to the Bicycle Friendly America map, becoming the first Bicycle Friendly Community in West Virginia. Having applied several years earlier, Morgantown used the League’s advice to guide its efforts and win the Bronze designation.
Credit: City of Morgantown
But this is just the first milestone for Morgantown. The community plans to become a city that is bike-friendly for riders of every background and purpose.
“Our goal is that bicycles will be 5 percent of all vehicles on Morgantown streets by 2020,” says Frank Gmeindl, Chairman of the Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board. “Our mission is to get the everyday commuter, student or employee, to look beyond Morgantown’s hilly terrain and see the potential cycling holds individually and for our community.”
“Our city has seen unprecedented growth in the past few decades and, as a result, traffic congestion in popular university and commercial areas has increased,” he adds. “Cycling offers congestion relief, as well as personal benefits to body, mind, and pocketbook!”
Already Morgantown has seen an increase in bicycle commuting, recreational riding, and growth in general cycling culture. These changes haven’t always come easily. Like many communities across the country, Morgantown faces tough terrain and older street systems, as well as a lack of financial resources to change existing infrastructure. Rather than attempt a construction overhaul with a lack of political and community support, Morgantown has focused on mounting small, attainable achievements, like funding for cycling classes and improving bike rack facilities.
Ride in Morgantown (Credit: EpicRoadTrips.us)
“There’s no switch you flip to become bike-friendly,” Gmeindl says. “We want our citizens to see the sum of all of these activities, and eventually draw their own conclusion that seeing bicyclists on the road is the norm. Overcoming challenges requires continuous cooperative effort among all stakeholders in becoming a bicycle-friendly community.”
After seeing such growth in cycling and the positive impacts to health and community, Morgantown will continue its effort with a new comprehensive bicycle plan. It’s not just city officials and cycling enthusiasts who are excited about riding in Morgantown.
“One local cyclist started commuting and used a tag-a-long to take his daughters to day care,” Gmeindl says. “One afternoon he overheard the other kids talking about how cool it was that her Dad brought to school on a bike!”
From the creators of Walk Score and Transit Score, Bike Score is a quantitative measure of bikeability based on the availability of bike lanes, hilliness, road connectivity, nearby amenities, and the percent of people in that area who bike to work.
“Across the country, biking is growing in popularity and we’re excited to celebrate Bike to Work Week by introducing Bike Score to help more people find bicycle friendly places to live,” Josh Herst, Walk Score CEO, said in the press release.
Bike Score kicked off with rankings for ten major U.S. cities — and, not surprisingly, the League’s top Bicycle Friendly Communities came out on top.
Minneapolis (Bike score: 79 out of 100)
Portland (70)
San Francisco (70)
Boston (68)
Madison (67)
Washington, D.C. (65)
Seattle (64)
Tucson (64)
New York (62)
Chicago (62)
To request Bike Score for your city, visit www.walkscore.com/bike. Walk Score will add Bike Score for the top 10 cities receiving votes between May 14 and May 31, 2012.
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
This week, Lincoln, Neb., was among the 24 new Bicycle Friendly Communities, winning the bronze designation. The city now joins more than 200 other Bicycle Friendly Communities nationwide. A Q&A with Lincoln city staff, including Terry Genrich, manager of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, reveals a growing cycling culture and a community dedicated to improving their city.
94% of Lincoln residents live within one mile of a trail (Credit: City of Lincoln)
Why did Lincoln decide to apply for BFC status?
Lincoln has been working on several bicycle initiatives since we last applied in 2003 and felt we should be recognized for the accomplishments that have been made. It shows the community is embracing bicycling in Lincoln. Much still needs to happen and this award will hopefully encourage and inspire even further accomplishment.
What is Lincoln’s eventual goal?
We’d like to increase bicycle commuting in Lincoln to 5%. We are currently at 1.6% according to the 2010 ACS figures. We believe that with additional investment in on-street facilities and increased education we can achieve this goal over time.
Riding in Lincoln (Credit: City of Lincoln)
How has cycling culture developed in Lincoln? How have community members responded?
The bicycle culture in Lincoln has increased dramatically over the past 5-10 years, with the community requesting more bicycle facilities to improve their commute, as well as to increase recreational opportunities. The community initially organized in the mid 1970’s, but advocacy really took off when a strategic planning process called Star Venture began and recognized the need for trail linkage in Downtown Lincoln.
It was at this time the Great Plains Trails Network was formed. This private bike advocacy organization is the financial backbone for many of Lincoln’s trails projects. Lincoln also has a strong Pedestrian/Bicycle Advisory Committee which is involved in all bicycle projects.
Members of the community have supported and encouraged new projects. More recent community-supported projects include the first bike lanes and first sharrows in Lincoln, as well as current planning to implement protected bikeways in Downtown Lincoln.
Have any challenges arisen in becoming more bike friendly? How can communities overcome such challenges?
Developing new policies and procedures is never easy, but the community has expressed desire for new facilities and developed advocacy groups to support change. Much of Lincoln’s older neighborhoods were not built to accommodate bicycle facilities, but one advantage is a backbone of trails built on abandoned railroads that once went through the city. From this, we have worked to make connections to schools, parks, commercial areas, and to integrate bicycle facilities with public transit.
The annual Trail Trek ride (Credit: City of Lincoln)
Lincoln is fortunate to have a trail within one mile of 94% of dwelling units. This is one reason why, if more alternative routes with on street facilities for bicycle commuters are installed, bike activity will increase. Still, one of the biggest challenges is being ready to address change and encourage support from elected officials and opposition groups in the community.
Why do you believe cycling is important in your community? Why should other communities work to become more bike-friendly?
Bicycling is important in Lincoln as it is in the rest of the country for several reasons including providing an alternate mode of transportation other than a gas-powered vehicle, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, creating a more balanced system, and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
What’s next on the horizon for bike-friendly Lincoln? for cycling advocacy?
Next on the horizon is the further development of the on-street bicycle network, including better signing for on-street bike routes, adding new bike routes to the system, installing more sharrow facilities, and building the first protected bikeway in Downtown Lincoln.
For many communities advocacy plays a central role in becoming more bicycle friendly. From the beginning push to continuing motivation, advocacy groups can provide specialized insight needed for creative solutions and are dedicated to seeing the positive development of their communities.
In Durango, Colo., an advocacy partnership has been at the helm of the community’s progress, and initiated the city’s involvement with the Bicycle Friendly America program.
“Mary Oswald (now of Bicycle Friendly Durango) came running over to me at the Farmer’s Market in 2007 and said, ‘I have a great idea!’ and we worked together, with the infrastructure of Trails 2000, to form a working group called Bicycle Friendly Durango.
Trails 2000 was able to help [Durango’s BFC progress] thanks to the passion in the community for all of the things BFC stands for. Most successful nonprofits are based on a strong mission that resonates with their members and the community and we have a 3-pronged mission: 1) to build and maintain trails 2) to educate trail users and 3) to encourage connectivity on the roads, paths and trails.
The BFC is a perfect fit.
The culture of cycling in Durango may have started in 1896 with the Durango Wheel Club, but in 1990 Durango hosted the World Mountain Bike Championships and several Durangoans won gold. It was a ‘coming out’ of sorts for the strong biking culture that existed. Ned Overend, Juli Furtado, Daryl Price, Greg Herbold, Ruthie Mathes and others all called Durango home. Their dedication and passion to our community put Durango on the map.
Since then, community members have responded by continuing to live here and insuring our future success. Our community builds and maintains our trail network with over 3,500 hours of trailwork each and every season. DEVO, the mountain bike junior development program, has more than 300 kids enrolled — and they are the future.
Challenges have come up, mostly based on people just thinking about the here and now and not understanding that long-range plans require long-range thinking. A bike path takes 10-20 years to complete and you have to take advantage of funding sources as they come along. The best way for communities to overcome the challenges is to set out with a vision in the beginning: ‘Okay, this is where we want to go and we can hang in there.’ But, people come and go, leaders come and go, and we tend to think we were all here first.
On the subject of challenges and long range planning, we learned that retro accommodation of bike infrastructure is a bigger project than accommodating that infrastructure initially. Fortunately, as we come up with creative solutions to accommodate this infrastructure within existing transportation development, the community value on that infrastructure is so clear that bicycle friendly and multi-modal infrastructure is now integral with new development.
Our community certainly sees the many reasons cycling is important. It is an economic driver for tourism. One local realtor says 30% of his sales are based on where the trails are located. It is absolutely important for health and well-being. There are so many statistics about how bike-friendly communities are just more friendly communities in general: they care about the greater community.
Now that we’ve achieved Gold, Bicycle Friendly Durango is going to work hard to continue that forward momentum. Cycling advocacy will need to work together with city leaders to create that movement. There is no way to be effective in this BFC process without collaboration. Although, we are talking about Trails 2000 right now, it was truly the Bicycle Friendly Durango crew of Mary Oswald, Jenny Wrenn and others who made this absolutely a reality. I really want to thank our BFD crew for their hard work.
The idea of ‘connecting’ can only happen through these connections and collaborations.”
Kicking off National Bike to Work Week, today the League announced the largest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) in the program’s history. While communities from California to Connecticut joined the ranks of BFCs, the Mountain West rose above the rest, including two new Gold Level BFCs in Durango, Colo., and Missoula, Mont.
BFA Program Director Bill Nesper taking a ride in Missoula, Mont. — a Gold BFC
“We aren’t surprised that this was the largest number of new and renewing applicants that we’ve ever had,” said League President Andy Clarke. “The popularity of this program is clear evidence that simple steps to make bicycling safe and comfortable pay huge dividends in civic, community and economic development.”
With this impressive round, there are now 214 BFCs in 47 states. By evaluating and recognizing investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies, the BFC program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate their quality of life.
A long history of strong advocates working with visionary policymakers to create a comprehensive bicycle network boosted Missoula to the Gold standard — a distinction reserved for just 16 communities nationwide. With the recent additions of protected bike lanes, path system signage and new bike parking, more than 7 percent of local residents commute by bike, making this city a model for the state and region.
“The City of Missoula, together with numerous citizen advocates, have worked hard for more than 30 years to integrate and promote bicycle commuting, and we’re proud that our extensive off-street bike/ped trail system, together with our miles of bike lanes, and bike education and encouragement programs, reflect that,” said Missoula Mayor John Engen. “It’s an honor to achieve the Gold standard.”
Durango, Colo., also joined the elite group of Gold BFCs. With 300 miles of mountain bike trails and a growing network of city bike lanes, bicycling has become integral to the town’s culture and identity. “The City has worked hard to expand the bicycle footprint in our community,” said Durango City Manager Ron LeBlanc. “We want everyone to know that people on bikes are given special status in our community.”
Also in Colorado, Aspen earned a Silver award on its very first application. Aspen’s network of bike paths, recent Comprehensive Bike Survey and increased enforcement of its Share the Road program have made cycling safe and comfortable. In Aspen, people choose to bike commute at roughly 10 times the national average — and the next generation of cyclists are offered bicycling safety education in all of Aspen’s schools.
“Obtaining this designation was a team effort,” said Aspen Mayor Michael Ireland. “Everyone rose to the challenge because establishing the proper bike infrastructure, safety mechanisms and education are efforts we all embrace. Getting the Silver award allows us to celebrate our accomplishments, continue to grow in our bike friendliness and achieve even more as a community.”
Click here for a list of the new and renewing awards, and honorable mentions, from the Spring 2012 round. Learn more about the program and view the full list of Bicycle Friendly Communities at www.bikeleague.org/bfa.
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
By Mary Lauran Hall, Communications Coordinator, America Bikes
For the past 20 years, the federal Transportation program has included dedicated funding for biking and walking. Over the course of twenty years and three federal transportation laws, federal support for bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure projects has slowly ticked upwards. As a result, more and more communities feature safe roads for people who travel on foot or by bicycle and more people are bicycling — there has been a 40% increase in bicycling from 2000 to 2009 and a surge in Bicycle Friendly Communities.
In 1992, Congress passed ISTEA, the first federal transportation bill to include funding for transit, biking, and walking. As each consecutive transportation bill passed and continued dedicated funding for biking and walking, funding increased from $23 million for 50 new projects in 1992 to $297 million dollars and 971 projects in 2000, to a record $1.2 billion dollars and 3010 projects in 2009.
However, recently there has been a drop in funding and projects — since 2009 — as a result of the decline in stimulus spending that was available for a limited period and uncertainty over the future of the programs. A similar phenomenon occurred between 1997 and 2005. Now, however, a new transportation bill threatens to eliminate federal support for biking and walking infrastructure all together.
Next Thursday, the House Transportation Committee will vote (see timeline) on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill that eliminates crucial funds for biking and walking. Representatives on the Transportation Committee are key positions to save dedicated funding for biking and walking.
The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, the long awaited multi-year Transportation bill, eliminates the two largest programs that fund biking and walking infrastructure — Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Without these programs, communities all over the country will lose resources to build the sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways that make biking and walking safe and accessible in communities across the country.
We can’t let that happen – take action now and ask your elected officials to preserve biking and walking.
Biking and walking are essential parts of everyday transportation in the U.S., and turning off federal funding for projects that keep Americans safe would represent a significant step backwards.
Federal funding for biking and walking keeps people safe. Two out of three pedestrian deaths take place on roads built with federal funding, and new sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways help end preventable deaths and make roads safer for everyone. Moreover, biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips, but only 1.5 percent of all federal transportation funding.
America Bikes is working in conjunction with their partners to introduce an amendment that will preserve funding for biking and walking. During Thursday’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee vote in the House, Representatives will have the opportunity to pass this amendment to save biking and walking.
To learn more about this issue and keep up-to-date as the bill moves forward, visit americabikes.org. And please, don’t forget to take action and share the action alert to your fellow bicyclists.
The League of American Bicyclists is currently building a new local reviewer database for its Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) programs. The BFA program provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities, businesses and universities that actively support bicycling. BFA award winners promote cycling by providing safe accommodations for cyclists, encourage people to bike for transportation and recreation, and provide educational opportunities for both cyclists and motorists.
If you are a regular cyclist, work with or for cyclists, or are otherwise knowledgeable about bike issues – please consider becoming a BFA local reviewer.
As a local reviewer, you may receive applications from communities, businesses and universities that you have specified. The time commitment of reviewing an application and providing input is approximately 30 min to 60 min and you will have 2-3 weeks to complete your review. Reviews are typically requested in February/March and July/August. All local reviews remain anonymous to allow for candid feedback.
Your input is very important to us and the BFA applicants. If you have been a local reviewer in the past or are knowledgeable about bike issues and would like to become a new reviewer, please sign-up here! Contact Nicole at Nicole@bikeleague.org if you have any questions.
Congratulations to Richmond, Va. for winning the 2015 World Cycling Championships – Tim Miller and the team down there did a fantastic job to persuade international cycling’s ruling body, the UCI, to bring their premier event to the historic capital of Virginia. And now the hard work really begins for the entire cycling community in Richmond and beyond!
Four years from now, the eyes of the international cycling community and, to some extent, the world’s media, will be on Richmond. Hundreds of top riders from around the globe will descend on the region for not just the week of the championships but for weeks, months and even years in advance as preparations are made and training is completed. They will bring with them thousands of fans, spectators, team support, sponsors, media – and a lot of them are going to be riding the courses and checking out the Richmond area by bike. If the event took place today, I’m not sure the cycling world would be that impressed! Richmond certainly isn’t Copenhagen, which is where this year’s event is just wrapping up (Go Wiggo and Cav!).
Richmond has got four years to get its cycling act together! Fortunately, the city has a new bike plan underway, a newly hired bike coordinator, and a supportive Mayor and city council. The timeline is tight, but Richmond has a unique opportunity to put itself permanently on the map as a great cycling city – as a destination and a more livable and sustainable city – by using the excitement and urgency of the world championships coming to town. The local cycling community has always been active, and as the state capital Richmond is home to the Virginia Bicycling Federation and Bike Walk Virginia who cover the advocacy, education, and encouragement side of things really well; but this requires a whole new level of action and commitment from local cyclists, businesses and the local bike industry.
Just two hours away, I am sure that we’ll be doing what we can to help. The Bicycle Friendly Community and Bicycle Friendly Business programs are ideal blueprints for Richmond to follow (in our opinion, of course), and there’s a vibrant college scene that could make good use of the Bicycle Friendly University game plan. So, Richmond, Game On! Make us all proud.
Andy Clarke League President
Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director.
The League of American Bicyclists announces a new round of Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) designations that includes 11 new and 14 renewing communities today at the Interbike Expo in Las Vegas, Nev. “The League congratulates all of our BFC winners for implementing successful, long‐term bicycle plans and programs that provide quality of life improvements for their citizens,” said League President Andy Clarke. “Cities are choosing investment in bicycling, even in tough economic times, as a key to building the places people want to live, work and visit.” There are now 190 BFCs in 46 states.
“We are proud of the roadmap that the Bicycle Friendly Community program provides for communities to build strong BFCs,” said Bill Nesper, Director of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program. “We are especially pleased to see so many communities improving their award level.” New Orleans, La. has seen its number of bike commuters increase by more than 150% in the last five years. The city, which had received Honorable Mentions in three previous rounds, implemented the feedback we provided and received the bronze designation this time. New Orleans was recognized for their large biking population, bicycling education programs, a bicycling network that has tripled in length in the last three years and the strong bike culture seen in events like the NOLA Bike Bash.
In addition to the high percentage of new BFCs that had previously received no award or an Honorable Mention, more than half of the renewing BFCs moved to a higher award level including Breckenridge, Colo.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Steamboat Springs, Colo. and La Crosse, Wis.
The third annual Ontario Bike Summit — Moving Ontario Forward – Building Bicycle Friendly Communities — has been taking place the past two days in Ottawa. The theme is right-on too. Ontario’s Share the Road organization has been working to incorporate the Bicycle Friendly Community program into their region, and the summit is a means to get more cities and advocates in Ontario involved. Because the Bicycle Friendly Community program is new to Canada, the summit’s purpose was to teach advocates how to:
Develop a community cycling master plan
Work more effectively with local governments to advance cycling
Use data and research that will help “make the case” for enhanced cycling investments and programs
Learn about the infrastructure, education and awareness and legislative policies in Ontario to encourage cycling
Learn from example what other communities are doing in the areas of law enforcement initiatives – education and awareness – public health ideas, bicycle tourism?
Also in theme with the Summit, several Ontario Bicycle Friendly Communities were announced: Ottawa – Silver; Waterloo – Silver; Ajax – Bronze; Windsor – Bronze.
Find out more by following the live content from Ontario’s Cycle Citizen.
Meghan Cahill League Director of Communications
Cahill joined the League in December 2008 and has a BA in Media Communications with a concentration in Italian Studies from the College of Charleston.
To celebrate May asNational Bike Month, we asked League staff memberswhy they ride and how they made the most of Bike Month. Now that the calendar page has turned to June, we can look back on another successful Bike Month.
It is finally time to profile our fearless leader, League President Andy Clarke.
Hi, Andy. Another Bike Month is in the books. How did this year compare to Bike Months past?
I’m actually pretty excited by this year’s level of activity. Bike Month has been around for decades; it’s part of the calendar for a lot of clubs and advocacy groups and there’s always activity…yet we’ve never really capitalized on that with major national sponsors and participants. We’re still waiting for a national sponsor, but this year everyone from AAA to WalMart was doing something special for Bike Month. And here in DC the local Bike to Work Day soared to 11,000 participants, up from a record 9,000 the year before.
What’s your all-time favorite Bike Month memory?
Wow, that’s really a tough one – sad to say I’ve been through more than a few Bike Months in the USA now and even had a hand in three National Bike Week’s in the UK many moons ago. I’ll certainly never forget the sight of three [bipartisan] MPs and one Lord being bunny-hopped by a BMX rider at the kick-off event of one of those Bike Week’s! About five years ago, I remember the DC Bike to Work Day was marked by the most torrential rainstorm – I mean two inches of rain fell between 6am and 9am, it was ridiculous. I loved doing Bike New York one year…nope, it’s too hard to choose.
You traveled a lot this Bike Month. What did you see across the country? What impressed you most?
Lots of very encouraging work going on in communities and businesses to become more bike friendly – but I’d have to say the energy and enthusiasm generated by students at the University of Oregon and Arizona (in Eugene and Tucson respectively) was fantastic to see; and I think that’s why their Bicycle Friendly University awards were picked up by the University President himself in both cases. Tucson’s fledgling Living Streets Alliance is breathing new life into that region’s quest for “platinum” BFC status, and it looks as if Eugene is going get back to being a leading US bicycling community as it was in the 1980s. That’s exciting to see.
Now that May is over, what can people do to continue the spirit of Bike Month all year long?
Simply keep riding; that’s the best advocacy of all.
As League President, what are you most proud of that the League has accomplished in the last several years?
This is more difficult than any of the interviews I’ve done for Bike Month. I’m really proud that the League is playing its part in the broader bicycling movement – the ever-expanding National Bike Summit, the blueprint provided by the Bicycle Friendly America programs, our education program are all contributing a lot and doing really well. Overall, the effectiveness and impact of the bike industry and advocacy groups has increased ten-fold in recent years, which is good because we have a lot still to do.
What are the biggest challenges facing bicycling advocates right now? What do we have going for us?
Well, we still struggle for relevance and are too easily overlooked, dismissed or short-changed in critical policy, funding and planning decisions in communities across the country – I’d have to say that’s especially true at the state level. What makes this so frustrating is the incredible value-for-money and cost-effectiveness that cycling offers in helping to solve so many of today’s challenges at the individual, local, state, regional and national level. But I remain optimistic we can effectively make the case for bicycling and that we’ll look back on 2011 as the year the bicycling light bulb went off in enough heads to really make a difference.
When and why do you ride your bike?
Mostly to and from work – it’s about 12 or 13 miles each way, so that hopefully keeps me in good enough shape that I don’t embarrass myself riding with our clubs or touring Bicycle Friendly Communities. I rode around 25 miles in Tucson a couple of weeks ago looking at their urban trail loop and was able to keep up! Beyond that, I like everything from riding with my daughter to school to tackling stages of the Tour de France (thanks, Trek Travel).
What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done?
Longest ride is probably cross country…although that was when I was living in England, so Lands End to John O Groats isn’t quite the same as Oregon to Virginia. I’ve done similar rides of about 1,000 miles – Tuscany back to the UK; Washington DC to Chattanooga with tent and the whole works.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
One word. Panniers. Forget the backpack and stylish messenger bag for anything other than a really short commute. Invest in a decent rack and bag to carry your stuff.
What do you typically wear to ride?
My daily commute is just a little too long for street clothes, so I’ll typically wear a t-shirt and bike shorts. For longer rides, the magical properties of lycra and chamois work for me, and I have no problem riding around town or to the stores in street clothes. Not something that’s a big deal or issue for me.
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Next up is Bill Nesper,Director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program.
Hi Bill, this is your ninth Bike Month with the League. How have you seen the event change over the years?
I think the biggest thing has been the growth in the number of communities and businesses that are promoting National Bike Month. There are a lot of creative ways to do it, too. Bike Month offers all sorts of opportunities for communities, states, businesses and universities to promote bicycling, from simply proclaiming May as Bike Month to community rides and offering incentives to cyclists. Everybody can find a way to celebrate.
What are you enjoying about this year’s Bike Month?
I am enjoying seeing social networking become such big tool for organizing and promoting events. Already this month we have seen tons of events popup on our event calendar.
You can follow Bike Month on Twitter with #BikeMonth.
As the director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program, can you give a few examples of cities that really impress you with their Bike Month festivities?
Lots of public officials participate in Bike Month events. Any notable examples?
A big Bike Month highlight for me so far was kicking off Bike Month in Minneapolis at the Active Living Bike Expo where I presented Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak with the Gold Bicycle Friendly Community designation. Mayor Rybak is a real champion for bicycling and has made the city a model – in a all-weather environment. One cool thing he has done is compete as a bike commuter in the city’s Commuter Challenge – see the video (warning: It’s long and shaky).
When and why do you ride your bike?
Biking for me has always been primarily about transportation, first as a teen getting the freedom to get out by myself to now getting to work, going to the store and transporting my two year-old to the better playgrounds in other neighborhoods. I have to add that there was a period of childhood recreational riding which was based on making ramps to jump on the street in front of my house.
What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done?
I don’t want to point any fingers but my longest rides are those done in places where bicyclists are not accommodated or worse, driven out of the transportation system by angry drivers, poor planning/engineering, etc. We all know these places.
Happier answer: A century…ehem, metric century that is. Sixty-something miles at El Tour de Tucson a few years back.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
If you want to be a bike commuter, make a commuting buddy who is already doing it in your neighborhood or workplace give you the lowdown. Bikeleague.org is great for learning important riding tips and finding a cycling class near you. Also, it is important to be visible but do not worry so much about what you wear. If you like Lycra go for it, if you like riding in a sport coat or dress, or whatever, go for it. Lastly, if you want to commute and your town is really not giving you what you need, show up at council meetings, write letters, find an advocacy group near you to join and use the Bicycle Friendly Community program as a roadmap for improvement.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started to ride frequently?
Most trips that we make are pretty short and easy to do on a bike. Honestly, my nine-mile commutes, which are the biggest trips of my week, take about 35 minutes and I feel great when I get there.
What do you typically wear to ride?
For my work commute, I usually wear shorts and a tee shirt (add a couple layers and wind pants/jacket in the colder months) and change when I get there.
For most other trips I wear what I am going to want to be in when I get there.
Thanks, Bill!
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
The Minnesota winter can’t stop them: Minneapolis receives the Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation
The best biking cities of the East race toward Gold: Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. all receive Silver-level designations
The League of American Bicyclists announced the latest round of Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) designations today to kick off May as National Bike Month. This was one of the strongest groups of applicants we’ve seen with a lot of solid projects and programs from communities all across the country – from 1,200 people in Sisters, Ore. to more than 8 million in New York City. Twenty-one communities received awards, out of 45 new applicants. Minneapolis, Minn. earned a gold-level award, the highest award of this round. “We are thrilled to see Minneapolis reach a gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation,” said Bill Nesper, director of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America Program. “The city’s great investments in bike lanes, bicycling safety education, and encouragement programs have paid off for its residents. In fact, communities across the country are now looking at Minneapolis as a model.”
Under the leadership of Mayor R.T. Rybak, Minneapolis was first designated as silver-level BFC in May 2008. “We’ve made a deliberate effort to be one of the nation’s top bicycling cities, and those investments mean we have more and more ways for people to commute and experience the city on two wheels,” said Mayor Rybak. Thanks to the city’s efforts, Minneapolis has doubled its number of bicycle commuters over the last nine years, placing it behind only Portland, Ore. among the largest cities in the U.S.-no small feat for a city with a notoriously harsh winter.
East Coast Cities Earn Silver Designations and Race to Gold
To date the Eastern United states has had very few silver-level Bicycle Friendly Communities and no gold-level BFCs. That’s beginning to change. Today, the League of American Bicyclists gave Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. silver- BFC designations. The cities are now competing to be the first to earn gold.
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
But what if you could use your love of bicycling to guide your choices and possibly lead you to bracketological glory? Well, that’s where the official 2011 Bicycle Friendly America Bracket Guide comes in. Thanks to our new Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) Program, we can tell you which schools are champions of bicycle-friendliness.
The first ever Bicycle Friendly Universities were announced last week at the National Bike Summit. Five of the 20 Bicycle Friendly Universities made it to the tournament, along with four campuses that received an Honorable Mention. To make sure we had representation from each region on the bracket, for tie-breakers, and to make things more interesting, we also consider Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) status and whether the campus is a Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFB).
We put all this data into our computers – we have a room full of statisticians on hand just for this purpose – and arrived at the dead-on, can’t miss, sure thing Bicycle Friendly Final Four.
Before we show you the results, let’s see how BFU’s are distributed across the bracket’s regions. All predictions are based solely on bicycle-friendliness. We’ll leave basketball predictions to ESPN. Note that Bicycle Friendly University status is favored over Business and Community recognition in our predictions.
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Just last week I was treated to a bike tour from the city’s Acting Bicycle Program Coordinator Hayes Lord. Though I’m a frequent visitor of the city, and there seems to be new pathway or separated lane each time I go. On this particular tour, Hayes showed me the 1st and 2nd Avenue separated lanes that were still being installed as we rode by. There is no doubting the impact these types of facilities are having in drawing out new cyclists. That draw is part of the reason for new political support in addressing safety and throughout the city.
While the separated facilities in Manhattan often receive the most attention, NYC DOT has been busy installing and mapping a variety of infrastructure treatments. Using all the tools in their toolbox they’ve helped make it possible to safely bike in all 5 boroughs via low trafficked streets, a system of sharrows and routes, access across bridges, cycletracks, and other separated facilities as well as standard bike lanes. Clarence Eckerson Jr. of Street Films has a great new video showing how his commute uses a mixture of these facilities and how they work.
How does this compare to your commute where you live? Are there examples in the video that could translate into your community?
Jeff Peel State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Peel joined the League in March 2008 as a Program Specialist for the Bicycle Friendly Communities program. Peel has a BA in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
I’ve been poring over the 2009 American Community Survey numbers this morning, looking at the 70 largest U.S. cities and their bike to work data. Notwithstanding my colleague Darren’s caveats about the limitations of the data, all of which are valid and important to remember, it’s pretty interesting to see what’s happening at the 60,000 foot level.
For example, some of the “better” cities were worried that after a year of phenomenal growth in 2008, the numbers would look bad in 2009. That didn’t really happen – Portland and Minneapolis dropped 2% and 10% respectively but are still well ahead of the pack of large cities; Portland’s change is well within the margin of error of the survey; and their long term trends are both still really impressive! Overall, it was encouraging to see that there was no decline given many predictions that use would return to its pre-gas price hike level.
From a Bicycle Friendly Community perspective, we were glad to see that some of our newer awardees consolidated their status with good growth: new bronze’s Pittsburgh (76%), Baltimore (72%), Indianapolis (62%), and Tulsa (50%) all posted impressive gains in 2009, as did San Antonio at 25%. There were BIG increases posted in existing BFCs like Colorado Springs (166%) and Lexington, Ky. (137%) and some similarly whopping increases in un-designated cities that are perhaps more surprising – look at Atlanta (111%), Dallas (219%), Raleigh (122%) and Virginia Beach (192%) among the surprises. We weren’t so surprised to see New Orleans (174%), Omaha (151%), Kansas City (53%) and Boston (36%) on the list, as we know how hard they are trying to get on the leader board.
Again, all these numbers are relative. Try finding a Dutch city with a 5.81% mode share for bikes (Portland’s U.S. chart-topping 2009 number); if there is one, it would be considered terribly bike-hostile and would probably be disowned (or given to the Belgians)!
Another thing I looked for: how are my tips for “cities to watch” in the next couple of years doing? Long Beach had a year of consolidation with 6% growth; San Francisco moved ahead of Sacramento with ten percent growth, and would have had Salt Lake City (SLC) right behind them if the latter was just a little bit bigger. Recently upgraded silver level SLC had a 2.65% bike mode share but isn’t one of the 70 largest cities.
Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director.
The League announced 18 new Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) and eight renewing BFCs at the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference yesterday, September 15. See the complete list of BFCs here.
“The most exciting thing about this round of awards was seeing communities that had implemented past feedback, improved their communities, and achieved a Bicycle Friendly Community designation,” said Andy Clarke, League president.
The third time was the charm for the Charm City, Baltimore, Md. and Knoxville, Tenn. Both received the bronze designation after previously receiving the Honorable Mention the past two times they applied. Other communities climbing the BFC ranks this round include Bloomington, Ind. and Carrboro, N.C., all of which moved from Bronze to Silver designations. Denver, Colo. is another thrilling success story – they rejoined the ranks of silver communities after having been downgraded to bronze for the past five years.
Every round of Bicycle Friendly Community applications seems to have its own story. The last couple of rounds, for example, have seen some really encouraging applications from a whole bunch of larger mid-western cities who are getting with the program – rather than the plethora of smaller western college-towns that dominated some of the earlier rounds. The emergence of communities with really strong mountain bike and off-road credentials enlivened the program beginning a couple of years ago.
We’ve just been poring over no fewer than 48 new and eight renewal applications from the latest round of contenders, which is actually a story unto itself as we continue to see a better than 20 percent annual growth in applicants. The issue that struck me is that for some reason this set of applicants included a lot of places that have been handed some great assets of which they honestly aren’t taking very good advantage. Without naming names – because a) you have to wait til the official announcement of the latest BFCs in a couple of weeks, and b) we don’t publish the list of unsuccessful applicants – we saw communities with perfect year-round weather, well-educated and wealthy populations, large student populations, and relatively dense land use patterns (sometimes several of these attributes). Santa Barbara, Calif. ; Davis, Calif.; and Boulder, Colo. are examples of BFCs that are really taking advantage of these kinds of assets.
We heard from places with well-established and extensive bikeway networks; all manner of great rides and events; pancake-flat terrain; and even some with already high (by US standards) levels of bike use…and yet I found myself wondering why two or three times more people weren’t out riding in these places. They could be SO much better.
Fortunately, one of the other great storylines from the BFC program is that communities are generally hungry for the feedback we give them – regardless of whether they get an award of some kind or not. So I expect that the feedback to a lot of places this time around will be along the lines of “look around you, see how good you’ve got it, let’s figure out how to step up and take advantage of these things”, so that a year or two from now I’ll be writing “wow, look at all these gold and platinum level communities.”
Andy Clarke League President
Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director.
The League is proud to be a Gold Level sponsor of this year’s Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference taking place September 13-17. Bronze Level BFC Chattanooga, TN will be hosting the biennial conference. Along with sharing information on the League’s programs to participants from our booth, we’ll be taking part in several plenaries, panel discussions and workshops on connecting offroad riding opportunities to traditional bicycle networks, creating bicycle friendly work places, Bicycle Friendly Communities, state DOT bicycle programs, distracted driving and federal transportation policy. You can see the full list of program items here.
Though the conference is quickly approaching, it’s not too late to sign up. As added incentive, all panel presentations are now qualified for AICP continuing education credit. This not only speaks to the importance and timing of our work in the planning field, but offers added incentive for your community’s planning staff to participate.
Jeff Peel State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Peel joined the League in March 2008 as a Program Specialist for the Bicycle Friendly Communities program. Peel has a BA in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Portland is justifiably one of only three platinum level Bicycle Friendly Communities we’ve designated in the United States; they are rightly proud of that designation and thankfully not at all inclined to rest on their laurels. That’s a good thing, because there are some big cities snapping at their heels ready to take away their crown. Minneapolis actually has equally high levels of bike use; New York City has been transformed for cycling in the past two years; Seattle is always looking to outdo their neighbors to the south! But, perhaps the biggest threat comes from San Francisco…because after four years on an enforced hold, the city is about to implement an ambitious bike plan faster than you can imagine.
Last week, an injunction was lifted on the city that had prevented any engineering improvements for cycling on city streets. I wont go into the gory details of the folly of the injunction and the irony of the reasons for it even being granted – its more important now to focus on the tremendous opportunity we all now have to see a big US city really go to town on improving conditions for cyclists. It’s actually going to provide a really interesting case study, just as it has for the past few years when education and encouragement had to take center stage and did a fantastic job of getting more people riding in the city even without any new infrastructure.
San Francisco can now show us how to become a truly bike-friendly community in less than the 40 years it took Copenhagen to be so transformed; in less than the 20 years it took Portland to reach the dizzy heights of platinum and the moniker as America’s best biking city. This is going to be fun to watch. The momentum for cycling in San Francisco is going to shift dramatically; they are going to be able to use more innovative designs and do more experimentation that will help move every U.S. city forward in the future.
Its going to be a great ride and a great thing to see happen. Watch out Portland!
Andy Clarke League President
Clarke was appointed to the position of Executive Director in April of 2004 after successfully leading efforts to create, interpret and implement the various transportation programs that are available to improve conditions for bicycling and walking as the League’s State and Local Advocacy Director.
Last Friday marked the summer deadline for Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) and Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) applications. These programs are a part of our Bicycle Friendly America program, which also includes Bicycle Friendly States and, coming soon, Bicycle Friendly Colleges and Universities. The BFC and BFB programs have grown successfully since 2003 and 2008, respectively. Check out our our Bicycle Friendly America site and map to see profiles of the communities and businesses that currently hold the designation.
This round, with 52 communities and 105 businesses applying, marks a record in the number of applicants in both program!
Bicycle Friendly Community
The two rounds in 2010 have seen a 25 percent increase in applicant communities from the two rounds in 2009. This growth represents a broader range of cities and towns that are realizing the value of being bicycle friendly and making changes in this direction. These communities are located in states including: Mississippi, Maryland, New Mexico, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas. The range in populations spans from less than 2,000 to more than 800,000. This impressive array of communities both big and small, east coast and west coast, rural and urban have uniquely incorporated bicycle infrastructure, educational programs, and bicycle master plans.
Bicycle Friendly Business
There was a 50 percent increase in applications this round as compared to the Winter 2010 term. This pool of businesses and organizations reached far beyond the bicycle industry to include medical centers, software companies, federal government agencies, city governments, commercial real estate firms, pharmaceuticals, food services and architectural firms. Employers across the country are installing bike racks and showers, organizing company rides and offering bike commuting compensation to their employees– whether doctor, construction worker, engineer or waiter.
We look forward to reviewing these applications and seeing some of the innovative ways that bikes are being incorporated into America’s communities and businesses. Check back in the fall for the announcement of award winners.
Carly Sieff League Bicycle Friendly America Program Assistant
Sieff joined the League in April 2010 with a Bachelors in Urban Studies and Science & Society from Brown University.
The League of American Bicyclists is proud to announce 16 new Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC), five renewing BFCs and 19 Honorable Mentions. As we have seen in the last few cycles, the majority of the new BFCs are in the East and Midwest – three quarters of the awarded communities are east of the Mississippi River. Additionally, two new states now have designated BFCs: Newark, Del. and Simsbury, Conn. “Communities from all areas of the country, climates and populations see bicycling as an integral component of building livable communities. The Bicycle Friendly Community program is recognizing those leading the way,” said Andy Clarke, League President.
The explosive growth of the BFC Program demonstrates how communities across the country see the importance of promoting bicycling to improve public health, improve quality of life, protect the environment and provide better transportation choices. Exciting work is being done to improve conditions for cycling countrywide, and the growth in the quality of bicycling efforts can be seen in the number of Honorable Mentions given out this round. “We are excited to see the level of interest and quality of programs. We look forward to partnering with these communities to improve conditions for cycling,” said Bill Nesper, Director of the Bicycle Friendly America program. “We want these communities to move up the ranks of the program, and our staff is dedicated to providing assistance to awarded and aspiring Bicycle Friendly Communities.” Every community that applies receives a bicycle-friendly roadmap, feedback on how to improve conditions for cycling. The roadmap is working. This round saw several communities returning after implementing previous feedback with good results. Rochester, Minn. moved from an Honorable Mention received in 2006 to a Bronze-level BFC, and two communities Salt Lake City, Utah and Flagstaff, Ariz. moved up from Bronze to Silver.
Under the leadership of Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, a regular cyclist, the city has moved from their 2007 Bronze designation to Silver. “We have seen notable results of Salt Lake City’s commitment to increasing bikeways and creating solutions for alternative modes of transportation,” said Becker. They have used the program and now Salt Lake City has a comprehensive approach to accommodating and welcoming cyclists, and the city’s percentage of bicycle commuters continues to grow – 4 times the national average.
Flagstaff, Ariz. also moved up from their 2006 Bronze designation to Silver. The community is known for its commitment to investing in cycling and encouragement efforts, such as the citywide commuter challenge, the world-class Flagstaff Urban Trails System and 200 miles of singletrack.
The BFC program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate their quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks, while allowing them to benchmark their progress and work toward improving their bicycle-friendliness. The application process to become a BFC is rigorous; currently only 140 of the 359 total applicants have a BFC four-year designation. The renewal process and four levels of the award – platinum, gold, silver and bronze – provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve. The new and expanded BFC program began at the League in 1995, and in the past 15 years it has evolved into the tool it is today – evaluating, recognizing and improving cities, states and businesses.
The Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, and Bicycle Friendly Business programs are generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign. To learn more, visit bicyclefriendlycommunity.org.
The New York Times reported today on new cycling counts in New York City that estimate the number of daily New York City cyclists at 236,000. As it happens, this comes the same day an advance copy of a new case study on bicycling in New York City landed in my inbox. Cycling in New York(PDF), by bicycling researchers John Pucher, Lewis Thorwaldson, Ralph Buehler, and Nicholas Klein, will be published in World Transport Policy and Practice this summer.
The report tracks trends in demographics (age and gender), safety, the bicycle facility network (including the new cycle tracks and green lanes), bike parking, bikes on transit and the city’s education and promotion efforts.
The report supports the growth reported by today’s Times article:
“Both the US Census data and NYC DOT indicator show a gradual increase in cycling levels from 1990 to 2000 but show accelerated growth after 2000, especially after 2005. As noted later, that spur in cycling was encouraged by a massive expansion in cycling infrastructure throughout the city, but especially in the core areas with the highest cycling levels.”
There are a number of good visuals to check out. Here’s a sample. The first shows the neighborhoods with the highest share of bike commuting residents.
The second shows that in all boroughs, women more often ride on multi-use paths over on-street facilities.
UPDATE: Added some additional images. The first below describes the growth in bicycle facilities in New York City by type. Order from top: route (green) , on-street (red) , path (blue).
This next graph shows bike commuter levels by borough (order from the top: Staten Island, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan).
New York's Grand Central Terminal (Photo: John Pucher)
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Yesterday was Earth Day and May is National Bike Month, so I’m sure many of you are thinking about how you could positively contribute to mother Earth and drive less, right? Bicycling is the answer of course, and the bright future of bike-sharing will make it all the more easier to bike those 2-mile or less trips. Bike-sharing exploded in Europe and has finally reached stateside – first with Smart Bike D.C. and now with B-Cycles debuting in Denver, Colo. this week (reported by Thrillist).
Photo by Caroline Cahill
The Bike-share concept is one of ease and convenience: pick up a bike at a local bike-share station, run your errands, and drop off the bike at ANY bike-share station in the city. B-cycles has now made it even easier, more informative and fun. They have membership options ranging from 24-hour to yearly, membership includes a universal swipe card, the bikes are Trek GPS-enabled cruisers, and the bikes log data on your personal B-cycle account page: length/duration of each ride, your carbon offset, and how many calories you’ve burned. Basically, B-cycle has stepped up the American bike-share concept.
If you’re jealous of Denver and all of its awesome GPS, data tracking bike-sharing, visit bcycle.com and vote for your city to be the next B-cyle location. You could be the next lucky person riding their shiny silver bikes, complete with basket, and visiting their tricked-out wireless, solar powered stations.
Meghan Cahill League Director of Communications
Cahill joined the League in December 2008 and has a BA in Media Communications with a concentration in Italian Studies from the College of Charleston.
Just in case you didn’t believe us that League President Andy Clarke visited Long BEach, CA, last week, LA Streetsblog has provided photographic evidence (and a nice write-up of the visit).
(Photo credit: Drew Reed/ LA Loyalist) Andy points to a local example of well executed bicycle planning
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
… but also wonders how replicable a model it is. Here’s the article.
Credit: AP via the Economist
Naturally in an article about Portland, biking gets a prominent mention:
The environment is also the main theme of public policy. The biggest force in local politics is not a party (Democrats in effect rule without opposition) but cyclists. The bike lanes are impressive and getting even better now as streets get “bioswales”, patches of turf and shrub that capture and filter storm water and simultaneously calm traffic and separate pedestrians and cyclists from the Priuses. Those who can’t bike are encouraged to use public transport, which is free downtown.
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
League President Andy Clarke was just out in Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community Long Beach, CA. getting a tour of the local bike facilities from mobility coordinator Charlie Gandy. But you don’t have to go out to sunny SoCal to take a look at what they’re doing for bicyclists. Check out this new video from StreetFilms.
Darren Flusche League Policy Analyst
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
The League of American Bicyclists announces 51 new Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award winners at the 10th Anniversary National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., March 10. “The League is especially excited to recognize the 2010 winter BFB winners at the 10th Anniversary National Bike Summit,” said Andy Clarke. “The BFB program, along with the Summit, marks the progress the bike movement and business world has made to make bicycling a viable form of transportation and an integral element to happy, healthy and productive employees.”
BFB recipients include nine gold winners: Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin; Dero Bike Rack Company; Mercy General Hospital; Planet Bike; Specialized Bicycle Components; The Hub of Detroit; Trek Bicycle Corporation; University of California, Santa Barbara; and Wheel & Sprocket, Inc.
This round of Bicycle Friendly Businesses was distinctive because of the geographic location of awarded businesses. The majority of winners are located in the Midwest – further proving that you can bike to work regardless of climate and that any state, community or business can be bicycle-friendly – and were from a varied group of businesses. “This group represented a broad range of industries, from world renowned technology firms and hoteliers to hospital and non-profits,” said Bill Nesper, Director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program. “These Bicycle Friendly Businesses, are clearly making a difference for employees, customers, and communities.” Winners include not only bicycle-related businesses but companies like Ameriprise Financial, Corporate Headquarters; PayPal, Inc.; and International Business Machines-IBM Rochester, MN – all three with 3,000-plus employees.
There are a lot of very simple, effective and creative ways that companies are finding to get people back on their bikes, and the League is proud to recognize the efforts of working America to make our nation a more bike-friendly place. Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, Calif., has reduced the number of parking spaces they need at the hospital by convincing people to ride their bikes to work. “We determined that it was less expensive to pay people to ride their bike to work than to add more parking spaces,” said Dave Brandeberry, Manager of Mercy General Hospital’s Cycling Program.
Companies across the country are realizing that getting their employees moving – either to or from work, in course of work, or even in their own time – is good for business. The BFB program provides a roadmap to all businesses that apply, providing a step-by-step plan to further improve their bicycle friendliness.
This is the fourth time BFB winners have been named since the program’s inception in 2008, marks the ongoing success of the program and continued momentum amongst businesses to provide a more bike-friendly environment. Applying for BFB recognition is easy and free. Applicants receive technical assistance from the League staff as well as tools to evaluate and assess their bicycle friendliness through the application process. The BFB application is available online at www.bicyclefriendlybusiness.org. Click here to see our winter 2010 winners. Click here to see a complete list of winners.
The Bicycle Friendly Community and Bicycle Friendly Business programs are generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign.
Meghan Cahill League Director of Communications
Cahill joined the League in December 2008 and has a BA in Media Communications with a concentration in Italian Studies from the College of Charleston.
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