Archive for the 'Bicycle Friendly University' Category

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 Business program also had an impressive year. In April, with the announcement of 67 new BFBs, the program hit a major benchmark: More than 500,000 Americans now work at a Bicycle Friendly Business. And, in October, a handful of the most iconic U.S. companies pushed the number of BFBs to nearly 500, with Hewlett Packard, Apple and Facebook proving they “Like” bikes!

Facebook is now a BFB!

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.

We’ve all heard that Virginia is for lovers. Well, word on the street is the commonwealth’s capitol, Richmond, is for bike lovers! So we were delighted to welcome Richmond as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community in our latest round of BFC awards last month.

To better understand how Richmond has become bike-friendly, we interviewed Champe Burnley of Virginia Bicycle Federation and Jakob Helmboldt, Richmond’s Pedestrian, Bicycles and Trails Coordinator. Here’s what they told us…

Cyclist at the 2012 Heart of Virginia Bicycle Festival

Describe bicycle culture in Richmond and how it has developed.

Richmond has long had a strong competitive cycling community with some notable riders coming out of the city. It has been the home of nationally recognized races like the Tour of America, Tour du Pont and Tour de Trump. There’s also a large and engaged mountain biking community, due in large part to the tremendous amount of public open space and natural areas, especially along the James River. In the past decade, the formal organization of mountain bike advocates and official trail building crews on city staff has resulted in the building of a network of sustainable singletrack in the heart of the city, drawing cyclists from around the state, and playing host to Xterra and other competitive events. The presence of Virginia Commonwealth University, with a very eclectic student body, in the heart of the city has resulted in explosive growth in student bicycle use. As a result, Richmond has a very strong bike culture that has grown organically, as demonstrated by our 2.2 percent commuter mode split; the highest in the state despite minimal bike infrastructure.

How has the broader community responded?

As more emphasis is being placed on making Richmond truly bike-friendly, the community has responded with overwhelmingly positive support from across all demographics. The Richmond Times Dispatch, the paper of record in Richmond, has run numerous articles in support of these initiatives and hosted a Public Square forum on the topic, which was widely attended by a very diverse cross section of the city and regional residents.

Why did Richmond think it important to apply for Bicycle Friendly Community designation?

In May 2010, Mayor Dwight Jones convened the Pedestrian, Bicycle and Trails Planning Commission, a largely citizen-led group, to develop recommendations on how the city could become more bike-friendly and use bicycling as a means to address issues of sustainability, economic development, transportation options, safety, and healthy lifestyles. As a result, Richmond has been working toward those goals ever since. BFC status provides two key things: recognition of the city’s efforts, both internally and externally, to create a community that is recognized in the U.S. as one that is embracing bicycling for it myriad benefits, and, more importantly, developing a baseline to work diligently to advance bike-related initiatives. The BFC program gives us feedback on what is deficient, and though we, the stakeholders, are already well aware of those issues, it validates and advocates for our initiatives. The BFC program also prompts further discussion and consideration of specific initiatives or improvements so we are continually giving consideration to what we should shoot for and prioritize in our efforts.

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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.

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.”

To learn more about the program or apply, check out www.bikeleague.org/university.

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.

We hate to draw any of the well-deserved spotlight from the 67 new Bicycle Friendly Businesses we announced today, but we just had to take a moment to commend the efforts of the University of South Carolina. Last month, USC was designated a Bronze Bicycle Friendly University — and they sure came up with a brilliant and fun way to celebrate the award.

Yesterday, their campus streets were alive with bicyclists during the “Travel Lightly Parade.” The festive gathering was attended, not only by students, but the university president, Dr. Harris Pastides, as well. Way to go, South Carolina!

Click here to see more photos from The State newspaper.

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.

Last month, the League announced its latest round of Bicycle Friendly University awards and the news took flight on Twitter. Students and staff tweeted the good news and, yes, a bit of friendly competitive banter emerged among rival colleges.

So what does it take to earn that coveted BFU status?

In just its first application, the University of Michigan earned a Bronze designation and League Media and Communications Intern, Lindsay Plante, asked them how they did it. Here’s what Lisa Solomon, from the U-M Parking and Transportation Services, told her…

What concerted efforts has U-M made to create a more bike-friendly campus? Was anything already in place that made becoming bike-friendly easier? 

Recent improvements to strengthen U-M’s bike friendliness have focused on infrastructure,  building campus culture, engaging student groups and community stakeholders and enhancing/developing programs. Notable infrastructure-related improvements to existing bike systems included:

• An expanded network of marked bike lanes and the addition of sharrows (shared road markings) on campus roads
• Addition of the Thompson Street Enclosed/Secure Bicycle Parking Facility on Central Campus in 2010
• Construction of covered bicycle parking at the newly built North Quad Residential and Academic Complex in 2011

Some exciting recent programmatic and outreach efforts have included:

• Regular bike maintenance clinics at U-M Rec Sports Outdoor Adventures through a partnership with Common Cycle, a community-based organization founded by U-M students
• A Bike Town Hall in early 2012 — a campus-wide meeting that allowed nearly 100 faculty, staff and students to learn about future plans for improving bicycle transit on campus and provide the opportunity for input on programs
• Ongoing collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Transit Authority, Downtown Development Authority and local non-profit groups in updating the City’s Non-Motorized Plan and furthering programs such as bike sharing in the City and on the U-M campus

U-M is fortunate to have a solid foundation that has contributed to continued improvements in bike-friendliness. Bicycling has been a popular commute mode on campus since the 1970s and campus planning efforts have focused on improvements to routes and cycling amenities over the years. The University is also fortunate to be located in the City of Ann Arbor, a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community that has a lot to offer in the way of cycling. The campus also enjoys active student groups and co-ops focused on cycling and tremendous support from students, faculty, staff, departments and upper administration.

What changes are planned to further improve U-M’s bike friendly status? 

Since beginning the BFU application process last year, U-M has developed a bike rental program that will be initiated on campus in Spring-Summer 2012.  Also, the City of Ann Arbor recently formed a group devoted to the development of bike sharing within Ann Arbor.  The university is participating in this effort and recently was a part of a grant application for CMAQ funds to help start a bike share program. U-M also plans to launch a new website that will serve as a one-stop resource for cycling on campus. This site will include improved safety resources, information on programs, news and events, links to resources and other valuable information. Further educational and programmatic opportunities are also planned. For example, U-M hopes to initiate a campus bike tour during orientation in the fall term of 2012 utilizing the campus rental bikes. The BFU application process also helped ignite efforts that have already been underway, including updating the non-motorized plan, provision of additional covered bike parking areas on campus, and looking for opportunities to grow cycling amenities on campus, such as bike pumps.

What are the main benefits and challenges for U-M when investing in bike friendly changes?

Sustained investment in cycling helps U-M meet its carbon emission reduction goals, addresses parking demand, offers a less costly option for commuting and getting around campus, provides positive health benefits, and recreational and fitness opportunities. As more bicycle accommodations and users join the campus network, the university will be challenged to ensure that cycling is safe and safety is the norm. Another challenge will be to ensure that new programs and features are successful and include good integration of education and encouragement.

How else has U-M made cycling a priority? Why should other campuses follow your lead?

One way that U-M has made cycling a priority is by taking a collaborative community-based approach.  Since its creation in 2002, U-M has actively served on the City of Ann Arbor’s Alternative Transportation Committee (committee members include city staff, the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, the AATA getDowntown Program, the Downtown Development Authority, Walking and Bike Coalition of Washtenaw County, Clean Energy Coalition, and other community partners). Because city roads and the U-M campus are intertwined, cooperative bike planning helps promote network connectivity, consistent messaging and design features. Although each campus has its own unique setting, U-M has found great value in community collaboration as it has allowed for coordination of the actions of various partners and lead to the development of some of the creative strategies implemented on the U-M campus and in the City.

What do the students think? How does cycling fit into the campus culture at U-M?

U-M students have shown a great interest and passion for bicycling as transportation mode, dating back to the 1970s. More recently, student groups on campus have taken an active – and in some cases, leadership – role in developing programs in and around biking on campus or urging the university to enhance and expand the bike programs available on the Ann Arbor campus. Examples include student-lead groups that provide bike repair services on campus, student involvement in the recent Town Hall meeting in which they provided input on future programs, support of the bike rental program that will launch this year, and participation in committees that are exploring alternative transportation programs, including the campus bike program.

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.

The NCAA basketball tournament is down to the Final Four, but the bracket of Bicycle Friendly Universities (BFU) is expanding. Today, the League advanced nine new universities to the elite ranks of bicycle-friendly campuses.

“As universities compete for students and status, becoming more bicycle-friendly is a winning strategy that energizes and invigorates staff and the student body, not just in March, but year-round,” said League President, Andy Clarke. “By making cycling safe and enjoyable, BFUs are both educating and empowering the next generation to adopt smarter, healthier transportation habits that will last a lifetime.”

Now in it’s second year, the program has grown to 35 campuses in 21 states. Click here to see the full list of Bicycle Friendly Universities.

With this round of BFU awards, the competition between conferences heats up. The Big Ten added the University of Michigan to BFU list and continues to lead with seven BFUs. The PAC 12 is a close second with six schools, including the addition this round of Oregon State University. The ACC added four BFU winners, rocketing them to third place with the inclusion of Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State University and the University of Miami.

While they’re out of the Big Dance, Duke is taking the lead in bicycling, turning an Honorable Mention in 2011 to a Bronze designation in 2012. “Over the past six months, we’ve addressed safety on all our roads, adding bike lanes, wide shoulders or sharrows to every street on campus,” said Brian Williams, Duke’s Transportation Demand Management Coordinator. “The BFU award highlights the work of the Duke community to make riding a bike easy.”

Also boosting the bicycle-friendliness of the ACC, Georgia Institute of Technology received the highest designation of the round with a Silver award. In addition to regular bicycling classes and rides led by the university president, Georgia Tech took the innovative step of launching the viaCycle campus bike sharing system. “Biking not only enhances mobility, it also has positive environmental and health benefits for our campus community,” said Georgia Tech president, G. P. “Bud” Peterson.

In the West, Boise State University moved up to a Silver award for a range of impressive programs, including a new Cycle Learning Center. “The CLC provides a central, hands-on learning environment that empowers campus users to bicycle through education programs, instructional clinics and support services,” said JC Porter, Assistant Director of Transportation at Boise State.

The BFU provides the roadmap and technical assistance to create great campuses for cycling — to apply or learn more, visit  www.bikeleague.org/university.

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.

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.

Each application to the Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly Business or Bicycle Friendly University program is reviewed by a panel of national bicycle experts and several local reviewers are consulted to share their on the ground perspective of the applicant.

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

Andy 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. Before joining the League in February 2003, Clarke was on contract to provide technical assistance to the highly regarded Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center on site at the Federal Highway Administration. He is on the Board of Directors for America Bikes, and a member of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals.

To celebrate May as National Bike Month, we asked League staff members why 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.

Anything else to add?

Enjoy the ride!

Thanks, Andy!

Read all of the staff profiles here.

Darren Flusche
League Policy Director

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.

In celebration of May as National Bike Month, we are asking League staff members why they ride and how they make the most of Bike Month.

Next up is Carly Sieff, Bicycle Friendly America Program Assistant.

Hi Carly, what do you like most about Bike Month?

Bike Month is a wonderful time to rediscover biking.  Pull your bike out from under the dust in the garage,  and join thousands of others around the country and right in your community who are anxious to embrace spring, beautiful weather and a summer of activity by getting out there on bicycles.  It is a time to really feel the support that is there for bike commuters and to know what a positive impact you are making for yourself and the environment.

You work on the Bicycle Friendly University program. What’s the coolest thing a college is doing during Bike Month?

The University of Oregon has an inspiring series of events throughout the month of May.  The highlight of the month is the Bike Music Fest which features pedal-powered musical and entertainment acts, a free repair station, a Live-on-Bike musical performance & bicycle ride, and a workshop about pedal-generated electricity.

And of course I can’t forget to mention the bicycle-shaped pancakes at the University of California Santa Barbara as a part of their Bike to School CycleMAYnia event.

Bike-shaped pancakes. Nice. OK, back to you. When and why do you ride your bike?

I ride my bike every day and almost everywhere—to work, friends’ houses, bars, trailheads, grocery shopping…

I find biking empowering, knowing that I can get myself wherever I need to be, completely human powered. It is also the most efficient means of travel, as I can come and go on my own time rather than the bus’ schedule, pass by vehicular traffic from the bike lane, and plentiful bike parking and a connected bike network allow me to run errands on my way home. Not only does biking efficiently get me to my destination, but it provides an interaction with the community, a lesson in sustainability and a healthy, active way to get around.

What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done?

I spent a summer biking 4,000 miles across the country. And that was probably my longest ride.

Do you have an all-time favorite route, trip, or experience you’d like to share?

I’ve gone on some great bike trips leaving from my own front door in DC—crossing through 3 states on a weekend ride to Harper’s Ferry, trying my wheels in urban exploration on a ride to Baltimore, and exploring Virginia view from the mountains of Shenandoah.

What tips do you have for new bike commuters?

Be careful, it’s addicting! It may take a few trips to get comfortable (for which I suggest riding with an experienced commuter who knows the good routes), but once you do, you’ll realize how much sense biking makes for your health, your wallet and the environment.

What do know now that you wish you knew before you started to ride frequently?

That it is worth investing in warm, dry gear for the winter and keeping my bike well-lit and safe.  I spent too many rides my first winter commuting with numb fingers and toes, and thin tires slipping on ice.  I calculated that with the money I save on the metro (about $80/ month), I can afford to invest in apparel and accessories that will last and make my rides safer and more enjoyable.

What do you typically wear to ride?

On my everyday commute, I wear exactly what I am wearing to work—skirt, dress, blouse, etc.  It is only on my longer weekend rides that I break out the lycra.

Thanks, Carly!

Darren Flusche
League Policy Director

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.

How do you fill out your NCAA college basketball tournament bracket? Do you follow historical trends? Maybe you use a complex algorithm. More likely you go by mascot or uniform – because let’s be honest, who’s really seen all these teams play?

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.

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Darren Flusche
League Policy Director

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 first‐ever Bicycle Friendly University designations were announced today at the National Bike Summit. Among the 32 universities that applied, 20 are receiving designations, with Stanford University earning the only platinum‐level award. The program recognizes colleges and universities that create exceptional environments where bicycling can thrive and provides a roadmap and technical assistance to create great campuses for bicycling.

“Universities have long served as incubators for developing bike‐friendly cultures and practices, and that has a big impact on the expectations that students bring to the workplace and beyond,” said Bill Nesper, director of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America Program. “With the launch of the Bicycle Friendly Universities program, we’re able to highlight the crucial role that academic institutions play in shaping a more bike‐friendly future.”

2011 Bicycle Friendly University Winners

Also, 55 new Bicycle Friendly Businesses from restaurants to law firms will be receiving awards at this year’s summit. USAA, which is receiving the silver‐level designation, has experienced how bicycling can transform a workplace and surrounding community.

“USAA promotes safe cycling as an element of our overall sustainability and wellness strategies. The remarkable results we have seen in positive environmental impacts generated by our employees are mirrored by the positive wellness gains made.” – from their 2011 application.

To find out more about the winners and the programs, read the press release here.

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.

The Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) program joins the existing Bicycle Friendly Community, Business and State programs as the League’s newest Bicycle Friendly America addition. Officially launched at the Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike conference in September, the BFU program promotes active and sustainable colleges and universities.  The college campus is an ideal setting for bicycling and a natural fit for reaching institutional sustainability, health and livability goals.  This program will guide schools to becoming more bicycle-friendly and award those with strong bike programs and infrastructure.

Thus, we are excited to announce the release of the BFU online application. We can’t wait to hear about bicycling on campuses around the country from the first round of applicants.  You can find the application at: http://apply.bikeleague.org/member.php?act=login

We encourage applicants to refer to the BFU resources page for technical assistance as you fill out the application and the Bicycle Friendly University webpage for more information on the program.  The first deadline for the program is January 21, 2011 and the second deadline of the year is July 22, 2011.   For any further questions or help getting started, contact the League at BFA@bikeleague.org or 202-822-1333.

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.

At the Pro-walk/Pro-bike conference in Chattanooga last month, we announced the official launch of the Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) program. Like the Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC), the Bicycle Friendly State (BFS), and the Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) programs do for their areas, the university program will recognize the way colleges and universities encourage and improve campus sustainability, connectivity, quality of life and personal health.

Campuses are ideal laboratories to encourage and inspire the next generation to continue biking in post‐college life. “The program will demonstrate the many benefits of achieving aspirational levels of bicycle safety and infrastructure, while providing campuses with a roadmap to get there. It’s a win/win for everyone,” said Ariadne Delon Scott, bicycle program coordinator at Stanford University.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on the BFU launch:

The program is designed to help institutions develop holistic policies on biking. A 90-question application requires colleges to assess how much support they offer cyclists—for instance, by providing bike maps of the campus and including information on cycling in freshman orientation.

Applying for a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum designation through the Bicycle Friendly University program will be “an education in itself,” says Bill Nesper, director of the league’s Bicycle Friendly America program. The campus program aims to encourage colleges to evaluate how useful on-campus bike paths can be, whether university parking policies and fees encourage or discourage cycling as an alternative to commuting by car, and how serious campus police are about bike theft and safe cycling.

Institutions interested in being in the very first class of Bicycle Friendly Universities should review this university scorecard to see if they are bicycle-friendly and follow these tips to bike-friendliness. The online application will be available soon.

For more information, contact Carly Sieff at Carly (at) Bikeleague (dot) org or 202-822-133 ext. 233.

Darren Flusche
League Policy Director

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.