HomeMy WebLinkAboutBicycle Friendly Attach.
League Honors Eleven New Bicycle-Friendly
Comnrlunities to Kick Off National Bike Month ™
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2004
Contact: Patrick J. McCormick
Communications Director
League of American Bicyclists'
Phone: 2~02-822-1333; Fax: 202-822-1334
Email: patrick@bikeleague.org
Washington, DC-The League of American Bicyclists kicks off National Bike Month TM by
awarding, 11 communities its prestigious Bicycle Friendly Community designation.
Among the communities receiving the League's Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC)
designatiion, the standouts are Boulder, Colo.-which was granted the League's gold-
. level BFG award-and silver-level award winners Gainesville, Florida, Olympia,
Washington; and Tucson, Arizona. The League has yet to bestow its highest-level
platinum award to any communities.
Bronze IE~vel awards were awarded to Ashland, Oregon.; Auburn, Alabama.; Carrboro,
North. Calrolina; Longmont, Colorado; Mountain View, California; Portage, Michigan and
Rockvillei, Maryland. An Honorary Mention was given to Milpitas, California.
The newly designated communities join 27 others previously given the designation to
recognize their commitment to providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists,
and for their efforts to encourage bicycling for fun, fitness and.transportation. Please visit
www.bicvclefriendlvcommunitv.ora to learn more about the awards process and view the
recently published highlights on the 2003 award-winning communities, as well as the
results of the League's recent International Symposium on Bicycle Friendly
Communities.
Andy Clc1rke, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists, congratulated the
winners land said, "What better way to kick off this year's National Bike Month than
celebrating cities such as Boulder, Colo., that show what's possible. Given the choice,
people will and do ride their bikes. Bicycle Friendly Communities are special places, with
a heightE~ned sense of community spirit and an uncommon devotion to improving their
quality of life. With political commitment, focused investment in infrastructure and
policies, and broad community involvement, cities and towns can become better places
not only to bicycle but also to live. The rewards for residents are huge: greater
opportunities to lead active lifestyles; improved air quality, and increased travel choices."
League ~)taff and reviewers consider several factors before granting a community BFC
status, including:
· The' physiea!" environment for bicycling - oil-street facilities, trails, parking etc.
· Education programs to promote a "share the road" ethic among bicyclists and
drivers
· Promotional initiatives to persuade people to 'ride or ride more. often
· Enforcement of traffic laws for both motorists and bicyclists
· Future plans and evaluation techniques to improve conditions further
In Boulder, an extraordinary ten percent of all resident trips are made by bicyclEI, as are
16 percent of all commuting trips. Nearly seven percent of residents view bike
commuting as their primary mode of travel to work, according to the Census. Boulder
recognizes and supports its bicyclists by investing $4.5 million (19 percent) of its
approved 2003 transportation budget on bicycle mode operations/maintenance and
enhancement initiatives. Thanks to m~ny years of political and financial support, 78% of
Boulder's arterial streets are equipped with bike lanes and multi-use paths receive formal
inspections twice a week.
In terms of educational and promotional efforts, the "Courtesy is Contagious" public
outreach campaign, launched by GO Boulder/City of Boulder in June 2002, has been a
tremendous success. The campaign employs print media and a team of ambassadors to
exchange ideas and information with the community. The program's goals are to reduce
the number of bike and pedestrian-related injuries, and to create more active and livable
neighborhoods in Boulder by increasing bicycle and pedestrian trips.
The League anticipates a rapidly growing list of BFC award winners as additional
communities apply for the honor. Communities wishing to be considered for the! award
should visit www.bicvclefriendlvcommunitv.ora to view the application and learnl more
about the program. Applications received on or before August 20,2004 will be
considered in the next application review cycle, with announcements of winning,
communities scheduled for October 2004.
The League's Bicycle Friendly Community Campaign is a national grassroots effort to
increase the number of trips made by bike, promote physical fitness, and help rnake
communities more livable. The Campaign works in the most effective way possible-town
by town, city by city-to encourage bicycling and achieve a bicycle-friendly America.
The Campaign is supported by generous grants from the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (www.rwif.ora) and Bikes Belong Coalition (www.bikesbelona.ora).
For more information on National Bike Month™, visit www.bikemonth.com for cycling
"tips, event listings and more.
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The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through
advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's 50
million bicyclists, including its 300,000 memqers and affiliates. For more information or to support the
League, visit www.bike/eaaue.ora and www.bicvclefriendlvcommunitv.ora.
All Awarded Bicycle-Friendly Communities
2003-2004
Platinum
None
Bronze:
Arlington, Virginia
Ashland, Oregon
Auburn, Alabama
Beaverton, Oregon
Bloomington, Indiana
Boca Raton, Florida
Brentwood, California
Brunswick, Maine
Carrboro, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina
ChaUanoog~ Tennessee
College Station, Texas
Gilbert, Arizona
Longmont, Colorado
Mesa, Arizona
Miami Beach, Florida
Mountain View, California
Portage, Michigan
The Presidio of San Francisco, CA
Redmond, Washington
Rockville, Maryland
Schaumburg, Illinois
Shawnee, Kansas
Washington, DC
Gold
Boulder, Colorado
Corvallis, Oregon
Palo Alto, California
Portland. Oregon
Silver:
Denver, Colorado
Folsom, California
Fort Collins, -Colorado
Gainesville, Florida
Missoula, Montana
Olympia, Washington
Santa Barbara, California
Stanford University, California
Tempe, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona