Bicycle City: A Brief Look at Bicycle Friendly Communities

Now that gas prices have given die-hard drivers pause and global warming is winning over skeptics, Americans are showing a renewed interest in carpooling, public transportation, and other energy-efficient modes of transportation – including our old friend, the bicycle. Gone are the days of the purely recreational bicycle, when weekend warriors only hit the paths, mountain and municipal, to pedal for exercise and enjoyment. People are increasingly commuting to work and school via bicycle, and cities and towns are making changes to their infrastructure and laws to ensure this socially responsible choice remains safe and supported. The League of American Bicyclists even maintains a nationwide rating system, begun in 2003, devoted to identifying and celebrating “bicycle friendly communities.”

Bicycle City: Big Cities and College Towns Alike

Based on LAB’s designations – which include platinum, gold, silver, and bronze levels – nearly 60 communities across the country have received one of the four awards. But it’s not just the expected college towns making the cut. Sure, you’ll see university-oriented communities like Bellingham, Boulder, Ann Arbor, Missoula, Eugene, Tempe, Gainesville, and their many peers on the list, yet the real surprises are the huge cities that have taken similarly huge steps toward bicycle-friendliness for their residents. These include Denver, Chicago, Albuquerque, Washington, and (new this year) my very own Milwaukee, which proudly received a bronze award for its pro-bicycle projects.

Bicycle City: Criteria for Bicycle Friendly Communities

In evaluating applicant cities for bicycle friendly community designations, LAB focuses on what they call the “Five E’s”: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation. By auditing wannabe bicycle-friendly municipalities so thoroughly, LAB ensures that cities are well-rounded in their efforts. It’s not enough just to have a lot of residents who bicycle. For example, the cities have to show that new development is designed with bicycles in mind, that safety programs are present, that they study bicycle usage, and so on. It’s an elaborate questionnaire. In fact, the criteria are so comprehensive that some less bike-advanced cities are using them as a guide, even if a bicycle friendly community award is still years away for their area.

Bicycle City: Davis, California is the Bicycle Capital of the World

So what’s the most bicycle friendly city in America? According to LAB, it’s Davis, California. The college town is still (after the 2006 awards were announced in May) the only platinum city in the country. It is estimated that about a quarter or all trips in Davis are taken via bicycle, and practically everything is designed with bicycles in mind. Because the bike culture is entrenched there, motorists are more respectful; bicycle paths, lanes, and bridges abound; bike storage is everywhere; civic leaders respond to cyclists’ concerns; coalitions study safety; and they even have – get this – bicycle-only signals at busy intersections! If it’s innovative and related to bicycles, Davis has tried it.

Bicycle City: Final Thoughts

Davis and the other bicycle friendly communities can serve as models for cities of all sizes and climates. If Chicago and Milwaukee, with their cold and windy winters, can earn accolades for their bicycle friendly initiatives, then any city can pedal in the same direction to a greener future. A complete list of the bicycle friendly communities, from 2003-2006, is available at http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org.