Urbana Named a Gold Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists recognized Urbana with a Gold Bicycle Friendly Community award, joining more than 325 visionary communities from across the country. In achieving this distinction, Urbana is recognized as the first Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community in Illinois and part of a select group of communities nationwide to attain this status.
With the announcement of 55 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities today, Urbana joins a leading group of communities, in all 50 states, that are transforming our neighborhoods.
“Visionary community leaders are recognizing the real-time and long term impact that a culture of bicycling can create,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “We applaud this new round of communities for investing in a more sustainable future for the country and a healthier future for their residents and beyond.”
The Bicycle Friendly Community program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate their quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks, while allowing them to benchmark their progress toward improving their bicycle-friendliness. With this impressive round, there are now 326 Bicycle Friendly Communities in all 50 states. The Gold Bicycle Friend Community award recognizes Urbana’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies.
“Urbana is delighted to receive a Gold Bicycle Friendly Community award,” said Mayor Laurel Prussing. “The city continues to work hard to create a safe bicycle network, to enforce bicycle traffic laws and to promote safety education through the Bicycle Ticket Diversion Program.”
“Going from a Bronze award in 2010 to Gold in 2014 speaks to the incredible accomplishments and momentum achieved by a real partnership of city staff, bicycle advocates, certified bike educators, bike clubs, bike shops, transit leadership, and community visionaries. Earning Gold is something huge to celebrate. At the same time it motivates us to look at the Platinum level as we have more work to do, especially in the bicycle education realm,” said Jeff Yockey, President Champaign County Bikes.
The Bicycle Friendly Community program provides a roadmap to building a Bicycle Friendly Community and the application itself has become a rigorous and an educational tool in itself. Since its inception, more than 800 distinct communities have applied and the five levels of the award – diamond, platinum, gold, silver and bronze – provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve.
About the Bicycle Friendly America Program
The Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly Business and Bicycle Friendly University programs are generously supported by program partner Trek Bicycle. To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly America, visit www.bikeleague.org/BFA
The League of American Bicyclists is leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn, define standards and share best practices to engage diverse communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.
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