WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — The League of American Bicyclists announced 55 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities. Eighteen communities received their first BFC award, while 17 new communities received a Bronze designmation and one, Hennepin County, Minnesota, received its first Silver designation. Nine communities moved up to higher award levels, and the remainder renewed at their previous level.
"As biking has become more and more popular, more and more communities are committed to creating safer places to bike," said Alex Doty, the executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. "Winning a Bicycle Friendly Community designation shows a community's dedication to creating safer and better places to ride your bike."
This latest round saw growth in the top tiers of the program, as Madison, Wisconsin, became the fifth Platinum-level BFC, joining Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado; Davis, California; and Portland, Oregon. Madison is the first new platinum since 2013. Four communities moved into the Gold tier: Austin, Texas; San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz, California; and Tempe, Arizona. There are now 24 Gold Bicycle Friendly Communities.
These new awardees join a group of 371 communities in all 50 states with BFC designations. With this new round, 72 million people live in a Bicycle Friendly Community.
The League's Bicycle Friendly Community program is largely supported by Trek and Trek dealers.
More information: List of new awardees (pdf).
