Transcript Slide 1
CREATING A BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY July 6, 2015 The League’s Mission The League promotes bicycling for fun, fitness, and transportation through advocacy and education to build a bicyclefriendly America. Photo: Allan Crawford Providing a Roadmap for a Bicycle Friendly America • Advocacy – Coordination, feedback, setting the bar • Education – Benchmarking, feedback, hands-on assistance from staff • Promotion – Award designation and media promotion Bicycling is a Good Thing • Economic Development • Access • Quality of Life • Environment • Sustainability • Safety • Health • Equity • Mobility • Fiscal Constraint Where people want to live, work and visit • BFCs always on best places to live, work, study and retire lists. (6 in US News’ latest Top 10) • Mercer Int’l Quality of Life Ranking: 7 of 8 U.S. cities are BFCs • Businessweek’s Best Places to Ride out the Recession 17 of 20 are BFCs What is the BFC Program • Started in 1996 with the BFC program • Updated program in 2002 • 5 Award levels: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze • Program recognizes communities for bicycle friendliness and provides roadmap and assistance to become better. Application Criteria • Engineering • Education • Encouragement • Enforcement • Evaluation & Planning Online application bikeleague.org/community Application Review 600+ applications reviewed by • League staff • external reviewers • local cyclists and advocates • 242+ BFCs in 47 states Building for bicycling works Lesson Seven Numbers Are On Our Side Reaching the Interested but Concerned 1 6 Strong and Fearless Confident & enthused Interested but concerned No way now how 33 60 Strong and Fearless Strong and Fearless Enthused and confident Enthused and confident Interested but concerned Interested but concerned Interested but concerned Engineering • Complete Streets approach • Bike parking convenience and safety • Training for staff engineers and planners • Infrastructure • On-road network, Paths and off-road trails • Safe intersections • Facility maintenance Education • Motorists/ public outreach • Youth education • Adults • Children • Professional drivers, staff drivers • Commuters • League Cycling Instructors Encouragement • National Bike Month & Bike to Work Week • Rides, events, incentives to ride • Commuter programs – National Bike Challenge • Bike sharing • Bike parks, velodromes, other recreational biking Enforcement • Equitable laws • Police involvement • Targeted enforcement • Training for Police Officers • Austin (Silver BFC) Bicycling-specific officer training • Diversion courses Evaluation & Planning • Current bike plan • Monitoring use • Targets/Goals • Crashes/Fatalities • Stakeholder involvement • Self-awareness Benefits of applying We knew this recognition would be important to our civic and business leaders, and that the metrics set out in the League’s application would be important measures for us.” - Allan Crawford, Bike Long Beach Photo: Allan Crawford Get started Go to: bikeleague.org/community • Use BFC Scorecard for selfassessment • Review the application and resources yourself to see how bicycle-friendly you are today • Coordinate with your local bicycle advocacy group and contact staff for assistance Online resource library Bring the Biking Joy Thank you. Thank you.