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BUILDING
A BICYCLE
FRIENDLY
AMERICA
A roadmap to
transforming states,
communities,
businesses and
universities
SM
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ally make a dierence. The BFA program gives
you the specic tools to turn that knowledge
into action.

Providing a roadmap to improve conditions
for cyclists at the state and local level, the BFA
program has expanded and evolved to serve
four distinct areas: Communities, States, Busi-
nesses and Universities. With comprehensive
online applications, the program collects data
on activities within ve broad areas:
1. ENGINEERING: Physical infrastructure and
hardware to support cycling
2. EDUCATION: Programs that ensure the
safety, comfort and convenience of
cyclists and fellow road users
3. ENCOURAGEMENT: Incentives, promotions
and opportunities that inspire and enable
people to ride
4. ENFORCEMENT: Equitable laws and pro-
grams that ensure motorists and cyclists
are held accountable
5. EVALUATION: Processes that demonstrate a
commitment to measuring results and
planning for the future
The BFA program is more than an assess-
ment. All applicants get customized feedback
on their application and access to technical as-
sistance. If you arent bicycle friendly yet, well
help you get there. And once youve made the
ranks of a Bicycle Friendly Community, Busi-
ness or University, the BFA program helps
you get to the next level.
Learn how you can get involved in the pages
that follow and at www.bikeleague.org/bfa.
Building a
BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA
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Across the U.S., the interest in bicycling is
skyrocketing and its easy to see why. A
bike is a ticket to health, mobility, freedom
and fun.Bicycling isnt just a way to get from
one place to another; its an avenue to a better
life. And when communities, businesses and
universities get on board, great things happen.

How do you capture and capitalize on the
tremendous benets of biking? The Leagues
Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) program has
the answers.

Over the past 10 years, the League has worked
with hundreds of engineers, government
ocials, and bicycle advocates to identify the
DNA of bicycle friendliness. Using that expert
knowledge, weve determined the specic
projects, policies, programs and plans that re-
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Cover photo: Trek
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Long Beach Council Member Robert Garcia and
Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal in Long Beachs sepa-
rated bike lanes. (Photo: Allan Crawford)
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THE BENEFITS OF BICYCLING
Our Gold Bicycle Friendly designation is a
tremendous honor, and it recognizes what a great
place Minneapolis is to be a bicyclist. Weve made
a deliberate effort to be one of the nations top
bicycling cities and those investments mean we
have more and more ways for people to commute
and experience the city on two wheels.
- Mayor R.T. Rybak, Minneapolis, Minn.
The #1 Bicycle Friendly State designation
recognizes the hard work and cooperation among
local and state agencies, bicycle groups and health
professionals. The designation is an incentive to
continue to rene and develop projects, policies
and priorities to retain our position.
- Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
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Photo: Trek
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B
Bicycling is more than a practical, cost-eec-
tive solution to many municipal challenges.
Its an opportunity to make your community
a vibrant destination for residents and visi-
tors a place where people dont just live
and work, but thrive. The Bicycle Friendly
Community program provides a roadmap to
improve conditions for bicycling and direct
assistance to make your distinct vision for a
better, bikeable community a reality.
WHY SHOULD MY COMMUNITY
BECOME A BFC?
Simple steps to make bicycling safe and
comfortable pay huge dividends in civic, com-
munity and economic development. Given the
opportunity to ride, residents enjoy dramatic
health benets, reduced congestion, increased
property values and more money in their
pockets to spend in the local economy. When
your community is bike-friendly, tourism
booms, businesses attract the best and the
brightest, and governments save big on parking
costs while cutting their carbon emissions.
Innovative infrastructure isnt just for big cities. Missoula, Mont., recently rose to Gold BFC status
thanks in part to the addition of protected bike lanes. The City of Missoula, together with citizen
advocates, has worked hard to integrate and promote bicycle commuting, and were proud that our
extensive off-street bike trail system, together with our miles of bike lanes, and bike education and
encouragement programs, reect that, says Missoula Mayor John Engen.
The Tucscon/East Pima region attained Gold BFC status with an array of exceptional education
programs. The Bicycle Ambassador program has taught more than 1,000 adults safe cycling
skills each year and the Safe Routes to School program has now expanded into the middle schools
and includes summer bicycle camps, says Ann Chanecka, Senior Transportation Planner, Pima
Association of Governments.
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Photos: Tucson/East Pima region (L) and Missoula, Mont. (R)
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WHAT MAKES A BICYCLE FRIENDLY
COMMUNITY?
A Bicycle Friendly Community welcomes
cyclists with trails, bike lanes, share the road
campaigns, organized rides, Bike to Work
Day events and so much more. A rich matrix
of options that recognizes your areas unique
resources, the BFC application evaluates how
your community encourages people to bike
for transportation and recreation through the
5 Es: engineering, education, encouragement,
enforcement, and evaluation.
WHATS THE BENEFIT OF BEING A BFC?
The popularity of the program speaks for
itself: As of 2013, more than 600 communi-
ties have applied, and 242 have been awarded
Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum designation.
But, even if your community doesnt quite
make the grade yet, applying is well worth
the time. Each applicant receives custom-
ized feedback and technical assistance. Once
your community becomes a BFC, a League
representative will present an award and two
highway-quality road signs at a local ceremony
or celebration.
Arlington, Va.
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New York, N.Y. Fort Collins, Colo.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Turn to page 14 and ll out the BFC scorecard
to see if your community is ready to apply. All
applications must be submitted with the ap-
proval of the communitys administration. Ac-
cess the applications and additional resources
at bikeleague.org/community.
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Four years ago, Long Beach put an audacious statement on the wall of our City Hall:
Long Beach: The most bike friendly city in the U.S. It wasnt true at the time, but it
gave us a something to strive for. And we knew that we needed milestones to measure
our progress along the way.

In 2009, we were given Bronze BFC status and we immediately set our sights on
becoming Silver, then Gold and eventually Platinum. We knew this recognition would
be important to our civic and business leaders, and that the metrics set out in the
Leagues application would be important measures for us.

At the time, we had a few bike lanes along with beach and river paths that were
mainly for recreation. But as a result of our efforts, more than 20 new bike-related
businesses have opened in Long Beach since 2010. Weve added more than 170
bike-friendly businesses to our Bike Saturday program and created four bike-friendly
business districts. On some streets, where we have put in new bike infrastructure, we
have tripled the number of kids riding bikes to school.

Were now seeing people move to Long Beach because of our biking and our active
living culture. We are seeing conventions select Long Beach because of what we are
doing. Most importantly we are seeing more and more people on their bikes, riding for
fun, to get to school, to get to work and to run errands.
- By Allan Crawford, Bike Long Beach
Long Beach, Calif.
Photo: Allan Crawford
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Standing Stone Brewery,
Ashland, Ore
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Imagine your employees arriving at their desks
energized, alert and more productive than ever.
Picture your healthcare costs plummeting
and sta morale skyrocketing. Envision
customers ocking to your door instead of
the competition. How do you get there?
Start pedaling and become a Bicycle Friendly
Business (BFB).
WHY SHOULD MY BUSINESS BECOME A BFB?
The bicycle isnt just a great transportation
option; its an economic engine that can
drive your business to higher prots, happier
employees and more loyal patrons. Encouraging
bicycling showcases your commitment to
sustainability, healthy living and accessibility
for all. And biking doesnt just enhance your
bottom line it makes your business a fun,
engaging and exciting place to work or shop.
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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center, Boston, Mass.
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WHAT MAKES A BICYCLE FRIENDLY
BUSINESS?
BFBs make it easy to pedal to work by
providing amenities like secure bike parking
and shower facilities. They re up employees
and patrons with incentives to commute
by bike, company bike rides, and Bike to
Work Week promotions. At a BFB, cycling
is part of the business culture and becomes
an expression of corporate responsibility.
Those attributes shine through in the four
areas of the BFB application: encouragement,
education, engineering and evaluation.

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Any corporation, organization, association,
public agency or non-prot that actively
promotes bicycling, has a distinct workplace
outside of the home, and has two or more
employees is eligible to apply.
WHATS THE BENEFIT OF BEING A BFB?
The League recognizes deserving businesses
at the Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum level,
but all applicants receive valuable feedback
and assistance in becoming more bicycle
friendly. When your business joins the more
than 400 BFBs across the nation, youll get
recognition in a national press release, decals
for your workplace, a prole on the League
website, and in the Leagues annual yearbook
distributed to 10,000 homes across the nation.
Silver and higher awards also receive a bicycle
print award.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Turn to page 15 and ll out the BFB scorecard
to see if your business is ready to apply. Access
the applications and additional resources at
bikeleague.org/business.
BFB PROFILE: THE BURKE GROUP
For employees of The Burke Group in Rosemont, Ill., there are plenty of ways to arrive on two wheels, including the on-street bike route
system or the trail leading directly to the building. But the bike friendly atmosphere doesnt end at the front door.

In 2010, the engineering rm was awarded a Silver BFB designation thanks to excellent facilities and innovative programs, like showers,
CEO-led social rides and a new bike for the top rider each year. The conversion of car-commuters was slow at rst, but more and more
employees dusted off their old bicycles as they heard their co-workers raving about the many benets of riding and saw how the
company supported their efforts.
In addition to creating a positive place to work, The Burke Group sees cycling as a means to improving job performance. Engineers who
understand the challenges of multi-modal transportation are able to support bicycling in new designs. And the cycling culture has certainly
boosted workplace camaraderie.
By 2012, The Burke Group had witnessed 30,000 fewer miles driven on local roads as a result of their efforts and moved up to a Gold level BFB.
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provides aordable transportation options
for students and sta. By promoting biking,
universities make it easy for students to adopt
active transportation habits that keep them
healthy long after graduation. And, just like a
great football team, amenities like biking are a
big draw for prospective students.
WHAT MAKES A BICYCLE
FRIENDLY UNIVERSITY?
Bicycle Friendly Universities promote cycling
in a variety of ways, from secure bike parking
to campus bike rides to bicycle education class-
es. To determine whether a campus makes the
grade, universities are evaluated in ve primary
areas: engineering, encouragement, education,
enforcement and evaluation/planning. Using
the ve Es, successful universities create a safe
and comfortable environment that encourages
cyclists of all skill levels to get out and ride for
transportation and recreation.
Any university college, college, community
college or other institution of higher education
with a physical campus is eligible to apply!
Y
Young adults want to ride more and drive less,
and, with dened borders and high-density
environments, university campuses are ideal
settings for a bicycle-friendly lifestyle. The
League created the Bicycle Friendly Univer-
sity (BFU) program to help institutions of
higher education capitalize on that unique
energy and make cycling a dening charac-
teristic of a healthy, sustainable and vibrant
campus culture.
WHY SHOULD MY UNIVERSITY
BECOME A BFU?
Its not rocket science: Increased bicycling
optimizes limited space, saves the univer-
sity money on parking and healthcare, and
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WHATS THE BENEFIT OF BEING A BFU?
By applying to become a BFU, your university
gains immediate access to the expertise and
insight of League sta every applicant
receives detailed feedback and assistance in
becoming more bicycle friendly. The League
recognizes deserving institutions at the
Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum level and
newly designated BFUs get two iconic BFU
road signs, an award certicate, an online pro-
le and recognition in a League-distributed
press release.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?

Turn to page 15 and ll out the BFU scorecard
to see if your university is ready to apply. All
applications must be submitted with the ap-
proval of the institutions administration. Ac-
cess the applications and additional resources
at bikeleague.org/university.
BFU PROFILE: DUKE UNIVERSITY
When Greg Hardy got to campus, he was interested in biking but Duke
University got him hooked. Biking is now part of my daily routine, he says.
I originally started commuting by bike one or two days a week, but the ease
of biking at Duke quickly increased my commuting.
The Bicycle Friendly University program played a big role in showing the elite
university where to start and how to progress in effectively encouraging
students like Hardy to ride. Applying for the BFU award helped us see what we
were already doing and get expert advice on how to make improvements and
set priorities, says Brian Williams, Dukes Transportation Demand Management
Coordinator.
Boise State University
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Based on the Leagues guidance, the university conducted an assessment of every
road on campus and installed bike lanes or sharrows on every single street. Duke
also added a bicycle coordinator to its staff, providing full-time support for new bike
projects, public awareness campaigns, more bike parking and a eet of loaner bikes.
Being able to say to the university, For less than the cost of one deck-parking
space, we were able to make all of the roads on campus more bicycle friendly was
huge, Williams says.
In 2012, Duke attained Bronze status and theyre not done yet.
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N
New businesses and potential residents arent
just looking at tax rates and school districts
anymore; they want to settle in a state with
rich outdoor opportunities and safe trans-
portation options for their entire family or
workforce. The Bicycle Friendly States pro-
gram helps government ocials and advocates
improve bicycling conditions and enhance
quality of life.
WHY SHOULD MY STATE BECOME
BICYCLE-FRIENDLY?
Bicycling means business: Bicycle tourism can
be a major driver of economic development,
and corporations can capitalize on reduced
healthcare costs. By making streets comfort-
able and accessible for cyclists, bicycle friendly
states increase the safety of all road users and
give residents transportation choices that save
money and improve health.
Shailen Bhatt (orange jersey),
Secretary of Transportation for the
state of Delaware, nishes a 14-mile ride to
South Dover Elementary School on Bike to
School Day (Photo: DelDOT)
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WHAT MAKES A BICYCLE
FRIENDLY STATE?
Bicycle friendly states help ensure cyclists
safety and access with policies and provi-
sions like safe passing laws, Complete Streets
policies, and signed bike routes. They make
it inviting to ride within their borders with
amenities like bike route maps, and educate
motorists and law enforcement about the
rights and responsibilities of bicyclists. In
a bicycle friendly state, policymakers invest
federal dollars on bicycle projects and account
for cyclist in planning the future of their
transportation system, too.
Wisconsin
WHAT IS THE BICYCLE FRIENDLY STATE
PROGRAM?
The Bicycle Friendly State program is the
annual ranking of all 50 states progress
toward promoting and embracing biking for
transportation and recreation. The program
focuses on all aspects of a states bicycle
programs, from advocacy groups to law
enforcement to the Department of Transpor-
tation. States receive an overall ranking, as
well as scores in ve categories: legislation
and enforcement; policies and programs;
infrastructure and funding; education and
encouragement; and evaluation and planning.
But the BFS program is more than a Report
Card; League sta provide specic feedback,
next steps and ongoing technical assistance.
Learn more at bikeleague.org/states.
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BFS PROFILE: DELAWARE
Delaware is small in size, but its making big strides for
bicyclists. In 2011, despite tough economic conditions, the
state legislature passed a landmark Walkable, Bikeable
Delaware measure that unlocked an unprecedented $5
million in new state funds for bicycle and pedestrian
projects.
Just a few months later, Governor Jack Markell announced
a statewide trails plan backed with $13 million for new
construction and updated facilities. In 2012, the state
directed another $480,000 in federal funds for a greenway
connecting two major cities.
But more important than money, Delaware boasts a strong
statewide advocacy organization, innovative secretaries in
the departments of Transportation and Natural Resources
and visionary leadership from the Governor.
Trails and bike routes are a part of a vision for a state
with interconnected communities, says Governor Markell,
an avid cyclist himself. We will continue working to make
Delaware an attractive place not only to bike, but to live
and work.
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ENGINEERING
Y N Does your community have a comprehensive,
connected and well-maintained bicycling network?
Y N Is bike parking readily available throughout the
community?
Y N Is there a Complete Streets ordinance or another policy
that mandates the accommodation of cyclists on all road
projects?

EDUCATION
Y N Is there a community-wide Safe routes to School
program that includes bicycling education?
Y N Are there bicycling education courses available
for adults in the community?
Y N Does your community educate motorists and cyclists
on their rights and responsibilities as road users?

ENCOURAGEMENT
Y N Does your community have an up-to-date bicycle map?
Y N Does the community celebrate bicycling during
national Bike month with community rides, Bike
to Work Day or media outreach?
Y N Does the community host any major community
cycling events or rides?
Y N Is there an active bicycle advocacy group in the
community?

COMMUNITY SCORECARD
ENFORCEMENT
Y N Do law enforcement ocers receive training on
the rights and responsibilities of all road users?
Y N Does your community have law enforcement or
other public safety ocers on bikes?
Y N Do local ordinances treat bicyclists equitably?

EVALUATION
Y N Is there a specic plan or program to reduce
cyclist/motor vehicle crashes?
Y N Does your community have a current
comprehensive bicycle plan?
Y N Is there a Bicycle advisory Committee that meets
regularly?
Y N Does your community have a bicycle program
manager?
SCORING (GIVE YOURSELF ONE POINT FOR EVERY YES.) Score 0-8: Your community
probably has some improvements to make before becoming a Bicycle Friendly Community apply now
to receive a free feedback report that will guide your community in becoming more bicycle-friendly!
Score 9-17: Youve already got a good start apply now and well tell you what youve done well and
how you can improve.
Start working with local ofcials to ll out the Bicycle Friendly Community application and contact us
to help you through the process at 202-822-1333 or [email protected].
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ENGINEERING
Y N Does your campus have a well-connected bicycling network?
Y N Is bike parking readily available throughout the campus?
Y N Is the college or university easily accessible by bike?

EDUCATION
Y N Does the school oer bicycle education classes for students and sta?

ENCOURAGEMENT
Y N Is there an active bicycle advocacy group at the college or university?
Y N Is there an on-campus bike center for rentals and repairs?

ENFORCEMENT
Y N Do campus safety/law enforcement ocers receive training on the
rights and responsibilities of all road users?
Y N Is there a program on campus to prevent bike theft?

EVALUATION
Y N Does your school have a current comprehensive bicycle plan?
Y N Does your college or university have a bicycle program manager?
SCORING (BUSINESS & UNIVERSITY) Score 0-4: Your community probably has some improvements to make before
becoming a Bicycle Friendly Business or University apply now to receive a free feedback report that will guide you in
becoming more bicycle-friendly! Score 5 and up: Youve already got a good start apply now and well tell you what youve
done well and how you can improve.
Start working with local ofcials to ll out the BFB or BFU application and contact us to help you through the process at
202-822-1333 or [email protected].
ENGINEERING
Y N The business provides secure and
convenient bike parking.
Y N Showers are on-site and are free for
employee use.

ENCOURAGEMENT
Y N There are incentives provided by the
business for employees to commute to
work by bike.
Y N The business works with local advocates
to improve bicycling conditions for the
community.
Y N The business supports a bicycle team/club.

EDUCATION
Y N The business oers bicycle education
classes.
Y N Bicycling education materials are available
to employees on a regular basis.

EVALUATION
Y N The business has a bike coordinator (full,
part-time, or volunteer) to help promote
cycling.
Y N The business sets and evaluates annual
goals to help increase ridership.
BUSINESS SCORECARD UNIVERSITY SCORECARD
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THE BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA
PROGRAM is generously sponsored
by Trek.
LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS
1612 K Street NW Suite 510
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: 202-822-1333
Fax: 202-822-1334
[email protected]
www.bikeleague.org
Copyright 2013, League of American
Wheelmen, Inc. dba League of
America Bicyclists, 1612 K Street NW,
Suite 510, Washington, DC 20006.