Today, the League of American Bicyclists recognized Des Moines with a BRONZE Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award, joining 350 visionary communities from across the country. With the announcement of 42 new and renewing BFCs today, Des Moines continues to be part of a leading group of communities, in all 50 states, that are transforming our neighborhoods.
“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,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “The growing number of leaders taking up bicycling as a way of solving many complex community problems is encouraging. We look forward to continuing to work with these communities as we move closer to our mission of creating a bicycle-friendly America for everyone.”
The BFC 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 350 BFCs in all 50 states.
Bicycle Friendly History
Des
Moines first applied for BFC status in 2006, and it failed to received any
designation. In 2008, Des Moines applied again and received honorable
mention. Finally in 2011, Des Moines received BRONZE. In March we wrote a blog post "Is Des Moines ready for a Bicycle-Friendly designation upgrade?" where we listed out all the great things that have happened in the last four years. Each recognition is good for four years. Let's hope we make SILVER in 2019! Check out the Report Card below for specific items to work on.
Recognition
The BRONZE BFC award recognizes Des Moines’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies.
"Des Moines continues to push forward as bicycle-friendly city with new bike lanes, trail connections and the most recent bikeability and walkability study." said Scott Sumpter of BIKEIOWA.com, "We had out sights set for the SILVER designation, but retaining the BRONZE status is still a WIN!"
The BFC 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. To apply or learn more about the BFC program, visit bikeleague.org/community.
PAST NEWS
Des Moines steps up to bronze Bike Friendly Community (Mar 2011)
Bicycle Friendly Communities
Des Moines - on it's way to be a Bicycle Friendly Community! (Dec 2007)
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 Corp. 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.