Steps to Make Your Community More Bicycle Friendly

The following is a summary adapted from bicyclefriendlycommunity.org
 
1.  Committing to becoming a Bicycle Friendly Community
 
Political commitment to change is critical. There are a number of actions a community can take that will have a dramatic impact on conditions for bicycling. The Action Plan for Bicycle Friendly Communitiescombines a list of ten steps with an equal number of policy reasons why local mayors or county commissioner chairpersons should make the commitment to becoming more bicycle friendly.
 
Present the Action Plan to your local governing officials and ask them to sign it as a demonstration of their commitment.

2.  Learning how to become more bicycle-friendly
 
The League of American Bicyclists recommends organizing a Bicycle Friendly Community Workshop in your community. Developed by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this four-hour workshop introduces community leaders to the basic elements of a bicycle friendly community.   The workshop includes a practical walkabout or bike ride and concludes with the adoption of a short- term action plan to get things moving.
 
League staff helped develop the workshop materials and train instructors around the country who are able to lead workshops. To find out more about the course and to locate an instructor near you, please contact the League.
 
3. Implementing the Action Plan
 
Wide arrays of technical resources are provided at http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/tech.htm. To help narrow down the choices of what to do to actually implement your action plan to become a bicycle-friendly community, the League suggest the following:

1. See what other communities have done
2. Train your traffic engineers to better accommodate bicyclists
3. Start using technical manuals to build a better bicycle infrastructure
4. Put on a promotional or safety event during National Bike Month
5. Organize a Bike Work Day event
6. Start developing a more detailed bike plan

4. Participate in the Bicycle-Friendly Community Campaign

The Bicycle Friendly Community Campaign is an awards program that recognizes municipalities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle-Friendly Community provides safe accommodation for cycling and encourages its residents to bicycle for transportation. The League of American Bicyclists administers the Bicycle Friendly Community Campaign.