Carrboro Honored with Bicycle-Friendly Community Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 26, 2023
Contact: Patrick J. McCormick
Communications Director
League of American Bicyclists
Phone: 202-822-1333; Fax: 202-822-1334
Email: [email protected]

Washington, DC— Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists, will present the League’s prestigious Bicycle Friendly Community award to Carrboro, North Carolina at the Board of Aldermen meeting on June 8 at 7:30 pm. The meeting will be held in Carrboro Town Hall at 301 W. Main Street. Carrboro has earned the bronze-level of the Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) awards, announced in May during National Bike Month.

Carrboro was first recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community in 2001. Carrboro was the first community in North Carolina and is one of 38 communities in the nation that have been granted the BFC designation to recognize their commitment to providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists, and for their efforts to encourage bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation. Visit www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org to learn more about the awards process and view the recently published highlights on the award-winning communities, as well as the results of the League’s recent International BFC Symposium.

Clarke said, "I am delighted to honor Carrboro and our other BFC award winners. Given the choice, people will and do ride their bikes. Bicycle Friendly Communities are special places, with a heightened sense of community spirit and an uncommon devotion to improving their quality of life. With political commitment, focused investment in infrastructure and policies, and broad community involvement, cities and towns can become better places not only to bicycle but also to live. The rewards for residents are huge: greater opportunities to lead active lifestyles; improved air quality, and increased travel choices."

League staff and reviewers consider several factors before granting a community BFC status, including:

• The physical environment for bicycling -- on-street facilities, trails, parking, etc.
• Education programs to promote a "share the road" ethic among bicyclists and drivers
• Promotional initiatives to persuade people to ride or ride more often
• Enforcement of traffic laws for both motorists and bicyclists
• Future plans and evaluation techniques to improve conditions further

Among the factors the League’s staff and reviewers cited in their decision to honor Carrboro is that the town takes good care of its existing bicycling facilities and enforces its traffic laws as they impact cyclists. Bike lanes are swept regularly to remove glass, sand, litter, and fallen leaves. Signs and pavement markings are inspected regularly and kept in good condition. Prohibitions on parking in bike lanes are enforced.

The Town of Carrboro has made an ongoing commitment to bicycle facility planning since the mid-1970s. Over the past 25 years, the town has utilized its bonding authority to develop bike lanes and bike paths, has worked cooperatively to include bike lanes in all state road improvement projects, and has amended its street standards to include bike lanes as a requirement on all collector roads. The Town now has bike lanes along 12 miles of streets. According to the 2000 Census, 5.2 percent of residents in Carrboro bike to work.

Ensuring that children can bike and walk to all schools is a major focus of Carrboro's existing bicycle policy. The Town staff is currently reviewing plans for a new high school to ensure that students and faculty will be able to access the school safely by bicycle. In a critical effort to improve bike safety among children, a "Basics of Bicycling" course is offered to fourth and fifth graders at Carrboro elementary schools.

As part of Carrboro’s promotion of National Bike Month, employees in the Town's planning department have access to Town-owned bicycles for use in making site visits and carrying out other duties.

Boulder, Colorado was granted the League's gold-level BFC award. Silver-level award winners include Gainesville, Florida; Olympia, Washington; and Tucson, AZ. Bronze level distinctions were awarded to Ashland, Oregon; Auburn, Alabama; Longmont, Colorado; Mountain View, California; Portage, Michigan; Rockville, Maryland; as well as Carrboro. An Honorable Mention was given to Milpitas, California. The League has yet to bestow its highest-level platinum award to any communities.

The League's Bicycle Friendly Community Campaign is a national grassroots effort to increase the number of trips made by bike, promote physical fitness, and help make communities more livable. The Campaign works in the most effective way possible-town by town, city by city-to encourage bicycling and achieve a bicycle-friendly America. The Campaign is supported by generous grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Bikes Belong Coalition.

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The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's 50 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org and www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org . May is National Bike Month TM ; visit www.bikemonth.com for safe cycling tips, promotional ideas, and events in your area.