Longmont To Receive Bicycle-Friendly Community Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 16, 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 Longmont, Colorado as part of the city’s June 23 celebration of Bike to Work Day. The presentation will take place at 7:45 am at the Longmont commuter station at 408 Third Avenue.

A total of 38 communities around the nation have been granted the League’s Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award. Longmont received the bronze-level of the designation. The League has yet to bestow its highest platinum-level BFC award, but three other Colorado cities—Boulder (gold), Denver (silver), and Fort Collins (silver)—have been among the winners of the distinction. 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 Longmont 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

The League and its BFC reviewers were impressed with a number of Longmont’s achievements and its continuing efforts to make bicycling better. Longmont boasts 95 miles of bike lanes and 52 miles of shared-use paths; 39% of its arterial streets have bike lanes. The City has recently added on-street bike lanes on Airport Road, Nelson Road and Pike Road, as well as to bridges over the St. Vrain River at Price Road and Lefthand Creek east of Main Street. In addition, bike lanes have been included in the new underpasses at Ninth Avenue at the Oligarchy Ditch, Main Street at Lefthand Creek and Pike Road at Lefthand Creek.

Longmont requires that five percent of the total space available for parking at downtown buildings be reserved for bicycles. Inverted-U bike racks must be visible, secure, and located within close proximity to the main entrances of buildings. The City also offers a bicycle parking credit as an incentive for developers to provide bicycle parking in excess of the required amount in lieu of parking spaces for motor vehicles.

Longmont’s website offers an online form through which residents can submit concerns or requests relating to bicycling. The City of Longmont Youth Services provides an annual "Ride the Rockies" event that educates young riders on long-distance racing.

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. Visit the League's website for more information or to support the League and the BFC program. May is National Bike Month™; visit www.bikemonth.com for safe cycling tips, promotional ideas, and events in your area.