FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2023
Contact: Patrick J. McCormick
Communication Director
Phone: 202-822-1333; Fax: 202-822-1334
Email: [email protected]

(WASHINGTON, DC)—The League of American Bicyclists has named Schaumburg, Illinois a Bicycle-Friendly Community, following a detailed audit of the city’s efforts to provide safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists and to encourage residents to bike for transportation and recreation. Through policy and design, Schaumburg has focused on increasing opportunities for physical activity and is a model in America’s efforts to reduce obesity.

Schaumburg was one of just six communities in the United States to receive the bronze award, the fourth highest level of the League’s Bicycle-Friendly Community national awards program. The League honored a total of fourteen communities with the Bicycle-Friendly Community award, but did not bestow the highest-level platinum award to any communities. Just two cities, Palo Alto, CA and Corvallis, OR received the second highest gold award; six were granted the silver level prize.

Schaumburg has a long history of promoting bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation. The Bikeway plan, adopted by the Village in 1999 affirms bicycling as a commuting option and stresses the importance of education, enforcement, and encouragement in improving the cycling environment in Schaumburg. The Village has instituted an Adopt-a-Bikepath program, similar to the adopt-a-highway programs, through which local businesses and organizations help keep area bike paths clean. Schaumburg is also reaching out to surrounding communities to ensure that bicycling facilities provide seamless connections between residential areas and business districts and schools.

The League of American Bicyclists considered several factors in evaluating Schaumburg and other communities that applied for Bicycle-Friendly Community status. Reviewers examined the traffic engineering facilities and policies and bicycling promotion efforts of the communities. The cities’ enforcement of traffic laws on motorists and cyclists, their efforts to educate both groups on traffic safety, and their processes to plan for and evaluate policies and facilities for cycling also were considered.

Elissa Margolin, Executive Director of the League, said, “The League is delighted to honor Schaumburg with the Bicycle-Friendly Community designation. Thanks to its long-term commitment to better bicycling, people in Schaumburg benefit every day from reduced traffic, better air quality, and improved public health. These benefits translate to increased quality of life, higher property values, and heightened community spirit.”

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 liveable. The Campaign works in the most effective way possible—town by town, city by city—to encourage bicycling and achieve a bicycle-friendly America.

Freda Brown, co-founder of the Schaumburg Bicycle Club will present the award at the July 8 Village Board Meeting. The ceremony starts at 8:00 PM in the Village Hall.