Portland To Receive Bicycle Friendly Community Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2022
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 Portland, Oregon City Commissioner Jim Francesconi on Thursday, July 22, Portland’s "Everybody Bikes Day". Three other Oregon cities (Ashland, Beaverton, and Corvallis) have received the League’s Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) distinction, and their achievements will also be highlighted during the event. The presentation will take place at 5:15pm at the Oregon Historical Society, located at 1200 SW Park in Portland.

Portland will be honored with the League’s coveted gold-level BFC award, as was Corvallis. Just two other American cities (Boulder, Colo. and Palo Alto, Calif.) have been honored with the gold-level distinction. Though the League has yet to grant its highest platinum-level BFC award, "Portland was a very strong contender to be the country's first platinum community," said Clarke, adding, "Portland is willing to innovate, to do stuff first and see whether it works”. Visit www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org to learn more about the awards process and view highlights on award-winning communities.

On "Everybody Bikes Day," a celebration of bicycling that kicks off Portland’s annual Rose Pedal festival, people on bikes receive free or discounted admission to local cultural and entertainment activities, including the Portland Art Museum and a Portland Beavers baseball game. See http://www.providence.org/oregon/events/rose_pedal/default.htm for details.

Clarke said, "I am delighted to honor Portland and our other BFCs in Oregon. Oregon cities have long been ahead of the curve, and we continue to look to them for leadership. They show that, with community support, political commitment, and focused investment in infrastructure and policies, communities can become better places not only to bicycle, but also to live. Portland has been blessed with years of strong leadership and planning by the city's Bicycle Program and the efforts of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (http://www.bta4bikes.org), a great organization that works to make bicycling better throughout Oregon.”

Portland met and exceeded most of the criteria and other factors that League staff and reviewers consider before granting a community BFC status, which include the following:

• 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 reviewers were very impressed with Portland for its extensive and rapid provision of bike facilities throughout the city—and its 130% increase in bicycle trips over the last ten years, with increased bike usage by kids, adults, commuters and recreational riders. Catherine Ciarlo, Executive Director of Bicycle Transportation Alliance, said, "Portland has some amazing facilities—the Eastbank Esplanade, the Springwater Corridor, and on- AND off-street options on Terwilliger Boulevard, to name a few. We are excited to see the facilities continue to expand, so that instead of a few isolated projects, we have a connected network that all types of cyclists can really use to get from one place to another, feeling like they are welcome and respected users of the city's whole transportation system." The city also provides excellent maintenance of bikeway facilities.

In Portland, community involvement in bicycling issues is very high and the city's Bicycle Program managers and staff have been both responsive and proactive, providing leadership and focused planning to meet the needs of cyclists. With the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (http://www.bta4bikes.org), the city has a politically active, well-organized group of cyclists and citizens who work closely with local government to support improvements for bicycling.

The Portland Bridge Pedal, the nation’s second largest community bike ride, enjoyed by over 15,000 cyclists every year, will take place on August 8. To promote commuting by bike and help increase economic opportunities for low-income adults, the Community Cycling Center’s “Create A Commuter” program provides approved participants with a free bike, light, locks, fenders, toolkits, pump, raingear, and a bike rack along with a 5-hour bike safety class. See http://communitycyclingcenter.org for details.

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 ( www.rwjf.org ) and Bikes Belong Coalition ( www.bikesbelong.org ).

For more information on National Bike Month, visit www.bikemonth.com for cycling tips, event listings and more. 

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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 .