Two New Jersey towns – Hoboken and Ocean City – recently received a “Bronze” level Bicycle Friendly Community award from the League of American Bicyclists. Last year, West Windsor was the first community in New Jersey to receive such an honor.
The League of American Bicyclists is a non-profit group dedicated to promoting the rights of cyclists. The Bicycle Friendly Community Program (BFC) provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle Friendly Community welcomes cyclists by providing safe accommodation for cycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. View an overview presentation of the program.
The League named 28 new and 19 renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities during the 2012 Fall BFC awards. Read the press release for more information.
Explore this interactive map to see current BFCs by state and to find out what these communities are doing to promote cycling. Click here for a complete list of Bicycle Friendly Communities. To see the list of communities that received Honorable Mentions in Spring/Fall 2012, click here.
Wondering if your community is bike-friendly? Fill out this questionnaire and find out.
At the state level, New Jersey has fared well with the League of American Bicyclists in recent years. Last year New Jersey ranked fifth, and this year it ranked seventh most bike-friendly state in the union – and second best in the Northeast!
In addition to states and communities, the League’s Bicycle Friendly program also evaluates colleges, businesses, and leaders. The program is a great resource for groups to measure current conditions, to get recognition for their work and to receive hands-on assistance to create even more safe and welcoming places for cycling.
To be included in the next review cycle and possibly join those communities earning the award, submit the Bicycle Friendly Community application by February 26, 2013. There are two application deadlines per year, one in February and one in July.
If you’d like help submitting an application for your bike friendly business, college, or community, email us at rhersh@gmtma.org, we’re happy to help.