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December 13, 2017

Bicycle Friendly Communities: Fall 2017 Awards

The League of American Bicyclists has announced their Fall 2017 Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) winners. We are excited to share that Champaign moved up to Silver status and Washington is new at a Bronze level. Illinois now has 16 Bicycle Friendly Communities around the state!

The application process for becoming a BFC or securing a higher level designation is rigorous and successful communities have a mixture of determined citizen advocates, visionary leaders, and responsive staff each doing their parts to build a Bicycle Friendly Community for all.

“Ride Illinois applauds our state’s Bicycle Friendly Communities for their well-deserved awards!” said Ride Illinois Chief Programs Officer Ed Barsotti. “Through road project reviews, BFC application assistance, and other collaborative work, we have played a role in each of these communities.”

Links to all BFC report cards follow as well as highlights of Ride Illinois’ involvement with the current winners:

Champaign – Moved Up To Silver Status – Report Card
Ride Illinois played a role by providing detailed road project input for several IDOT bridge replacements and resurfacing projects. We have long been a resource for staff, recently on trail intersection design, shoulder rumble strips and more. Champaign was also a pioneer in using our BikeSafetyQuiz.com as part of a bicycle ticket diversion and educational program. Ride Illinois board member Cynthia Hoyle has been heavily involved in Champaign’s efforts.

Washington – Achieved Bronze Status – Report Card
Washington has been working to achieve BFC status for at least 2-3 year, with our board member Jim Coffey serving as chair of the bike committee.  Ride Illinois played an advisor role, including attending meetings to educate the committee about Bicycle Friendly Community award strategies and bike planning in general, and being a resource for their questions.

Click here to view all of the Illinois BFC report cards.