Cedar Rapids named a Bicycle Friendly Community.
A Bicycle Friendly Community encourages its residents to bicycle for fun, fitness, and transportation. Well-engineered bicycle facilities, bicycle safety education, bicycle-friendly policies, and active promotion of bicycling are all signs of a community that is bicycle friendly.
Communities that are bicycle friendly are seen as places with a high quality of life. This can translate into increased property values, business growth and increased tourism. More bicycling in communities results in reduced traffic demands, better air quality, and improved public health.
Communities who apply to the League of American Bicyclists for Bicycle Friendly Community status are judged in five categories referred to as the 5 E’s. These are Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation & Planning. A community must demonstrate achievements in each of the five categories to be considered for Bicycle Friendly Community status by the League of American Bicyclists. The City of Cedar Rapids submitted a Bicycle Friendly Community application and was awarded honorable mention status in October 2009. The City has since been named a Bicycle Friendly Community in May 2012 with a bronze level certification.
Email Traffic Engineering to request information about the Bicycle Friendly Community initiative or subscribe to The Bike Lane monthly email newsletter and receive updates on trails throughout the metro area.
