Bicycle Friendly Community Designation Given to the City of Steamboat Springs 

Washington, DC—September 26, 2007—The League of American Bicyclists is awarding the City of Steamboat Springs a prestigious silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation. The League has now honored 70 communities across the nation with the award.

The Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award recognizes Steamboat Springs’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling and its practice of making focused investment in bicycling programs and facilities. The BFC judges were particularly impressed with Steamboat’s promotion of cycling during an event-filled summer and the community’s commitment to providing facilities which support cycling for commuters and students.

Steamboat Springs was granted the silver-level BFC award 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. The application process is rigorous; just 70 of the 174 applicants for the BFC award since 2003 have been granted the designation. Visit www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org to learn more about the process and the other communities the League has honored.

Andy Clarke, executive director of the League, said, “The League is delighted to recognize Steamboat Springs for its efforts to welcome bicyclists and make bicycling safer and more enjoyable. We applaud Steamboat Springs and our other BFC winners for their willingness to invest over the long-term in creating a better, more livable environment for their citizens.”

Steamboat Springs remains a star in Colorado. The BFC’s reviewers were impressed with the city’s work with local schools to promote bicycle safety, the active Routt County Riders bicycle club acting as the City’s bicycle advisory body, the new bike lanes and bike routes being established by the City, the splendid low traffic-volume Routt County road, and the overall enthusiasm for bicycling in the community. Steamboat Springs is a community that welcomes bicycle riders!

League staff and reviewers consider several factors before granting a community BFC status, including:
• 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’s BFC program has become a catalyst for positive change in communities across the country. “We encourage Steamboat Springs to continue its steady work to improve conditions for bicycling and try to achieve a gold-level in a year or two,” Clarke said. “None of the communities we've designated have been satisfied with the level of their award. They all want to do better; they want to do more to encourage bicycling, and they want to move up to the next level. We are confident Steamboat Springs can do just that.”

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 Trek Bicycle Corporation (www.trekbikes.com) and Bikes Belong (www.bikesbelong.org).

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 57 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.

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