9 of Top 10 National Universities Now BFUs

Today, on Campus Sustainability Day, the League of American Bicyclists announced 33 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Universities (BFU) in 20 states. With this new round, 9 of the to 10 colleges and universities in the country, according to the 2014 U.S. News & World Report ranking, are Bicycle Friendly Universities.

These institutions join a cutting-edge group of colleges and universities from across the United States transforming their campuses and the communities around them. There are now a total of 100 BFUs in 37 states and Washington, D.C.

• Click here for the list of this round’s awardees
• Click here for the list of ALL current Bicycle Friendly Universities

“Campus leaders are recognizing the immediate and long-term impact that a vibrant bike culture can create for their institutions,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “We applaud this new round of colleges and universities for investing in a more sustainable future for the country and a healthier lifestyle for their staff, students and surrounding communities.”

Some of the awardees this round include… 

Harvard University ascended to Gold. The university launched a new campaign this spring focused on education, encouragement and enforcement strategies to remind motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to be alert. Police distributed safety information, free helmets, memberships to Boston’s bike-share system and more during the week-long campaign. Given the success, Harvard plans to replicate the campaign this fall, as well.

“Bicycling is an integral component of Harvard’s transportation system and the University’s commitment to building a healthy, more sustainable campus. We’re honored to be recognized as a Gold-level Bicyclee Friendly University, as it highlights our continuous goal of developing and sustaining bicycling initiatives on campus.” — Mark Rabinsky, Associate Director of CommuterChoice, TDM, & Sustainability

Yale University moved up from Bronze to Silver.

“Elevating Yale’s Bicycle Friendly University status from Bronze to Silver was a strategy in our Sustainability Strategic Plan, and we felt we improved our offerings for bicyclists by — among other things — bringing a 50-bicycle bikeshare to our campus, and increasing bicycle parking capacity. In New Haven, we’re extremely fortunate to have a staff in city government dedicated to improving the city’s roadways and bike parking options to make biking a safer and friendlier mode of transportation for university affiliates and local residents alike.” –– Holly Parker, Director of Yale’s Sustainable Transportation Systems

Montgomery County Community College, in Pottstown, Pa., became a Bronze-level BFU — and one of the first community colleges to join the growing ranks of BFUs.

“As an institution that focuses heavily on sustainability and green initiatives, becoming a Bicycle Friendly University is yet another step in the right direction. We’re so excited that we have been awarded this recognition after three years of improvements and adding additional bike-related services around campus. Being honored two years in a row with the League’s Honorable Mention designation, we were determined to be recognized as a leader and advocate for biking at the community-college level. Having a campus with a 100% commuting population, it was a challenge to get to this point, but we focused on specific areas of improvement and are extremely proud to be recognized for our advocacy. Looking forward, we hope to increase biking awareness through local partnerships, improve upon our community infrastructure to urge bike commuting to campus, and become a role model for similar community colleges across the country.” — Gregg Heimer, MCCC Bike Advocacy Committee Chair.

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is a new Silver-level BFU.

“UNC-Chapel Hill is honored to be recognized by the League for our efforts to make the campus a great place for bicyclists. Many people in our community have been working cooperatively for many years to enhance mobility and improve safety for all modes of travel, so this recognition is a tip of the hat to them. Although we still have much work to do, our campus is committed to growing sustainably and responsibly and providing real travel options for all members of our community.” — Than Austin, Associate Director of UNC-CH Department of Transportation and Parking.

University of Iowa is another new Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University.

“We are thrilled with our Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University designation and would like to thank the League for their support and recognition. The feedback report from our first application was very helpful and we used it as a framework for improvement. The Silver designation reflects the hard work of the students, staff and faculty on our Bicycle Advisory Committee and definitely bolsters the visibility and importance of the bicycling culture at the University of Iowa.” — Liz Christiansen, Director of UI’s Office of Sustainability. 

To apply or learn more about the free BFU program, visit the League online at www.bikeleague.org/university.