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Resources
- Log in to access the online BFC application here
- Review the BFC Program FAQs here
- Preview the 2025 BFC application here (For informational purposes only -- applications must be submitted through the online form)
- Find local League Cycling Instructors, League-affiliated clubs, bike shops, and organizations
- Existing awardees: Find your current award level and BFC Report Card on the BFA Awards Map
- Guide to the (2021 and older) Bicycle Friendly Community Report Card
- Bicycle Account Guidelines - This guideline document is meant to help communities, businesses, and universities learn about evaluation tools that they can adapt to their organization to measure bicycle-related improvements, including public surveys.
- BFA Brochure - The BFA Brochure provides a high-level overview of the Bicycle Friendly America programs and the impact they have had. It is an ideal primer for the community, business, or university considering participating in a Bicycle Friendly America program.
- View the Action Plan for Bicycle Friendly Communities charter and download the editable Word document here.
- Guide for using policy to build Bicycle Friendly Communities
- IBPI's Guide to Creating Walkable and Bikeable Communities
- FHWA Works: How the Federal Highway Administration Makes Walking and Bicycling Safer (Video)
- Information on the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act
- USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx's Action Plan on Bike and Pedestrian Safety
- USDOT's Safer People, Safer Streets - Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Initiative
- FHWA's memorandum to support taking a flexible approach to pedestrian and bicycle facility design. The memorandum recognizes the AASHTO Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities, AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, ITE Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares document, and the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide as resources to inform the design of safe, comfortable, and context-sensitive pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
- FHWA report: Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding, Design and Environmental Review: Addressing Common Misconceptions
General Information
- Infographic on American's Support for Funding Sidewalks and Bike Lanes
- Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Report: Active Transportation Transforms America. The Case for Increased Public Investment in Walking and Biking Connectivity
- European Cycling Lexicon for bicycling terms in 27 languages
Economic Benefits of Bicycling
- 2021 League Report: Bicycling Benefits Businesses (Blog)
- Economic and Health Benefits of Bicycling Northwest Arkansas (2018 Report by BBC Research & Consulting)
- A collection of studies and other resources on the economic benefits of bicycling
- Economic Impacts of Bicycling in the US (report)
- Smart Growth America's report: Safer Streets, Stronger Economies
- Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business
- A study on the Economic Value of Active Transportation
- A study of the economic impact on local business when adding bike lanes to a commercial area
- A study of business and user perceptions of bike sharing in Washington DC
- NYDOT: The Economic Benefits of Sustainable Streets
- Portland/OR Bicycling Economic Impact Studies: Bicycling for recreation contributed $1.5 billion to Oregon's economy in 2019 and Portland State Study Finds Bike Lanes Provide Positive Economic Impact
- Virginia Creeper Trail Economic Impact Case Study
- FHWA's White Paper: Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Nonmotorized Transportation
Health Benefits of Bicycling
- Research Article: Evidence on Why Bicycle-Friendly Cities Are Safer for All Road Users
- The health risks and benefits of cycling in urban environments compared with car use: health impact assessment study
- In the Northeast, Improved Walking and Bicycling Infrastructure Could Save Hundreds of Lives, Billions of Dollars
Case Studies and BFC Spotlights
- Michigan DOT's Grand Rapid's Case Study - Community and Economic Benefits of Bicycling
- Improving Conditions for Bicycling and Walking - A best practices report listing outstanding projects that communities have undertaken
- 10 lessons from the world's great biking cities
- Bloomington, IN, Platinum Bicycle Task Force Final Report: Breaking Away: Journey to Platinum
Costs
- Building a new roadway for motor vehicles can cost millions of dollars to construct, and many of the pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure facilities are extremely low-cost in comparison. Use this database and this resource document to review up-to-date estimates of infrastructure costs of pedestrian and bicycle treatments from states and cities across the country.
General Resources
- Advocacy Advance report: How Communities are Paying for Innovative On-street Bicycle Infrastructure
- Advocacy Advance report: How Communities are Paying to Maintain Trails, Bike Lanes, and Sidewalks
Federal Funding
- Since 1992 bicycle and pedestrian projects have been eligible for federal transportation funding. To learn more about what federal funds are available for bicycle projects, FHWA provides a table of eligible funding programs by bike/ped project type
- FTA Program & Bicycle Related Funding Opportunities
State Funding
- Biking and walking dollars aren't only available from the federal government. States can also have their own revenue sources that can be used to fund active transportation. Use this report to explore your state’s funding sources for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
Local Funding
- Local governments can also create their own revenue streams to improve conditions for bicycling and walking. Three common approaches include: special bond issues, dedications of a portion of local sales taxes or a voter-approved sales tax increase, and use of the annual capital improvement budgets of Public Works and/or Parks agencies. Bicycle facility improvements can also be tagged onto larger projects to create economies of scale that result in reduced costs and reduced impacts on traffic, businesses, and residents. For example, if there is an existing road project, it is usually cheaper to add bike lanes and sidewalks to the project than to construct them separately. To learn more about public funding of bicycle infrastructure improvements, visit http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/planning/funding_government.cfm.
Resources and Support
- Our page of resources for Advocates offers several tools, resources, and workshops to help advocates and agency staff maximize eligible funding programs.
Equity & Racial Justice Resources for Bike Advocates and BFCs
- League of American Bicyclists Equity Reports and Resources
- Race Forward Racial Justice Trainings
- Book (for charge): Bicycle/Race. Transportation, Culture, & Resistance by Dr. Adonia Lugo
- Fighting For Equitable Transportation: Why It Matters
- Toole Design Group: The New E's of Transportation
- Bridging the Divide: A Transportation Plan for the 21st Century
- Reconnecting to the New Majority: Webinar on the 2021 Report by the Bike League "to update our understanding of demographic trends in bicycling, identify areas of focus to ensure that all people — particularly Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) — have access to safe bicycling, and further progress actions that promote equity in bicycling."
- Principles For Equitable Public Outreach & Engagement During Covid-19 and Beyond
- Resources from the Transportation Equity Caucus
- Active Transportation and Equity: Key Challenges and Opportunities from the Field
- Tamika Butler Consulting & Training Services
- List: Recommended Reading About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Resources from The Untokening
- The Untokening: Mobility Justice and COVID-19
- The Untokening: Equity and Mobility Justice
- Equiticity Racial Equity Statement of Principle
- Attention Transportation Advocates: Race is a Part of the Work
- Bicycling Magazine: Why we Must Talk About Race
- Grist: "Biking While Black" is a thing, too
- Anti-Racist Resources for White Cyclists
Bicycling/Transportation Equity Research & Reports
- An Examination of Active Commuting by Race/Ethnicity, Income and Location
- ite journal Report: Fear: A Silent Barrier to Bicycling in Black and Hispanic Communities
- Making Bicycling Equitable: Lessons from Sociocultural Research
- Disparities in Bicycle Commuting: Could Bike Lane Investment Widen the Gap?
- “Are We Building Biking Solidarity:” Gendered, Racial, and Spatial Barriers to Bicycling in Portland, Oregon
- Sustainable Cycling For All? Race and Gender-Based Bicycling Inequalities in Portland, Oregon: Sustainable Cycling For All
Equitable Infrastructure
- BUILDING EQUITY: Race, ethnicity, class, and protected bike lanes: An idea book for fairer cities
- Equity of Access to Bicycle Infrastructure: GIS methods for investigating the equity of access to bike infrastructure
- Biking practices and preferences in a lower income, primarily minority neighborhood: Learning what residents want
- Not all crashes are created equal: Associations between the built environment and disparities in bicycle collisions
- Women and Biking: A Case Study on the Use of San Francisco Bike Lanes
Accessible Infrastructure
- Accessible Design for the Blind
- Wheels for Wellbeing: Guide to Inclusive Cycling
- Walk San Francisco: Getting to the Curb
- Video from Rooted in Rights, supported by NACTO: Disabled People Ride Bikes (and Trikes, and Tandems and Recumbents)!
Anti-Displacement & Gentrification Strategies
- Bike facilities often follow income gains, not the other way around
- Sharing the Benefits of a Greening City
- Inclusionary Trail Planning Toolkit
- Portland, Oregon Parks and Nature Racial Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Action Plan
- Data-Smart City Solutions: Where is Gentrification Happening in Your City?
- LISC Community Benefits Agreements Toolkit
- Community Benefits Agreements Law Center
Bike Share Access & Equity
- Better Bikeshare Partnership
- Breaking Barriers to Bike Share: Insights on Equity
- Equitable bike share systems: Removing barriers to access
- Engaging Youth in Urban Biking and Bike Share Toolkit
- Who is Biking for? Urban Bikeshare Networks’ Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Disparities in Bikeshare Access, and a Way Forward
- 6 Ways to Correct Bike Share’s Social Equity Problem
Equity & Accountability in Enforcement
- Center for Policing Equity: a national nonprofit organization eliminating bias in policing by measuring it
- Create Fair and Effective Policing Practices from The Opportunity Agenda: Transforming the System
- A Toolkit for Promoting Justice in Policing from PolicyLink and The Center for Popular Democracy
- Vera Institute of Justice: Ending Police Violence and Ensuring Accountability
- Campaign Zero: Police Use of Force Policy Analysis
- Changelab Solutions: Equitable Enforcement to Achieve Health Equity
- The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL): Defund the Police Resources and Messaging Guidance
- Black Cyclists Are Stopped More Often Than Whites, Police Data Shows
- In Chicago, cyclists in Black neighborhoods are over-policed and under-protected
- Technical report on bicycle infractions in Seattle (2003-2020): Methodology and preliminary findings on racial disparities
- ProPublica: Chicago’s “Race-Neutral” Traffic Cameras Ticket Black and Latino Drivers the Most
Equity in Staffing & Hiring
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Recruitment, Hiring and Retention from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network
Equity in Evaluation & Planning
- Portland State University's Bicycle Master Plan Equity Report
- Planning While Black: A Powerful Call for Racial Equity by Tamika Butler
- Advancing Transportation Equity through Inclusive Travel Survey Data Methods (Portland State University TREC)
- Minneapolis Bike Equity Report. A Tool for Reviewing the Minneapolis Master Bicycle Plan with a Health Equity Lens
- Pursuing Equity in Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning
Inclusive and Accessible Bike Education
Rapid Response & Implementation
Equitable Infrastructure
- BUILDING EQUITY: Race, ethnicity, class, and protected bike lanes: An idea book for fairer cities
- Equity of Access to Bicycle Infrastructure: GIS methods for investigating the equity of access to bike infrastructure
Complete Streets and Routine Accommodation
- Complete Streets resources, reports & guidance from Smart Growth America
- Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center Complete Streets Resources
- American Planning Association report on Complete Streets Best Policy and Implementation Practice
- Smart Growth America's Best Complete Streets Policies of 2018
- Complete Streets in Rural Contexts
- Cambridge, MA Cycling Safety Ordinance
Bicycle Facility and Streetscaping Design Standards
- Design Resource Index - Identifies the specific location of information in key national design manuals for various pedestrian and bicycle design treatments
- AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, 4th Edition
- MUTCD Traffic Controls for Bicycle Facilities (Also see FWHA's Bicycle Facilities and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices webpage)
- FHWA Bikeway Selection Guide
- Pedestrian & Bicyclist Safety Information Search Tool
- NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
- NACTO Urban Street Design Guide
- NACTO Designing for All Ages & Abilities
- Model Design Manual for Living Streets
- FHWA Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning, Program, and Project Development
- FHWA Small Town and Rural Design Guide: Facilities for Biking and Walking
- Kittelson & Associates: NCHRP Research Report: Guide for Roundabouts
- Washington County Bicycle Facility Design Toolkit
- Scottsdale, AZ Road Streetscapes Design Guidelines
Network Connectivity
- Guidebook for Measuring Multimodal Network Connectivity, find PDF here
- Measuring Multimodal Network Connectivity Pilot Grant Program Final Report, find PDF here
- FHWA reports on bicycle networks: Delivering Safe, Comfortable, and Connected Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks - A Review of International Practices and Case Studies in Delivering Safe, Comfortable, and Connected Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks
Target/Low Design Speed
- NACTO City Limits: Setting Safe Speed Limits on Urban Streets
- FHWA: Self-Enforcing Roadways: A Guidance Report
- NACTO on design speed and speed reduction measures
- WHO's Speed Management Road Safety Manual for Decision-makers and Practicioners
- Blog: Slowing Traffic to a Target Speed: How to make our Streets Safer
- World Resources Institute: Low-Speed Zone Guide
- Philadelphia Automated Speed Enforcement Pilot Program - 2021 Annual Report
Training for Bicycle Program Coordinators, Engineers and Planners
- Training opportunities related to trails and greenways
- Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
- National Highway Institute
- Pro Walk Pro Bike Conference (held every 2 years)
Liability
Bicycle Parking
- APBP Bike Parking Guidelines
- A review of bike parking considerations and costs
- Guidelines for Artistic Bicycle Rack
- Model bicycle parking ordinance
- Dero's Bike Parking Guide
- Making a Place for Bicycles fact sheet
- Portland, OR bike parking ordinance (starting page 266-22) and bike parking design and placement guidelines
- Mobility Lab's 10 Rules for Construction of Good Bicycle Parking
- League Webinar: Two Hours Or More, Long term Bike Parking For Sure
End of Trip Facilities
Bike Sharing Programs
- Bike Share in the United States (NACTO)
- North American Bikeshare Association Resources Overview and Advocacy Toolkit
- Better Bikeshare Partnership
- Engaging Youth in Urban Biking and Bike Share Toolkit from the Better Bikeshare Partnership
Bikes and Transit
- First Mile, Last Mile: How Federal Transit Funds can improve access to public transit for people who walk and bike
- FTA Manual on Pedestrian and Bicycle Connections to Transit
- Connected Multimodal Networks
- Information from the FHWA regarding bicycles connection to transit
On-Street Bike Facilities and Treatments
- FHA Bicycle Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System
- FHWA's guide to signing, striping and marking bike lanes on streets
- DOT FHWA's Road Diet Informational Guide
- DOT FHWA's Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide
- Study: Evaluating the Safety Effects of Bicycle Lanes in New York City
- Study of Contra-Flow Bike Lanes in Cambridge, MA
- Bicycle Boulevard Planning & Design Guidebook
- Barre-Montpelier Road Diet video
Off-Road Trails and Other Recreational Facilities
- The Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
- The Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Trail Building Toolkit
- Trailbuilding Resources
- Philadelphia - Wissahickon Trail
- San Francisco- Mt Sutro Open Space
- Tucson- Fantasy Island at Saguaro National Park
- NYC - Highbridge Bike Park
- Seattle - Colonnade Mountain Bike Skills Park
- Boulder - Valmont Bike Park
Bicycle Facility Maintenance
- FHWA's Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety
- Iowa DOT's statewide network and trail maintenance recommendations
- Seattle Spot improvement program
- How Communities are Paying to Maintain Trails, Bike Lanes, and Sidewalks
- Winter Bike Lane Maintenance
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Maintenance Program in San Francisco County
Land Use and Urban Form
- Building in Healthy Infill
- Planetizen's DIY Form-Based Code: An Introduction (28 min video, free)
- Understanding Smart Growth Savings - Evaluating Economic Savings and Benefits of Compact Development, and How They Are Misrepresented By Critics
- Attracting Infill Development in Distressed Communities - 30 strategies to help local governments overcome obstacles and encourage infill development in distressed communities
Resources for Rural Communities
- FHWA Small Town and Rural Design Guide: Facilities for Biking and Walking
- Complete Streets in Rural Contexts
- Rural Transportation.org
- National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Rural Bicycle & Pedestrian Resources
- NADO Rural and Small Urban Bicycle and Pedestrian Initiatives (2014-2020)
- NADO Rural Transportation Technical Assistance Reports (March 2019)
ADULT CYCLIST AND MOTORIST EDUCATION
- The League's Bicycle Friendly Driver Program
- The League’s Smart Cycling Tips and Presentations
- The League's Smart Cycling Quick Guide
- Ticket diversion: Bicyclist traffic education and enforcement programs in Arizona
- Share the Road public service announcements
- OCTA's humorous Bike Smart, Bike Safe - 3 Feet for Safety Act PSA video
- Bicycle Education en Español (the option to switch to Spanish is in the upper right-hand corner of the page)
- League Cycling Instructor seminar
- Marin County Bicycle Coalition’s Share the Road and Share the Path Campaigns
- Florida's Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow Education Campaigns
- Using rewards, This App Saves Lives is out to make roads safer for cyclists and distracted driving a habit of the past. Students and employees at BFUs can find TASL in the iOS App Store or go to this link: apple.co/3kQAISu to download directly. Use referral ID ”LEAGUEBFU” at sign-up.
PROFESSIONAL DRIVER EDUCATION
- San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Frequent Driver Training
CHILDREN AND YOUTH CYCLING EDUCATION
- Project Bike Tech: in-school STEAM and CTE education for High Schools
- Recommendations for Safe Routes to School Programming
- Safe Routes to School Guide
- Bike Texas' SafeCyclist Curriculum and Certification designed for fourth and fifth grade
- FHWA's Bicycle Safer Journey
- Youth bike clubs – After-school Bike Education
- Bike Rodeo Manual
- Kidical Mass DC's ABC of Family Biking class
- Community Cycling Center and Summer recreation programs
- Sheriff’s Safety Town in Shreveport, LA
- High School NORCAL Bike League
BIKE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Bike Month, Bike to Work Day and Bike to School Day
- Guides and materials for Bike Month and Bike to Work Day Bike to School Day
Bike Commuting
- An Employer Guide to Bike Commuting
- Create-a-Commuter program at the Community Cycling Center in Portland, OR
Bike Challenges
- Drive Less, Bike More
- Active Transportation Alliance’s Bike Commuter Challenge
Women Biking Resources
- Report: Engaging More Women in Bicycling
- Women Bike Grants and Toolkits
- Women Bike Webinars and Webcasts
- How to Host a Women's Bicycling Forum
- The Atlantic article: There's a Biking Gender Gap. And It Has A Real Economic Impact.
- Black Girls Do Bike
Youth Engagement & Family Biking
- Trips for Kids
- Family Biking Guide (in English, Spanish and Chinese) by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
- Portland's Family Biking Guide
- Kids and Bicycling Resource example for Maine
- Kidical Mass DC, Kidical Mass Chicago, Kidical Mass Portland
- Family Biking Ages and Stages
- Gear Guide
- Child Seat Reviews
- Discover Traffic Gardens
- Using Safe Routes to School to Combat the Threat of Violence
Events
- Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Community Bike Events
- Implementation & Advocacy Manual for Summer Streets/Ciclovia/Sunday Parkways (in Spanish)
- Open Streets Event Toolkit
- Bike Events in Portland, OR
Other Encouragement Groups, Activities, Services, etc.
- The League’s guide on how to start a bike club or advocacy organization
- League of Michigan Bicyclists guide on how to start a bike club
- Friends of the Trail Groups
- National Mountain Bike Patrol
- Bicycle Co-ops
- An example of the benefits of a community bike shop
- Find specialty bicycle retailers
- Recycle-a-Bicycle program
- Bucks for Bikes program
- Local Trips for Kids chapters
- Black Girls Do Bike
Maps
- The top online bike route mapping websites
- Pittsburgh’s award-winning bike commuter map
- Aspen & Pitkin County trails map
- Colorado's interactive trail map
Evaluating and Prioritizing
- NCHRP's Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Along Existing Roads - ActiveTrans Priority Tool Guidebook
- League of Illinois Bicyclists' Bicycle Level of Service Calculator
- OTREC Report: Improving Regional Travel Demand Models for Bicycling
- Mineta Transportation Institute Research Report on Low-Stress Bicycling and Network Connectivity
- Use the bikeability checklist for evaluating the bikeability of a community
Staffing
- Your Guide to forming a Bicycle Advisory Committee by MassBike
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee best practices
- Find your state bicycle coordinator
- Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Recruitment, Hiring and Retention from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network
Surveys & Bike Counts
- Advancing Transportation Equity through Inclusive Travel Survey Data Methods (Portland State University TREC)
- National Bicycle & Pedestrian Documentation Project (NBPD)
- See the Final Report from the BPAC of Alexandria, VA, for an example of how the NBPD project is used to benefit a community
- Bike Count Resources from Eco-Counter
- Eco-Counter COVID-19 Dashboard: Understand the impact of the pandemic on cycling
- Automatic bicycle counters in Arlington, VA
- Strava Metro for Cities
Bike Counts & Data Collection Webinars
- How to Make Your Bike Data Count (July 20, 2021) - Download Slides
- Doing More with Bike Data (October 28, 2020)
- Collecting and Applying Bike Data: Current and Future Trends (September 25, 2019)
Safety
- FHWA's BIKESAFE: Bicycle Countermeasure Selection System
- Bicycle crashes and safety facts
- New York's Vision Zero campaign and Transportation Alternatives' analysis
- STI's Vision Zero: Adopting a Target of Zero for Road Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries
- Seattle's Vision Zero plan
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool (PBCAT)
- Intersection Magic – Crash Records Analysis
- Synthesis of Methods for Estimating Pedestrian and Bicyclist Exposure to Risk at Areawide Levels and on Specific Transportation Facilities
- Researchers Examine Race Factor In Car Crashes Involving Pedestrians
- 2020 St. Louis City Crash Report
Bicycle Master Planning and Implementation
- Seattle, WA's Neighborhood Planning Outreach and Engagement Program to engage residents in ethnically diverse and historically underrepresented neighborhoods
- Video produced by Arkansas State University explaining the bike planning process
- A case study on Houten, Netherlands for the design of a bike-centered suburb
Transportation Demand Management Ordinances and Strategies
- Trip reduction ordinance database
- EPA resource on Estimating Emission Reductions from Travel Efficiency Strategies
- 7 Best Practices in Transportation Demand Management
- An analysis of Portland's Smart Trips Welcome Program
- Comparison of Arlington, VA's and Washington, DC's Transportation Demand Management programs
- FHWA report: Developing a Regional Approach to Transportation Demand Management and Nonmotorized Transportation: Best Practice Case Studies
Public Outreach
Equity in Planning
- Portland State University's Bicycle Master Plan Equity Report
- Planning While Black: A Powerful Call for Racial Equity by Tamika Butler
- Advancing Transportation Equity through Inclusive Travel Survey Data Methods (Portland State University TREC)
- Sharing the Benefits of a Greening City
- Inclusionary Trail Planning Toolkit
- Oregon Metro's Strategic plan to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion
- Oregon Metro's Equity Baseline Report 2015
Read our full statement: Removing Enforcement from the '5 E' Framework as well as our FAQs and additional Resources about this change.
As of October 5, 2020, the League has officially and permanently removed ‘Enforcement’ as one of the pillars of the Bicycle Friendly America program’s ‘5 E’ framework.
As applicants and advocates consider how to apply these changes in their own community, we invite participants to consider these resources on equitable solutions and alternatives to enforcement:
- Center for Policing Equity: a national nonprofit organization eliminating bias in policing by measuring it
- Create Fair and Effective Policing Practices from The Opportunity Agenda: Transforming the System
- A Toolkit for Promoting Justice in Policing from PolicyLink and The Center for Popular Democracy
- Vera Institute of Justice: Ending Police Violence and Ensuring Accountability
- Campaign Zero: Police Use of Force Policy Analysis
- Our Streets Minneapolis: Why we don't Support Traffic Enforcement
- Transportation Alternatives: The Case for Self-Enforcing Streets
- Changelab Solutions: Equitable Enforcement to Achieve Health Equity
Read how other national organizations are making similar changes:
- Safe Routes to School National Partnership: Dropping Enforcement from the Safe Routes to School 6 E’s Framework
- Vision Zero Network: Active for Racial Justice & Just Mobility More Resources for Bicycle Friendly Communities
Equity & Accountability in Enforcement
- Center for Policing Equity: a national nonprofit organization eliminating bias in policing by measuring it
- Create Fair and Effective Policing Practices from The Opportunity Agenda: Transforming the System
- A Toolkit for Promoting Justice in Policing from PolicyLink and The Center for Popular Democracy
- Vera Institute of Justice: Ending Police Violence and Ensuring Accountability
- Campaign Zero: Police Use of Force Policy Analysis
- Changelab Solutions: Equitable Enforcement to Achieve Health Equity
- 2021 National Bike Summit Keynote: Arrested Mobility - Exploring Impacts of Over-policing on BIPOC
- ProPublica: Chicago’s “Race-Neutral” Traffic Cameras Ticket Black and Latino Drivers the Most
Alternatives to Enforcement
- The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL): Defund the Police Resources and Messaging Guidance
- Our Streets Minneapolis: Why we don't Support Traffic Enforcement
- Transportation Alternatives: The Case for Self-Enforcing Streets
- Atlanta Bicycle Coalition: Petition to Remove Police Enforcement from Vision Zero
- Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia: We Are Dropping Police Enforcement From Vision Zero
- Walk Bike Berkeley: De-policing transportation to create safe streets
- Philadelphia Automated Speed Enforcement Pilot Program - 2021 Annual Report
- Bicycle Coalition of Philadelphia Blog on Automated Speed Enforcement Pilot Program May 2021
Bike Theft Prevention
Laws & Regulations
General Resources:
- UN Press Release: Bicycles as driver of post-COVID-19 ‘green recovery’
- PBIC: Local Actions to Support Walking and Cycling During Social Distancing Dataset
- The Untokening: Mobility Justice and COVID-19
Biking & COVID-19 in the News
- CityLab: In a Global Health Emergency, the Bicycle Shines (3/25/20)
- WRI: Biking Provides a Critical Lifeline During the Coronavirus Crisis (4/17/20)
- The Guardian: Cycling 'explosion': coronavirus fuels surge in US bike ridership (5/13/20)
- BBC: Will Covid-19 make urban cycling more inclusive?
Rapid Response & Implementation
Remote Education & Encouragement Resources
- Be a Bike Ambassador During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Back to School 2020: Recommendations for Safe Routes to School Programming
- COVID-19 Resources from Safe Routes National Partnership
- National Bike Challenge
- Smart Cycling videos
- BikeMN: Walk! Bike! Fun! At Home Distance Learning Resources
Outreach and Engagement
Youth/Schools Engagement
- Safe Routes Partnership Report: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: COVID-19’s Impact on Youth Physical Activity and Safe Routes to School.
- Safe Routes Partnership Guide: Back to School 2020 Programming Guide
- Discover Traffic Gardens: Fun at Home
Bike Counts during the Pandemic
- Eco-Counter's COVID-19 Dashboard: Understand the impact of the pandemic on cycling
- Temporary and pop-up bike-ped infrastructure: measure impact and make it count (from Eco-Counter)
- COVID-19: Using count data to understand changing bike and pedestrian trends. (from Eco-Counter)
- COVID-19: the evolution of bicycle and pedestrian activity following containment measures. (from Eco-Counter)
- StreetLight Data COVID-19 VMT Monitor
Policy & Advocacy
Checklist For Current & Aspiring Bicycle Friendly Communities
For communities that are just getting started or looking for ideas on how to improve their status before even applying to the BFC program, here are some suggestions for current and aspiring Bicycle Friendly Communities on specific actions you can take now to strengthen your next BFC application and improve your standing in the BFC program.
Review the above BFC Resources for ideas and inspiration, and familiarize yourself with the BFC application process and general award criteria.
If you have questions, review the BFC FAQs page or contact us at [email protected].
Find these helpful resources for forming Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) or Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
The most useful bike parking inventories should include the quantity, quality and type of bike parking. You can also use this opportunity to audit the usage of bike parking in your community and to identify places that need new bike parking - where bicyclists are locking their bikes to trees, sign posts, or fences.
For more tips on improving your community's bike parking, watch our Webinar co-hosted with Dero.
5. Encourage local employers to apply for the Bicycle Friendly Business designation -- and have the city/town set a good example by applying for BFB status as an employer
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Encourage other local employers and businesses to also apply for the Bicycle Friendly Business designation to help foster a more positive biking culture in your community and to build up programs and services to support bike commuters.
Communities can apply for the BFB designation as an employer -- apply for City Hall or any other local municipal building, campus, or department. Pro-tip: Encourage your state DOT, County, and neighboring jurisdictions to do the same for their municipal buildings!
Download this printer-friendly BFB Overview PDF document to help promote the BFB program in your community.
6. Host a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) seminar or sponsor one or more local residents, bike advocates, and/or city employees to attend one
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Host an LCI seminar or sponsor one or more local residents, bike advocates, and/or city employees to attend an existing LCI seminar elsewhere.
Use our Local Resources Map to find out if your community or neighboring areas already have League Cycling Instructors.
This includes on-road bike lanes, cycle tracks, neighborhood greenways, and off-road paths and trails. If you don’t have a GIS or engineering data staff in your planning or engineering department, work with a GIS student or class at a nearby college or university.
Use resources like the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, Eco-Counter, Strava Metro, and the Transportation Research and Education Center.
See the Evaluation & Planning section above for more bike count resources and recent webinar recordings.
The 2023 National Bike Summit will take place Sunday, March 26 - Wednesday, March 29, 2023, both online and in person in Washington, D.C.
The Summit offers a great opportunity to learn and network with other Bicycle Friendly Communities and bike advocates from across the country.
- Open Streets Event
- Traffic Garden or Bicycling Rodeo for kids and families
- Bike to School Day
- Bike to Work Day
- Winter Bike to Work Day
- Car-Free Day
- Ride with the Mayor
- Family ride
- Costume ride or holiday ride
Tools for Promoting the BFA Program in Your Community
The BFC, BFB, BFU, and BFS programs are described in one booklet.
The digital BFA Booklet is designed to give advocates, elected officials, business leaders, students, and university administrators a comprehensive look at the BFA programs. A visual and written tour of the four programs, the small booklet also includes a brief self-assessment tool to evaluate the bicycle-friendliness of your community, business, or university.
The booklet is available for download and print. Print your desired quantities and place a local organization sticker on the back of the booklet.
Promoting the BFA programs on your website is a terrific way of highlighting the success stories in your area (i.e. awarded businesses, communities, and universities). Using your website as a connector for all your local or regional BFA awardees makes for a more robust bicycle-friendly network.
Hosting a BFA presentation is a cost effective and efficient way of distributing information about any of the four programs. This could be done onsite or through a webinar by a local advocate, League staff, or both. Organization of a BFA presentation is easy and is a great way to bring together various local partners and build momentum.
Download an overview of the BFA program or a presentation specific to BFB, BFC, or BFU below or request a copy in PowerPoint format, email [email protected]. The presentations are each about 10-15 minutes in length with the script and can be presented at your convenience.
BFA Overview Slides and Script (updated 10/6/20)
BFB Slides and Script (updated 8/16/22)
BFC Slides and Script (updated 10/6/20)
BFU Slides and Script
Organize a webinar for your region with a League representative by contacting [email protected].
BFC
- Application Preview in Word (.docx) - 2024 version
- Attributes of a BFC (PDF)
BFB
- Application Preview in PDF - 2024 version
- BFB Program Overview (PDF)
- Attributes of a BFB (PDF)
BFU
- Application Preview in PDF - 2024 version
- BFU General Scoring Guidelines (PDF)
Bicycle Account Guidelines - This guideline document is meant to help communities, businesses, and universities learn about evaluation tools that they can adapt to their organization to measure bicycle-related improvements, including public surveys.
The New Movement: Bike Equity Today - This report looks at efforts through the United States to make bicycle advocacy and related groups reflect the diverse population of people who bike and address the specific needs of diverse populations through programming and outreach.
BFA Guide - This Guide looks at actions by leading Bicycle Friendly Communities, Businesses and Universities in 2012-13. Use it for inspiration and guidance as your community, business, or university takes action to make biking better.
BFA Blueprint - This blueprint looks specifically at the Bicycle Friendly Community program and describes actions that communities have taken across the 5 Es.