Becoming a Bicycle Friendly Community℠

Bicycling is more than a practical, cost-effective solution to many municipal challenges. It’s an opportunity to make your community a vibrant destination for residents and visitors — a place where people don’t just live and work, but thrive.

Since the creation of the Bicycle Friendly Community program in 1995, the League has analyzed more than 1500 applications by communities. Currently, there are 487 recognized Bicycle Friendly Communities and nearly 50 others that have earned Honorable Mentions in the last year.

• FIND BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES NEAR YOU
• READ ABOUT THE LATEST ROUND OF BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES (updated 5/19/21)
• RESOURCES FOR BUILDING A BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY
• FAQs and Resources about the League's Announcement on Removing 'Enforcement' from the 5E Framework

The Bicycle Friendly Community program provides a roadmap to improving conditions for bicycling and guidance to help make your community's vision for a better, bikeable community a reality. The infographic below provides a snapshot of key metrics from Bicycle Friendly Communities in 2003. Similar information is available on all recent report cards.

A BFC welcomes bicyclists by providing safe accommodations for bicycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. Making bicycling safe and convenient are keys to improving public health, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and improving quality of life. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE A VIDEO ABOUT PITTSBURGH'S BICYCLING TRANSFORMATION»

Testimonials

“It built recognition of what we have done, which helps getting funding for the very long list of what we still have to do. Having the honor actually made it easier for us to give a frank assessment of where we lag and help build political support for future phases.”

—Wayne Feiden

Director of Planning and Development, Northampton, MA

“We knew this recognition would be important to our civic and business leaders, and that the metrics set out in the League’s application would be important measures for us.”

—Allan Crawford

Bike Long Beach

Active People, Healthy Nation is an HHS service mark. Use of Active People, Healthy Nation^SM does not imply review, approval, or endorsement by HHS.