BFA Resources

Where We Ride 2016: Analysis of 1-year 2016 American Community Survey Data

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.

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 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.

Each Bicycle Friendly America program is built around five categories — known as the Five E’s — that are consistent in making great places for bicycling. These categories are Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation & Planning. View more here.

Find resources for each BFA program by going to that program's FAQ page or find all of our BFA resources here.

• Find the population, population density, median income, age distribution and racial breakdown of your community
• Find local League Cycling Instructors, League affiliated clubs, bike shops and organizations
• Find the journey to work data of your community on the Census website. Search for topic “B08301” for your community to find mode share for bicycling, walking and transit. Use the most recent table. Divide total number of cyclists (“Bicycle”) by total number of commuters (“Total”) and multiply by 100. Repeat for pedestrians (“Walked”) and transit users (“Public transportation [excluding taxicab]”). To establish the percentage of bicycle commuters who are women, search for topic “B08006” for your community. Use the most recent table. Divide the total number of female cyclists (“Female: Bicycle”) by the total number of cyclists (“Total: Bicycle”) and multiply by 100.

• Action Plan for Bicycle Friendly Communities charter

• USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx's Action Plan on Bike and Pedestrian Safety
• USDOT's Safer People, Safer Streets - Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Initiative
• FHWA' 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 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
• Information on the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act
• MAP-21 Find it, Fund it tool from Advocacy Advance
• Report on state and local funding of bicycle facilities
• FHWA report: Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding, Design and Environmental Review: Addressing Common Misconceptions
• 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)
• Research Article: Evidence on Why Bicycle-Friendly Cities Are Safer for All Road Users
• Economic Impacts of Bicycling in the US (infographic and report)
• Smart Growth America's report: Safer Streets, Stronger Economies
• Michigan DOT's Grand Rapid's Case Study - Community and Economic Benefits of Bicycling
• A collection of studies and other resources on the economic benefits of bicycling
• Improving Conditions for Bicycling and Walking - A best practices report listing outstanding projects that communities have undertaken
• Strategies to promote bicycling
• The health risks and benefits of cycling in urban environments compared with car use: health impact assessment study
• 10 lessons from the world's great biking cities
• Bloomington, IN, Platinum Bicycle Task Force Final Report: Breaking Away: Journey to Platinum
• 17 infographics about bicycling, including How Bikes Can Save Us and Bicycling in the United States
• Infographic on American's Support for Funding Sidewalks and Bike Lanes
• Rural and Small Urban Design Guide
• European Cycling Lexicon for bicycling terms in 27 languages

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
• Boston's Complete Streets Program
• Smart Growth America's Best Complete Streets Policies of 2015
• Complete Streets in Rural Contexts

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)
• NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
• NACTO Urban Street Design Guide
• Model Design Manual for Living Streets
• FHWA Planning Guidance for Bicycle Transportation Facilities
• Washington County Bicycle Facility Design Toolkit
• Scottsdale, AZ Road Streetscapes Design Guidelines

Target/Low Design Speed

• NACTO on design speed and speed reduction measures
• WHO's Speed Management Road Safety Manual for Decision-makers and Practicioners
• Fehr&Peer's Traffic Calming resource page
• Blog: Slowing Traffic to a Target Speed: How to make our Streets Safer

Training for Bicycle Program Coordinators, Engineers and Planners

• Training opportunities related to trails and greenways
• FHWA University Course on Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation
• Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
• National Highway Institute
• Pro Walk Pro Bike Conference (held every 2 years)

Liability 

• National Cooperative Highway Research Program’s Liability Aspects of Bikeway

Bicycle Parking

• APBP Bike Parking Guidelines, 2nd Edition
• A review of bike parking considerations and costs
• Guidelines for Artistic Bicycle Rack
• Streetfilm about on-street bike parking
• Model bicycle parking ordinance
• Dero's Bike Parking Guide
• Making a Place for Bicycles fact sheet
• Philadelphia, Pa., bicycle parking ordinance
• Portland, OR bike parking ordinance (starting page 266-22) and bike parking design and placement guidelines
• Washington, DC's legislation that allows tenants to request retrofitting of existing buildings
• Mobility Lab's 10 Rules for Construction of Good Bicycle Parking

Bike Sharing Programs 

• Bike Share in the United States (NACTO)
• North American Bikeshare Association (NABSA) Sample Documents (Sample bikeshare regulations, agreements, etc.)
• 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
• How to improve transit accommodation of bikes in the U.S. 
• 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
• Matrix showing 15 ways to protect a bike lane (including installation costs, protection level, perceived safety rating, and durability information).
• Study: Evaluating the Safety Effects of Bicycle Lanes in New York City
• Study of Contra-Flow Bike Lanes in Cambridge, MA
• Traffic Calming Resources
• Santa Monica's Woonerf/Shared Space model project
• Bicycle Boulevard Planning & Design Guidebook
• Best Practices in Bicycle Way-finding signage in the Washington Region
• Study of Bicycle Signal Heads in Davis, Ca
• Report on  Bicycle Detection
• Bicycle Detection and Signalization
• 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
• Information on structure and design considerations when constructing underpasses and overpasses for bicycles
• Integrating Rail-Trails into Statewide and Metropolitan Long Range Plan
• Trailbuilding Resources
• Philadelphia - Wissahickon Trail
• San Francisco- Mt Sutro Open Space
• Tuscon- Fantasy Island at Saguaro National Park
• NYC - Highbridge Bike Park
• Seattle - Colonnade Mountain Bike Skills Park
• Boulder - Valmont Bike Park
• National Mountain Bike Patrol Resources Communications

Bicycle Facility Maintenance

• FHWA's Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for Enhanced Safety
• Iowa DOT's trail maintenance recommendations
• Seattle Spot improvement program
• How Communities are Paying to Maintain Trails, Bike Lanes, and Sidewalks

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

Adult Cyclist and Motorist Education

• A database cataloging motorist educational materials
• The League’s Ride Better 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
• League Cycling Instructor seminar
• Marin County Bicycle Coalition’s Share the Road and Share the Path Campaigns
  
• Spanish PSA poster and video in Los Angeles
• Florida's Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow Education Campaigns

Professional Driver Education

• TMi Municipal Bus Driver Training DVD Collection
• San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Frequent Driver Training

Children and Youth Cycling Education 

• 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
• Earn-a-Bike program
• High School NORCAL Bike League

Bike Ambassador Program

• Chicago program
• Philadelphia program
• Montana Program
• Fort Collins Program
• Washington, DC 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 Buddy Program in Spokane, WA
• San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s Employer Bike Commuter Incentive Guide
• Bicycle Commuter Mentor Program in Charlotte, NC

Bike Challenges

• The National Bike Challenge
• Active Transportation Alliance’s Bike Commuter Challenge

Women Biking Resources

• The League's Women Bike program
• Report: Engaging More Women in Bicycling
• Women Bike Grants and Toolkits
• Women Bike Webinars and Webcasts
• How to Host a Women's Bicycling Forum
• National Journal article: There's a Biking Gender Gap. And It Has A Real Economic Impact.

Family Biking

• Family Biking Guide (in English, Spanish and Chinese) by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
• Portland's Family Biking Guide
• Kids and Bicycling
• Kidical Mass - Kids are Traffic Too
• Family Biking Ages and Stages
• Gear Guide
• Child Seat Reviews

Events

• Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Community Bike Events
• Implementation & Advocacy Manual for Summer Streets/Ciclovia/Sunday Parkways
• California Bicycle Coalition Report on Open Streets events
• Commuter Breakfasts in Portland, OR
• Signature Cycling Events
• Trail Construction or Maintenance Day

Other Encouragement Groups, Activities, Services, etc.

• Example of a  Local tourism board promotion and promoting local cycling and tourism
• 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

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

Law Enforcement Training & Awareness

• The Case for Bicycle Law Enforcement
• Developing partnerships with law enforcement
• Law Enforcement's Roll Call Video: “Enforcing Law for Bicyclists”
• Law Enforcement Bicycle Association
• International Police Mountain Bike Association
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration law enforcement training 

Bike Safety

• Targeting cyclist and motorist infractions
• Helmet giveaways
• Is a helmet worth it? How brain injuries affect different body functions
• Light giveaways
• How to build an EMS bike unit
• The League’s position paper on Speed Limits and Enforcement

Bike Theft Prevention

• Bicycle Theft, Problem Oriented Guide for Police
• Bait bike program

Laws & Regulations

• Bicycle laws by state
• The League’s Cyclists’ Equity Statement

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
• Bicycle Compatibility Index
• Mineta Transportation Institute Research Report on Low-Stress Bicycling and Network Connectivity
• Use the bikeability checklist for evaluating the bikeability of a community
• FHA Guidebook on Methods to Estimate Non-Motorized Travel
• FHWA's research report: Evaluation of Safety, Design, and Operation of Shared-Use Paths

Staffing

• Your Guide to forming a Bicycle Advisory Committee by MassBike
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee best practices
• Report of importance of bicycle & pedestrian staff
• Find your state bicycle coordinator
• Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals

Bike Counts

• 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
• Automatic bicycle counters in Arlington, VA
• Using GPS data to replace travel diaries

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

Bicycle Master Planning and Implementation

• A list of exemplary bicycle and pedestrian plans
• Creating a Roadmap for Producing & Implementing a Bicycle Master Plan 
Recreational trail planning
• Multnomah County, OR's Diversity Outreach Workshops to train staff in creatively expanding outreach to cultural and minority communities
• Seattle, WA's Neighborhood Planning Outreach and Engagement Program to engage residents in ethnically diverse and historically underrepresented neighborhoods
• Strategies for implementing simple, low-cost improvements
• 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 report on trip reduction ordinances
• 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

Economic Impact Study

• Portland, OR Bicycling Economic Impact Study
• Virginia Creeper Trail Economic Impact Case Study
• FHWA's White Paper: Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Nonmotorized Transportation

Equity

• Portland State University's Bicycle Master Plan Equity Report

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 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

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, use Advocacy Advance’s interactive Find it, Fund it tool to search for eligible funding programs by bike/ped project type or review the same information as a PDF here.

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 and an online tool 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 on to larger projects to create economies of scale that results in reduced costs and reduced impacts to 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 pedbikeinfo.org/planning/funding_government.cfm.

Resources and Support

• Advocacy Advance offers several tools, resources, and workshops to help advocates and agency staff maximize eligible funding programs.