Evanston achieves official status as Bicycle Friendly Community

Thanks to the efforts of many officials and residents, Evanston has been designated a Bicycle Friendly Community (Silver Level) by the League of American Bicyclists. Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, the city aldermen, Director of Public Works Suzette Robinson and her engineering team, the city sustainability and planning staff, and Evanston biking advocates all played a part in achieving this impressive distinction.

The Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) program recognizes communities that prioritize quality of life, sustainability and transportation needs. Municipalities with the BFC designation are known to be great places to bike, live, work and visit. The League of American Bicyclists has awarded three U.S. cities its Platinum level designation, 17 cities Gold level, and now Evanston joins a group of 47 communities around the country with Silver level BFC status.

The League has noted the following aspects of Evanston’s efforts to build a world-class bicycle friendly community:

From Evanston’s bicycle commuters who ride to save on automobile and fuel expenses, the recreational bicyclist who enjoys viewing the neighborhoods and scenery, to the environmentally conscious rider who wishes to ease urban congestion and combat climate change, Evanston is a bike city at heart.

Evanston has invested in signage, bike lanes, trails through parks, bike parking and linkage of trails with surrounding communities to make the streets accessible and safe for all types of cyclists. Evanston also employs road diets and area wide traffic calming to make the roads safer for all users.

Evanston is also known for its ongoing community engagement and understanding of the needs and desires of the community as they evolve. Evanston city staff designed and constructed a protected bike lane after hearing that more residents want to enjoy their community by bike but are still hesitant to ride in the street next to moving vehicle traffic.

Congrats to the Evanston Environment Board, Citizen's Greener Evanston's Transportation Task Force, School District 65 Ad-Hoc Green Committee, Walk N Roll Evanston, the Evanston Bicycle Club and the Ten27 Bicycle Shop.

The Bicycle Friendly Community Award will be presented to the Evanston City Council on Monday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m.