1. Louisville: Getting to GoldLouisville: Getting to Gold
Andy Clarke
President
League of American Bicyclists
2. What is the BFCWhat is the BFC
Program?Program?
• Started in 1996 withStarted in 1996 with
simple criteriasimple criteria
• Revised in 2002Revised in 2002
• 4 Award levels4 Award levels
– PlatinumPlatinum
– GoldGold
– SilverSilver
– BronzeBronze
3. Designated CommunitiesDesignated Communities
• PlatinumPlatinum
– Boulder, COBoulder, CO
– Davis, CADavis, CA
– Portland, ORPortland, OR
• GoldGold
– Corvallis, ORCorvallis, OR
– Fort Collins, COFort Collins, CO
– Jackson, WYJackson, WY
– Madison, WIMadison, WI
– Palo Alto, CAPalo Alto, CA
– San Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
– Stanford, CAStanford, CA
– Tucson region, AZTucson region, AZ
4. Designated CommunitiesDesignated Communities
– Olympia, WAOlympia, WA
– Presidio, CAPresidio, CA
– San Luis Obispo, CASan Luis Obispo, CA
– Santa Barbara, CASanta Barbara, CA
– Santa Cruz, CASanta Cruz, CA
– Scottsdale, AZScottsdale, AZ
– Stanford, CAStanford, CA
– Steamboat Springs, COSteamboat Springs, CO
– Tempe, AZTempe, AZ
– Wood River Valley, IDWood River Valley, ID
• SilverSilver
– Arlington, VAArlington, VA
– Austin, TXAustin, TX
– Bellingham, WABellingham, WA
– Chicago, ILChicago, IL
– Colorado Springs, COColorado Springs, CO
– Durango, CODurango, CO
– Eugene, OREugene, OR
– Folsom, CAFolsom, CA
– Gainesville, FLGainesville, FL
– Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis, MN
5. Bronze CommunitiesBronze Communities
Ada County, IDAda County, ID
Albuquerque, NMAlbuquerque, NM
Ann Arbor, MIAnn Arbor, MI
Arcata, CAArcata, CA
Arvada, COArvada, CO
Ashland, ORAshland, OR
Auburn, ALAuburn, AL
Bainbridge Island, WABainbridge Island, WA
Beaverton, ORBeaverton, OR
Bend, ORBend, OR
Billings, MTBillings, MT
Bloomington, INBloomington, IN
Boca Raton, FLBoca Raton, FL
Brentwood, CABrentwood, CA
Brunswick, MEBrunswick, ME
Burlington, VTBurlington, VT
Carmel, INCarmel, IN
Carrboro, NCCarrboro, NC
Cary, NCCary, NC
Chandler, AZChandler, AZ
Charlotte, NCCharlotte, NC
Charlottesville, VACharlottesville, VA
Chattanooga, TNChattanooga, TN
Chico, CAChico, CA
Claremont, CAClaremont, CA
Coeur d’Alene, IDCoeur d’Alene, ID
Columbia, SCColumbia, SC
Denver, CODenver, CO
Flagstaff, AZFlagstaff, AZ
Gilbert, AZGilbert, AZ
LaCrosse, WILaCrosse, WI
Lawrence, KSLawrence, KS
Lexington, KYLexington, KY
Liberty Lake, WALiberty Lake, WA
Longmont, COLongmont, CO
Louisville, KYLouisville, KY
Mesa, AZMesa, AZ
Milwaukee, WIMilwaukee, WI
Mountain View, CAMountain View, CA
New York, NYNew York, NY
Oceanside, CAOceanside, CA
Orlando, FLOrlando, FL
Oxford, MSOxford, MS
Park City, UTPark City, UT
Port Townsend, WAPort Townsend, WA
Presidio, CAPresidio, CA
Roseville, CARoseville, CA
Salt Lake City, UTSalt Lake City, UT
San Jose, CASan Jose, CA
Santa Clarita, CASanta Clarita, CA
Salem, ORSalem, OR
Schaumburg, ILSchaumburg, IL
Shawnee, KSShawnee, KS
South Sioux City, NESouth Sioux City, NE
Spartanburg, SCSpartanburg, SC
Sunnyvale, CASunnyvale, CA
Thousand Oaks, CAThousand Oaks, CA
Vancouver, WAVancouver, WA
Washington, DCWashington, DC
6. What Do BFC’s Have?What Do BFC’s Have?
• Commitment to actionCommitment to action
– Action PlanAction Plan
• Targets, measuresTargets, measures
• Network of allNetwork of all
facilitiesfacilities
– Complete StreetsComplete Streets
policypolicy
• Breadth of programsBreadth of programs
• People riding bikes!People riding bikes!
8. Bicycle Friendly StatesBicycle Friendly States
• Ranked by 70+ criteriaRanked by 70+ criteria
– LegislationLegislation
– PoliciesPolicies
– Funding levelsFunding levels
– Crash and use dataCrash and use data
– Education and encouragement programsEducation and encouragement programs
• Application sent to State Bike/PedApplication sent to State Bike/Ped
coordinator in DOTcoordinator in DOT
– Questions also about recreation, healthQuestions also about recreation, health
9. Best States for Bicycling?Best States for Bicycling?
Top rankedTop ranked
• WashingtonWashington
• WisconsinWisconsin
• ArizonaArizona
• OregonOregon
• MinnesotaMinnesota
Less well rankedLess well ranked
• West VirginiaWest Virginia
• GeorgiaGeorgia
• AlabamaAlabama
• MississippiMississippi
• North DakotaNorth Dakota
10. Barriers to ProgressBarriers to Progress
Is it…Is it…
• Technical knowledge, examples?Technical knowledge, examples?
• Funding?Funding?
• Geography, demography?Geography, demography?
• Good reasons for getting moreGood reasons for getting more
people walking and bicycling?people walking and bicycling?
21. So What’s Holding us Back?So What’s Holding us Back?
• Lack of belief…a credibility gap?Lack of belief…a credibility gap?
• Lack of focus and infightingLack of focus and infighting
among the bike/ped world?among the bike/ped world?
• Major institutional barriers at theMajor institutional barriers at the
regional, state and Federal level?regional, state and Federal level?
• Low priority?Low priority?
• Small plans?Small plans?
The League has run a BFC program for several years – at first with relatively easy criteria for communities to meet. In 2002 the program was overhauled and a new, more rigorous application and review process was initiated. One important change was the creation of a four tiered award system – created with the intent of encouraging communities to continually improve.
Designated communities at the top three levels shown here. Each year we have two rounds of applications: deadlines are set for March and August, with awards announced in May and October.
Designated communities at the top three levels shown here. Each year we have two rounds of applications: deadlines are set for March and August, with awards announced in May and October.
Targets critically important. Boulder is moving towards this goal, affects every decision they make.
Four fold increase in bicycling in Portland over 15 years of improvements; bike use now growing exponentially.
We’ve been incredibly effective with the funding we’ve had. We’ve been a lean, mean bicycling machine, having accomplished much in the past 10 years with very limited resources. Between 2000 and 2007 we spent approximately 0.7% of PDOT’s capital budget on bicycling. We’ve been targeting our improvements at key locations, piggybacking effectively onto other projects, and sought as much grant funding as we possibly can. We’ve also relied on Portland Parks, the Bureau of Environmental Services, the Port of Portland, Multnomah County, Trimet, ODOT and PDC to fund improvements in targeted areas. With our partners at the BTA and Community Cycling Center we’ve also developed what are perhaps the nation’s best encouragement and youth education programs.
But, if we’re going to improve conditions and attract more people to bicycling we’re going to have to find more money. Bicycle improvements, education and enforcement are expensive. Bicycle improvements cost real money. Amsterdam—perhaps the best cycling city in the world, with an absolutely seamless infrastructure that is so safe seven year olds ride with their 75-year old grandparents—still spends about $35 per capita per year on bicycle capital improvements. Here in Portland we’ve been spending between $1-$2 per capita per year.
North Carolina DOT study showing 9-1 ROI for bicycling improvements in the Outer Banks – and relatively modest improvements at that.
The program was revised and relaunched with the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Ongoing support for the program and the Policy Project is provided by Bikes Belong, and we have worked closely with the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center to provide technical support for the program and the communities.