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Becoming a Top Level Bicycle Friendly City

Bicycling is quickly being integrated into the mainstream in many American communities and to help guide and support the rapid progress in top bike-friendly cities, the League of American Bicyclists has added a new challenge and opportunity for Bicycle Friendly Communities: Diamond status.

For the past 10 years, the League’s Bicycle Friendly Communities program which uses a comprehensive approach to encouraging cities to make a change has helped make bicycling safer and more comfortable for millions of Americans.

Cities who have gained one of the five levels of bicycle friendliness (bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond) have followed the League’s guidelines in what changes can be made to create a more bicycle friendly environment in their areas. They outline five main categories cities should address when considering their options for improving the cycling in their areas:
• Engineering: Physical infrastructure and hardware to support cycling
• Education: Programs that ensure the safety, comfort and convenience of cyclists and fellow road users
• Encouragement: Incentives, promotions and opportunities that inspire and enable people to ride
• Enforcement: Equitable laws and programs that ensure motorists and cyclists are held accountable
• Evaluation: Processes that demonstrate a commitment to measuring results and planning for the future

The city of Davis, CA is currently a Platinum level Bicycle Friendly City, however, they’ve taken strides this year in hopes of becoming one of the first cities to reach Diamond Level.

With Ground Control’s (formerly Park A Bike) help, the City of Davis installed new Varsity® Bike Docks around town. They created a bike corral in front of a local business which replaced one car parking stall with 10 bike parking spaces. They also added the new racks to other areas around town. The Varsity Bike Docks are a big contender in helping Davis win this new level because they are improving the bicycling infrastructure like no other racks can do. They are designed to contain the bike’s wheel so that it remains upright, they offer three locking points with a U-lock for high security, and they are customized with gel Smart Guards that protect the bike’s finish as it leans against the rack. In addition to the racks features, Ground Control also created a short video on how to properly use the rack and lock a bike to it which can be accessed from the QR tag that is placed on the racks top cap.- making it accessible to any cyclist with a smart phone.

The city of Davis has made many changes and improvements to its already bicycle friendly community, so taking it one step further is a challenge in dedication and innovation to the cycling world.

Read the press release for Davis’ effort to be more Bicycle Friendly!

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