[BikeLongmont] Fw: Longmont's Bicycle Friendly Community Award ceremony

[Lauren Greenfield]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Nesper" <bill at bikeleague.org>
To: <LAURENG at INDRA.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 9:57 AM
Subject: Longmont's Bicycle Friendly Community Award ceremony


>
> Dear Lauren,
> As promised here is the information on Longmont's Bicycle Friendly
> Community Award and Award Ceremony next week. I hope you will be able to
> make it out.
>
>
> Longmont To Receive Bicycle-Friendly Community Award
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
> June 14, 2004
> Contact: Patrick J. McCormick
> Communications Director
> League of American Bicyclists
> Phone: 202-822-1333; Fax: 202-822-1334
> Email: patrick at bikeleague.org
>
> Washington, DC- Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American
> Bicyclists, will present the League's prestigious Bicycle Friendly
> Community award to Longmont, Colorado as part of the city's June 23
> celebration of Bike to Work Day. The presentation will take place at 7:45
> am at the Longmont commuter station at 408 Third Avenue.
>
> A total of 38 communities around the nation have been granted the League's
> Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award. Longmont received the bronze-level
> of the designation. The League has yet to bestow its highest
platinum-level
> BFC award, but three other Colorado cities-Boulder (gold), Denver
(silver),
> and Fort Collins (silver)-have been among the winners of the distinction.
> Visit www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org to learn more about the awards
> process and view the recently published highlights on the award-winning
> communities, as well as the results of the League's recent International
> BFC Symposium.
>
> Clarke said, "I am delighted to honor Longmont and our other BFC award
> winners. Given the choice, people will and do ride their bikes. Bicycle
> Friendly Communities are special places, with a heightened sense of
> community spirit and an uncommon devotion to improving their quality of
> life. With political commitment, focused investment in infrastructure and
> policies, and broad community involvement, cities and towns can become
> better places not only to bicycle but also to live. The rewards for
> residents are huge: greater opportunities to lead active lifestyles;
> improved air quality, and increased travel choices."
>
> League staff and reviewers consider several factors before granting a
> community BFC status, including:
> * The physical environment for bicycling -- on-street facilities, trails,
> parking, etc.
> * Education programs to promote a "share the road" ethic among bicyclists
> and drivers
> * Promotional initiatives to persuade people to ride or ride more often
> * Enforcement of traffic laws for both motorists and bicyclists
> * Future plans and evaluation techniques to improve conditions further
>
> The League and its BFC reviewers were impressed with a number of
Longmont's
> achievements and its continuing efforts to make bicycling better. Longmont
> boasts 95 miles of bike lanes and 52 miles of shared-use paths; 39% of its
> arterial streets have bike lanes. The City has recently added on-street
> bike lanes on Airport Road, Nelson Road and Pike Road, as well as to
> bridges over the St. Vrain River at Price Road and Lefthand Creek east of
> Main Street. In addition, bike lanes have been included in the new
> underpasses at Ninth Avenue at the Oligarchy Ditch, Main Street at
Lefthand
> Creek and Pike Road at Lefthand Creek.
>
> Longmont requires that five percent of the total space available for
> parking at downtown buildings be reserved for bicycles. Inverted-U bike
> racks must be visible, secure, and located within close proximity to the
> main entrances of buildings. The City also offers a bicycle parking credit
> as an incentive for developers to provide bicycle parking in excess of the
> required amount in lieu of parking spaces for motor vehicles.
>
> Longmont's website offers an online form through which residents can
submit
> concerns or requests relating to bicycling. The City of Longmont Youth
> Services provides an annual "Ride the Rockies" event that educates young
> riders on long-distance racing.
>
> The League's Bicycle Friendly Community Campaign is a national grassroots
> effort to increase the number of trips made by bike, promote physical
> fitness, and help make communities more livable. The Campaign works in the
> most effective way possible-town by town, city by city-to encourage
> bicycling and achieve a bicycle-friendly America. The Campaign is
supported
> by generous grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (www.rwjf.org)
> and Bikes Belong Coalition (www.bikesbelong.org).
>
> # # # # #
>
>
> The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and
> transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a
> bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's
> 50 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For
> more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org and
> www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org. May is National Bike MonthTM; visit
> www.bikemonth.com for safe cycling tips, promotional ideas, and events in
> your area.
>
>
>
>
> LAURENG at INDRA.COM
>
>