| July
2005 |
|
Next Metra Stop: Friendlytown! Health and Safety En Route to School Suburb's Streets Resound Briefly with Laughter, Joy Chicago Now Designated "Bike Friendly" |
Chicago Now Designated: ‘Bike Friendly’ It’s official. Chicago is a “Bicycle-Friendly Community,” according to the League of American Bicyclists, which awarded the first-time honor to Mayor Richard M. Daley at the June 17 Chicago Bike to Work Rally. Of 114 municipalities that applied, only 49, including Schaumburg, received the prestigious award. The Bicycle Friendly Community award recognizes Chicago’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling and its practice of making focused investment in bicycling programs and facilities. Mayor Daley’s Bicycling Ambassadors, which is administered by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, particularly impressed the judges with its “clever and effective” advertising campaign. Judges also noted Chicago’s Millennium Park Bicycle Station, the expansion of the city’s bike lane network to more than 100 miles in the past 10 years, and the city’s strong partnership with Chicago’s cycling community, especially the CBF. Events such as Bike The Drive, Critical Mass, and the Boulevard Lakefront Tour, which draw more than 33,000 people annually, also drew the attention of the judges. 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
|
