Coeur d’Alene bicyclists have known this for years: the city is a pretty friendly place to pedal. Now, the nation knows it, too.
The League of
American Bicyclists has recognized Coeur d’Alene as a bicycle friendly
community, giving it a 2012 Bronze award and adding it to the list of 242 BFCs
across 47 states.
“Coeur
d’Alene recognizes that simple steps to make biking safe and comfortable pay
huge dividends in civic, community and economic development,” said League
President Andy Clarke. “Bicycling is more than a
practical, cost-effective solution to many municipal challenges – it’s a way to
make Coeur d’Alene a place where people don’t just live and work, but thrive.”
The
Bicycle Friendly Community Program provides incentives, assistance and award
recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle Friendly
Community welcomes cyclists by providing safe accommodation for cycling and
encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation, according the
League.
The program also helps communities
evaluate their quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks,
while allowing them to benchmark their progress toward improving their
bicycle-friendliness.
Coeur d’Alene received its first Bronze BFC designation in 2008. The Bronze level recognizes the city’s commitment
to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling
promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies. Awards
levels are bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond.
“Our Trails Coordinator Monte McCully
is already looking at what we might need to do for the next step up and will
likely be setting that goal and engaging the Ped/Bike Committee along with
other interested parties,” Coeur d’Alene Parks Director Doug Eastwood said.
“Monte was successful in getting us on the charts with the Bronze award.”
CDA
bike stats
Arterial
streets with dedicated bicyclist lanes:
26-50%
Commuters:
Bicycling: 1.15%
Walking: 2.88%
Transit: 0.46%
Schools
offering bicycling education:
Elementary schools: 51-75%
Middle schools: 26-50%
