League Announces Bicycle Friendly University and Business Winners at Bike Summit

The first-ever Bicycle Friendly University designations were announced this week at the National Bike Summit. Among the 32 universities that applied, 20 are receiving designations, with Stanford University earning the only platinum-level award. The program recognizes colleges and universities that create exceptional environments where bicycling can thrive and provides a roadmap and technical assistance to create great campuses for bicycling.

“Universities have long served as incubators for developing bike-friendly cultures and practices, and that has a big impact on the expectations that students bring to the workplace and beyond,” said Bill Nesper, director of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America Program. “With the launch of the Bicycle Friendly Universities program, we’re able to highlight the crucial role that academic institutions play in shaping a more bike-friendly future.”

This first class of BFUs shows the wide variety of ways to promoting bicycling on campus from great bicycling facilities like those at UC-Davis and safe, convenient bike parking at the University of Minnesota, to incentive programs for students and staff to ride at Emory University. Stanford University stands out for their breadth of programs, including: a great cycling network, education programs like the Bike Safety Dorm Challenge, and bicycling incentive programs that resulted in an extraordinary number of people biking for transportation and recreation. Currently, 21.7 percent of people at Stanford commute by bike.

“We view this less as the finishing point of our efforts than as the new starting line,” said Brodie Hamilton, Stanford University Director of Parking & Transportation Services. “The many departments that contribute to Stanford’s overall bicycle program intend to make even greater progress in the years ahead to create a safer and more sustainable environment for our community through improvements for bicyclists and all road users.”

Efforts to welcome and support bicycling can be as simple as offering secure bike parking or organized rides to get folks together on bikes. Businesses across the country are seeing that there is a good return on investment in promoting bicycling in the workplace including improved morale and health, reduced parking costs and promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle to customers and employees.

Also, 55 new Bicycle Friendly Businesses from restaurants to law firms will be receiving awards at this year’s summit. USAA, which is receiving the silver-level designation, has experienced how bicycling can transform a workplace and surrounding community.

“USAA promotes safe cycling as an element of our overall sustainability and wellness strategies. The remarkable results we have seen in positive environmental impacts generated by our employees are mirrored by the positive wellness gains made.” – from their 2011 application.

USAA offers employees a commute reductions reward program allowing cyclists to earn rewards at more than 100 local and national vendors. As the largest private employer in San Antonio and an active participant in local planning meetings, they are part of the transformation bringing San Antonio to the bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Promoting bicycling is a simple solution to many challenges we face as a nation – improving sustainability, physical activity and quality of life. The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program has helped communities, businesses, states and now universities improve conditions for bicycling, creating the types of places where people want to live, work and visit.

Applying for BFU and BFB recognition is easy and free. Applicants receive technical assistance from the League staff as well as tools to evaluate and assess their bicycle friendliness through the application process. The applications and resources are available online at www.bikeleague.org.

The Bicycle Friendly Business and Bicycle Friendly University programs are generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign.

2011 Spring Bicycle Friendly University Winners:

Platinum

• Stanford University
• University of California Santa Barbara

Gold

• University of California Davis

Silver

• University of Oregon
• University of Arizona
• California State University Long Beach
• University of Washington
• University of California Irvine
• University of Wisconsin‐ Madison
• Colorado State University
• University of Minnesota
• Portland State University

Bronze

• University of Maryland College Park
• Michigan State University
• Boise State University
• University of California Los Angeles
• Cornell University
• University of North Carolina Greensboro
• Emory University
• Indiana University

Honorable Mentions: Duke University, Macalester College, University of Central Oklahoma, University of Chicago, University of Cincinnati, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa , University of Kentucky, University of Missouri‐Kansas City, University of Texas ‐Austin, and the University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee

2011 Spring Bicycle Friendly Business Winners:
Platinum

• New Belgium Brewing

Gold

• California State University Long Beach
• City of Minneapolis, Minn.

Silver

• Anderton Law Office
• BicyclingHub.com
• Casteel & Associates
• Cycle Works
• Denver Zoo
• Erik’s Bike Shop
• Freewheelin’ Community Bikes

Bronze

• 2nd Street Bike Stop Café
• Anderson Rentals
• Bikesport, Inc
• Blue Wheel Bicycles
• Bucks County Bicycle Company
• Caine Halter Family YMCA
• Chatham University
• Clockwork Active Media
• Coffman Engineers
• Compass Bicycles Ltd.
• Free Flight
• Hot Italian
• Keep Indianapolis Beautiful
• Mad Dog Cycles
• Revolution Cycles‐ DC
• Greenstreet Cycles
• Healthwise, Inc.
• Indian Cycle
• Providence Portland Medical Center
• REI Northbrook
• Revolution Cycles‐ Rockville
• Loris & Associates
• Michigan Fitness Foundation
• NIEHS
• National Public Radio (NPR)
• Northwestern Mutual
• NW Natural
• OmniCorpDetroit
• One Lucky Guitar
• Paramount Group
• Physicians Mutual
• Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield
• REI Anchorage, AK
• REI Boise, ID
• Robert Silman Associates
• Revolution Cycles‐ City Hub
• Seattle Children’s Hospital
• Revolution Cycles‐ Stafford
• Saris Cycling Group
• Sierra Nevada Brewing
• The Bike Boutique
• Urban Adventours
• USAA
• Rockwell Collins
• SAA
• Sarasota Memorial Health Care
• Storrow Kinsella Assoc.
• Substance
• The Bike Way
• The Path Bike Shop
• The Standard
• 360 Real Estate Solutions
• US Deptartment of State
• Urban Design Associates
• Wandertec, Inc.
• Wheelhouse Detroit

Honorable Mentions: Alaska Pacific University, All Women Painting, Consumer Electronics Association, CycleSafe, Helix Architecture & Design, Inc., James Street Improvement District, Lattimore Construction Inc., Lyndhurst Foundation, Mast General Store, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Peace Corps, Providence Gresham Rehab, SAIF Corporation, Vangelisti Kocher LLP and the Walton Arts Center