League of American Bicyclists Names Portland, Ore.

League of American Bicyclists Names Portland, Ore.
a “Platinum” Level Bicycle Friendly Community.

The League of American Bicyclists congratulates Portland, Ore. on achieving
platinum Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) status – Portland is the first
large city in the United States to gain the designation and joins Davis,
Calif as the only other platinum BFC in the country.

More than 200 communities have applied for BFC recognition since 2003, and
84 currently have a bronze or higher designation. An announcement of
additional designations from the most recent round of applications is
scheduled for release Thursday, May 1, to mark the first day of National
Bike Month.

Portland’s BFC award is recognition of the incredible progress the
community has made to encourage more people to bicycle and to ride safely.
“When Portland received the gold award in 2003”, said Andy Clarke,
President of the League, “We challenged the community to increase ridership
to get to platinum. Bold leadership, community-wide involvement, and a lot
of hard work has resulted in a 144% increase in bicycle use since the 2000
Census – impressive results by any standard.”

“We are honored that the League has recognized Portland’s work to become a
better, safer place for people to bicycle”, said Portland City Commissioner
Sam Adams, who has spearheaded the initiative to achieve platinum status.
“This is integral to our broader vision of Portland as a world-class,
sustainable, and economically vibrant city that attracts families and
businesses because of the quality of life on offer to all. Bicycling helps
us achieve all that and more. We are not content to rest on our laurels.
Platinum status is just the beginning and we realize that the eyes of the
nation are now upon us to keep pedaling forward!”

BFC reviewers noted that Portland has coupled modest but smart investments
in infrastructure, with outstanding education, promotion and encouragement
activities to make bicycling a practical and safe option for many more
Portlanders than ever before. Education and enforcement programs are now
helping drivers and pedestrians interact more safely and predictably with
the increasing numbers of cyclists on the road.

Other highlights from the 27-page application included:

Portland’s bikeway network includes 270 miles of on-street bike
lanes, bike boulevards, and paved trails; another 40 miles of unpaved
trails offer mountain biking opportunities in city parks.
A city ordinance requires bike parking in new development and
redevelopment projects; another provides a huge incentive for
developers to provide showers and locker rooms
Six bike corrals have been installed, each replacing one on-street
car parking space with 12 bicycle spaces
400 bikeway destination signs have been installed (with 400 to come)
on the bikeway network
More than 1,000 traffic offenders (including cyclists) have been
through a two-hour “Share the Road” Safety Class
More than 400 bicycle light sets are distributed annually to
low-income bicyclists by the city, Tri-Met (the transit agency) and
the Community Cycling Center.
2,250 elementary students annually receive a 10-hour bicycle safety
course as part of a larger Safer Routes to School initiative. The
course is delivered by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and has
helped increase bicycling to school by 5% in just one school year.
The city distributes 35,000 citywide bicycle maps and another 35,000
local area maps. The citywide map is also reproduced in the Portland
phone book.
More than 9,100 people participated in the 2007 Bicycle Commuter
Challenge, including 1,700 first-time bike commuters
A Tri-Met survey found that three-fifths of area employment sites
provide bike parking and ten percent offer incentives to employees
who bicycle.
20,000 participants in the Providence Bridge Pedal make Portland home
to the second largest community bike ride in the United States (after
Bike New York)
2,000 hardy riders fill the annual Worst Day of the Year ride in
early February
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance boasts 3,000 members in the city
and is just one of many advocacy and riding groups that organize
thousands of rides, events and bicycling activities year-round
Creation of the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovations at
Portland State University will help ensure technology transfer and
much-needed research into innovative ways to encourage bicycling
The city boasts 40 bike shops and more than 150 bicycle-related
businesses that provide thousands of green-collar jobs and with an
economic benefit of more than $65 million (2005)

“Portland has had the courage to lead, to innovate, and to pursue a vision
of their community that emphasizes choice, equity and quality of life,”
continued Clarke. “The job isn’t done, however. Platinum status isn’t
forever, and it carries with it the responsibility of setting a high
standard for other communities to follow. We recognize that compared to
other world class cities for cycling, Portland still has a long way to go.”

Among the recommendations made by the League to the City to maintain their
platinum status are:

Ensure better access to city parks and recreation areas for off-road
riding
Strengthen ties to the police and enforcement community to ensure
motorists and cyclists are following the rules of the road
Increase investments in the city’s bikeway network, particularly bike
boulevards and signature projects that overcome major barriers, to
open up the city to cyclists of all abilities
Continue to innovate and demonstrate leadership with projects such as
the new bike boxes, colored bike lanes, and Sunday Parkways program


Andy Clarke
League of American Bicyclists
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