By City of Muncie Communications—
Muncie, IN- The League of American Bicyclists has honored the efforts of the City of Muncie to build better places for people to bike with a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award. Muncie joins 485 communities across the country in the movement for safer streets and better bicycling for everyone. The award recognizes the City of Muncie for its commitment to creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit its residents of all ages and abilities while encouraging healthier and more sustainable transportation choices.
“During one of the toughest years in recent memory, we have seen so many Americans turn to biking during the pandemic for fun and for necessary transportation options. It’s so important that communities like Muncie have laid the groundwork over several years to make biking a safe, accessible option for people when we all need as much health and happiness as possible,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “This Bicycle Friendly Community award is the culmination of years of work put in by the City of Muncie and its citizen advocates for better biking.
This award round, Muncie joins 51 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities in the movement toward healthier, more sustainable and connected places. As we turn the page on 2020 and look ahead to 2021, we’re proud that Muncie and communities like it are embracing bicycling as a solution to our collective recovery.”
The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program sets the standard for how communities build and benchmark progress toward making biking better. This round of awards includes 51 new and renewing awardees, joining a total of 485 current Bicycle Friendly Communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Bronze BFC award recognizes Muncie’s commitment to improving conditions for all people who bike through investments in bike education programs, regular bike events that promote and encourage people to choose biking, pro-bike policies, and bike infrastructure.
“We are excited to again be recognized by Bicycle Friendly America. We have been designated at the bronze level for several years now, which is both an honor and a motivator to keep working hard to better our city and make its streets safer and more comfortable for those biking.” Say Zane Bishop, Community Development Planner / HOME Administrator Redevelopment Commission Program Administrator
More than 850 communities have applied for recognition by the Bicycle Friendly Community program, which provides a roadmap to making biking better for communities of all shapes and sizes. While the award process considers very visible elements such as bike infrastructure, other essential elements include efforts around adult and youth bike education, encouragement through events like Bike to Work Day, evaluation mechanisms, and enforcement all through the lens of equity. The rigorous application process is an educational tool in itself, and includes an opportunity for local bicyclists and active transportation advocates to provide input on their experiences and perceptions of bicycling in their community.
The five levels of the BFC award – diamond, platinum, gold, silver and bronze, plus an honorable mention category – provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve. Awarded communities must renew their status every four years to ensure that they not only maintain existing efforts, but also keep up with changing technology, national safety standards, and community-driven best practices.
To learn more about the BFC program, visit bikeleague.org/community.
About the League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists leads the national movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. With a history dating to 1880, the League is committed to engaging diverse communities and building a powerful, unified voice for change around protecting and promoting bicyclists’ rights. Learn more at www.bikeleague.org.
About Muncie, Indiana
Incorporated in 1865, the City of Muncie is a welcoming and ambitions community. The municipality has a population of approximately 70,085 residents, and is located in the heart of East-Central Indiana. Muncie prides itself as being a central hub for commerce, recreation, and development. Home to quality education, technology driven development, and a friendly populous. Muncie is proud to be “The Capital of East-Central Indiana”
