Centre Region Named a Bicycle Friendly Community

STATE COLLEGE — The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) recently honored the efforts of the Centre Region to build better places for people to bike with a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award.

The Centre Region was designated a bronze-level BFC in 2012 and 2016 by the LAB. 

According to a press release, the Centre Region joins 485 communities across the country in the movement for safer streets and better bicycling for everyone.

The award recognizes the Centre Region 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 the Centre Region 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 Centre Region and its citizen advocates for better biking. This award round, the Centre Region 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 the Centre Region and communities like it are embracing bicycling as a solution to our collective recovery.”

“The Centre Region is a great place to bike for both transportation and recreation,” said Centre Region COG Executive Director Eric Norenberg.

“Our commitment to education, infrastructure improvement, and events help make bicycling available to a wide range of participants.”

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 silver BFC award recognizes the Centre Region’s commitment to improving conditions for all people who bike through investments in bike education programs, pro-bike policies, bike infrastructure, and regular bike events that promote and encourage people to choose biking.

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 www.bikeleague.org/community.

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.

Visit www.crcog.net/bikes to find out more information on biking in the Centre Region.