Politics & Government

Arlington Nationally Recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community

The Minuteman Bikeway, municipal bike-rack installation program and plans to improve bicycling safety on Mass Ave in East Arlington all helped Arlington's cause.

The following is a press release from the town of Arlington. It has been lightly edited.

The Town of Arlington has received national designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) at the bronze level by the League of American Bicyclists in Washington, D.C. The BFC program provides a detailed framework, professional assistance and award recognition for communities that actively support bicycling.

Why recognized?

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Arlington was recognized for the popular Minuteman Bikeway as well as the municipal bike-rack installation program and current plans to improve bicycling safety on Mass Ave in East Arlington and at the bikeway crossing in Arlington Center.

Thanks to the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee

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“We are honored to receive this national award,” Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine said. “It’s great to see increasing activity and interest in bicycling in Arlington and beyond, and we thank the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee (ABAC) for their dedication and efforts to improve local bicycling conditions and safety.”

ABAC completed and submitted the town’s BFC application in February 2012, and the award was announced by the League during National Bike Month (May). The BFC application process involved a comprehensive audit and review of Arlington’s engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation and planning efforts for bicycling. Arlington’s BFC application will serve as the foundation of an Arlington Bicycle Master Plan, which will help the town evaluate current progress and future improvements. Arlington’s BFC designation will also make the town more competitive when applying for future transportation, tourism and community safety grants.

More on the Bicycling Friendly Community program

“The popularity of the BFC program is clear evidence that investment in bicycling is a major catalyst in creating the kind of vibrant communities people want to live in, work, and visit,” League of American Bicyclists President Andy Clarke said. “There are now 214 BFCs in 47 states across America. This BFC award recognizes Arlington’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling infrastructure, education programs, and community outreach.”

The BFC program provides a national roadmap for classifying and evaluating a Bicycle Friendly Community, and the application has become an educational tool in itself. Since the program’s inception, more than 500 communities have applied for recognition, and the four levels of the award (platinum, gold, silver, and bronze) provide an incentive for communities to continuously improve.  To learn more about the national BFC program, visit http://www.bikeleague.org/community.


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