Congratulations, Provo! The League of American Bicyclists just announced their list of bicycle-friendly communities and we are on it for the first time ever!
Here’s what they have to say:
Across the U.S., bicycling is on the rise — thanks in part to cities like Provo, Utah taking steps to make riding safer and more comfortable for all residents. Today, the League of American Bicyclists announced the latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) and Provo has been named a bronze-level BFC.
“We are excited that Provo recognizes that simple steps to make biking safe and comfortable pay huge dividends in civic, community and economic development,†said League President Andy Clarke. “Bicycling is more than a practical, cost-effective solution to many municipal challenges – it’s a way to make Provo a place where people don’t just live and work, but thrive.â€
Gaining recognition as a bicycle-friendly community was no easy task, as we posted about previously. But, our efforts over the past few years have paid off.
The award will be officially presented at a City Council meeting and the Provo Bicycle Collective (49 North 1100 West #2) will host a Bike-Friendly Community Celebration and Open House on Friday, November 9th from 7-9 p.m. Members of the public are invited to come and learn about planned bicycle infrastructure, events, ways to get involved, and more. Please join us!
This is a big deal for Provo and we’re delighted with the news. Today, we’re going to celebrate! But, tomorrow, we need your help to keep the momentum going and make our city an even better place to ride. Let’s go for diamond-level recognition and become one of the best places in the U.S. to get around by bicycle.
Frankly, this award is completely undeserved. Provo, and especially BYU, are unfriendly towards cycling, and bicycle infrastructure is sorely lacking.
Andrew,
This is a fairly harsh response to a lot of work that has been put in by a lot of people specifically over the last few years. I agree that we are lacking in the infrastructure department however there has been a ton of work done on education, accessibility, planning, and culture. These other considerations are also a big part of the decision making process which Provo has really been excelling in. I would be interested to hear why this is your deduction. I know that BYU has had a bit of history with bicycling but they are making giant strides to correct this. Also in all of my dealing with Provo City Staff and Police I have only ever seen support and honest work as well as an open door policy for anyone with issues or concerns.
Planning is great, but it seems like awards should be given only after projects are completed. If the current plans are realized and Provo becomes a cycling-friendly community, that would be great.
At present, BYU is particularly bad, and it’s an important part of Provo. Lt. Greg Barber even proposed banning bicycles from campus at a meeting a week ago (he finally backed down due to pressure). He has also done crazy things like putting a “5 mph” sign on the campus’ one and only bike lane. Campus Drive and Bulldog have extremely narrow lanes and no shoulders, and getting to, from, and around campus on a bike is not what you would expect in a Bike Friendly Community.
Outside of BYU, I think there are a few critical problems. For example, there is no reasonable way to get between Provo and Springville: State Street has narrow shoulders and high speeds, and Kuhni Rd. is far to the west. Likewise, there are no friendly roads for getting to the Provo Temple area: 900 E and 2200 N are both bicycle-unfriendly roads.
It would be great for Provo to become a Bike Friendly Community, and I don’t want to discount the people that are working to make it happen, but I think it’s premature to claim that it has already happened.
Nice work. I think we should probably see this less as an award and more as incentive to progress. I hope that city leaders and residents become more aware of the benefits of cycling to the community because of this. Onward and upward!