Bike/Walk Central Florida applauds the City of Winter for being recognized as a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) by the League of American Bicyclists. This four-year designation is part of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) program and is awarded to communities who demonstrate a strong commitment to being a bicycle-friendly place by making it safe, comfortable and convenient for people of all ages to bike for transportation and recreation.
BWCF works closely with the city to advocate for a safer, more bicycle-friendly community, as well as help ensure residents and cyclists are aware of the programs and policies in place for bicycling. BWCF board member Jamie Krzeminkski, a senior transportation engineer at HDR Engineering, worked closely with the city to complete and submit the BFA program’s rigorous application. The application process evaluates a community’s commitment to ensuring that conditions are conducive for bicycling through its investments in promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies. Local cyclists were also consulted to gauge the city’s bicycle-friendliness as part of the application review process.
“What a huge win for the City of Winter Park and Central Florida,” said Amanda Day, Executive Director of BWCF. “This designation from the League of American Bicyclists shows progress in building our neighborhoods to be safe for cyclists, as well as walkers, motorists and transit riders.”
Achieving the BFC designation is a long time in the making for the City of Winter Park and made possible with public-private community partnerships like BWCF. Other partnerships include Healthy Central Florida, the Winter Park Health Foundation, MetroPlan Orlando’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the City’s Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Board.
As Winter Park pushes to be even friendlier for bicyclists, the city can meet additional BFC standards to upgrade its designation from Bronze to Silver, Gold, Platinum or Diamond. Bronze is the standard level and Diamond is the most advanced. BFC criteria for this designation are based upon the League of American Bicyclists five E’s strategy: Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement and Evaluation & Planning.
The League of American Bicyclists was founded in 1880 to advocate for better roads for bicycling. It represents 57 million cyclists in its mission to lead the movement in creating a bicycle-friendly America for everyone. For more information, please visit www.bikeleague.org/BFA.
