Encinitas Receives Bicycle-Friendly Community Award

ENCINITAS, CA -- The League of American Bicyclists on Dec. 8 honored the efforts of the City of Encinitas to build better places for people to bike with a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award.

Encinitas joins 497 communities across the country in the movement for safer streets and better bicycling for everyone. The award recognizes the city 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.

“Biking has the power to transform our nation economically, environmentally and socially and it’s so important that communities like the City of Encinitas have laid the groundwork over several years to make biking a safe, accessible option for all," Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists said in a statement.

“This Bicycle Friendly Community award is the culmination of years of work put in by Encinitas and its citizen advocates for better biking," he continued. "With this award, Encinitas joins 57 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities in the movement toward healthier, more sustainable and connected places."

The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program's latest round of awards includes 57 new and renewing awardees, joining a total of 497 current Bicycle Friendly Communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The bronze-level BFC award recognizes Encinitas' commitment to improving conditions for all 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.

"I am proud that the City of Encinitas has made significant strides to become more bike-friendly,” said Crystal Najera, the City’s Sustainability Manager. “I am particularly hopeful that these efforts, along with the efforts of our residents who choose to bike as a mode of transportation, will enable the City to reach its Climate Action Plan goals. Together we can reduce our impact on the climate.”

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 application process 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.