West Allis Named a Bronze-level Bicycle-friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists

WEST ALLIS, WI. FEBRUARY 13, 2024 – Last week, the League of American Bicyclists honored the efforts of the City of West Allis to build better places for people to bike with a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award. West Allis joins 480 communities across the country in the movement for safer streets and better bicycling for everyone. The award recognizes the City of West Allis 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.

“Today, we celebrate 58 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities that exemplify an ongoing commitment to make bicycling safe, comfortable, and accessible to all,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “This round of awards is a testament to the dedication of the growing network of changemakers who with the League are raising the standard of what it means to be a Bicycle Friendly Community.”

The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program sets the standard for how communities build and benchmark progress toward making biking better. The League strives to provide continual updates to the application as part of our commitment to help communities raise their standards for safety, equity, and accessibility.

This round of awards includes 58 new and renewing awardees, joining a total of 480 current Bicycle Friendly Communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The bronze-level BFC award recognizes West Allis’ commitment to improving conditions for all people 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.

“We’re striving to enhance biking opportunities in the City of West Allis. We are a centrally located community with great access to many bike-friendly amenities including bike racks throughout the City, eight Bublr bicycle share stations, and access to both the Hank Aaron State Trail and the Oak Leaf Trail. Biking gives our residents and visitors a healthier way to move around the community which aligns with our Community Health goals,” said Mayor of West Allis, Dan Devine. “Getting more bicyclists on the streets allows people to experience our City more intimately. It also reduces carbon emissions in our community.”

More than 870 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 bikeleague.org/community.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.