City of Dallas recognized as a bicycle friendly community with bronze-level award
Dallas, Texas – The League of American Bicyclists has honored the City of Dallas with a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award, recognizing the city’s dedication to expanding transportation and recreational opportunities for cyclists of all ages and abilities. This achievement highlights Dallas’ ongoing efforts to create a more bicycle-friendly environment while encouraging healthier and more sustainable transportation choices.
The award process evaluates multiple aspects of a city’s approach to cycling, including infrastructure, education programs, encouragement events like Bike to Work Day, enforcement measures, and community input. Dallas’ application included feedback from local bicyclists and advocates, providing insight into the strengths and areas of improvement for cycling in the city.
Community Advocacy and Cycling Programs
Rebekah Kornblum, President of the Dallas Bicycle Coalition (DBC), expressed excitement about the city’s recognition, emphasizing the significance of this milestone.
“We’re so thrilled that Dallas has applied and been awarded its first BFC designation! Advocates and city officials alike will now have a more thorough picture of steps to improve,” said Kornblum. “Through this process, we celebrated the efforts of many bicycle advocates and organizations such as DBC’s bike valet service, Bike Friendly South Dallas’ Earn-A-Bike program, Happy Riders’ bike giveaways for children, and iBike Rosemont’s Bike to School Week. DBC believes that Dallas can become a safe, popular, and convenient place to ride a bike, and we’re grateful for the progress and award.”
The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program sets a national benchmark for cities aiming to improve their cycling infrastructure and policies. In this award cycle, 91 new and renewing cities received designations, adding to a total of 460 Bicycle Friendly Communities nationwide. The program categorizes communities into five levels of achievement: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, with an additional honorable mention category for cities in the early stages of improvement. Cities must reapply every four years to maintain their designation and demonstrate continued progress in bicycle safety, accessibility, and infrastructure development.
Future Plans for a More Bicycle-Friendly Dallas
The Bronze BFC award acknowledges the dedication of both city officials and cycling advocacy groups in fostering a better cycling environment. This includes investments in cycling infrastructure, educational programs, bicycle-friendly policies, and organized events that promote biking as a viable transportation option.
Ghassan Khankarli, Director of the City of Dallas Department of Transportation and Public Works, emphasized the city’s commitment to further advancements in cycling accessibility.
“We are honored to receive this designation from the League of American Bicyclists that recognizes the achievements we have made in our efforts to make the city accessible by bicycle. We look forward to the upcoming adoption of the Dallas Bike Plan, which will provide us with a roadmap for policy and bicycle network recommendations so that we may continue our efforts to create a more bicycle-friendly city for bicyclists of all ages and abilities,” Khankarli said.
The Dallas Bike Plan is expected to serve as a guiding framework for expanding and enhancing the city’s bicycle network, improving safety, and ensuring that cycling remains an accessible option for transportation and recreation.
To learn more about the Bicycle Friendly Community program and see how cities across the country are improving cycling accessibility, visit bikeleague.org/community.
