Discover how to transform your community into a Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) through the League of American Bicyclists’ nationally recognized certification program. Since 2003, nearly 500 communities across the U.S.—from small towns to major cities like New York City—have earned Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum designations, with over 1,900 applying for this prestigious recognition. This course is designed for those eager to enhance bicycling infrastructure and culture in their communities. Learn about the benefits of joining the BFC program, no matter your community’s starting point, and gain practical strategies to prepare for the application process. Explore how to leverage the program’s comprehensive feedback to improve bike infrastructure, increase ridership, and create safer, healthier, and more equitable places to live, work, and visit.

Participants will dive into the BFC’s 5E framework—Engineering, Encouragement, Education, Evaluation and Planning, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion—to understand how to implement tailored solutions that meet national safety and design standards while addressing local needs. From conducting bike parking audits to fostering partnerships with businesses and advocacy groups, this course provides actionable tools to boost biking rates and economic vitality. Attendees will also learn how to use the BFC application as a roadmap for improvement, engage diverse stakeholders, and promote active transportation to achieve health, environmental, and equity goals. Find out how to prepare your community for the next BFC application round and use the program’s resources to make your city or town a great place to bike.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply equity-focused approaches to address disparities in biking access and safety, ensuring infrastructure and programs meet the needs of diverse populations.
• Understand the structure and benefits of the Bicycle Friendly Community program, including the application process and the 5E criteria (Engineering, Encouragement, Education, Evaluation and Planning, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion).
• Learn how to form a collaborative committee of planners, engineers, policymakers, and community advocates to strengthen BFC applications and drive bicycle-friendly initiatives.
• Develop strategies to conduct bike parking audits, inventory bike networks, and collect ridership and safety data to inform infrastructure improvements and policy decisions.
• Explore methods to promote biking through community events, partnerships with businesses, and education programs to increase ridership and foster an inclusive bike culture.