Carrboro was the first in North Carolina to receive Silver Status in 2010
CARRBORO, NC -- The League of American Bicyclists has honored the efforts of Carrboro to build better places for people to bike with a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award.
Carrboro joins 460 communities across the country in the movement for safer streets and better bicycling for everyone. The award recognizes Carrboro 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.
“Bicycling is more than just a mode of transportation—it’s a powerful tool for building healthier communities, fostering sustainability, and connecting people,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “The cities and towns recognized in this round of Bicycle Friendly Community awards are leading the way by investing in infrastructure and programs that make biking an easier, safer, and more accessible choice. Their leadership demonstrates that supporting bicycling is an investment in a healthier future for everyone.”
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 91 new and renewing awardees, joining a total of 460 current Bicycle Friendly Communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Silver BFC award recognizes Carrboro’s 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.
Carrboro was the first community in North Carolina to obtain Silver status, first doing so in 2010. From 2004-2010, the town had Bronze BFC status. The next step will be going for Gold status in the future, something no community in North Carolina has ever obtained. We have expanded our capacity to educate the community on bike safety with three town employees obtaining League Cycling Instructor certification. We will continue to implement the Carrboro Bike Plan and make Carrboro a safer place for people of all ages and abilities to ride a bike both for transportation and recreation.
Nearly 900 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 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
About the League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists leads the national movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. With a history dating to 1880, the League is committed to engaging diverse communities and building a powerful, unified voice for change around protecting and promoting bicyclists’ rights. Learn more at www.bikeleague.org.