Oct. 21, 2009
Chandler honored for being bicycle friendly
CHANDLER, Ariz. – The League of American Bicyclists has awarded Chandler its coveted “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation for the third time. The designation was renewed at the Bronze level following a detailed audit of the City’s efforts to provide safe accommodations and facilities for bicyclists.
Chandler is one of only 124 communities in the country and seven in Arizona to attain such a designation and was first recognized in 2004 and again in 2006. Chandler was evaluated by local cyclists, national experts, and League staff in five key areas: engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement and planning.
Chandler has invested heavily in developing bike lanes and trails throughout the City and has 147 miles of bike lanes and another 10 miles of paved bike paths along the Consolidated and Western Canals.
The League cited Chandler’s initiative to become more bicycle-friendly and was impressed with the City’s Paseo Trail, Western Canal Shared Use Path, Chandler Bike Park at Espee Park, and bicycle safety programs offered by the Police and Fire Departments. Last April’s inaugural Family Bike Ride along the Paseo Trail in southeast Chandler was also cited by reviewers for promoting bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation.
The League of American Bicyclists was founded in 1880 as the League of American Wheelmen and promotes the importance of bicycling. They represent the nation's 57 million bicyclists and have 300,000 members and affiliates. Bicycle friendly designations come in four categories; bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Chandler joins the cities of Tucson, Flagstaff, Mesa, Gilbert, Scottsdale and Tempe as Bicycle Friendly Communities. |