Super Eco

Photo credit: contrapart, stock.xchng

Clearly demarcated danger zones—that's about the long and short of bike lanes where I live. My green-minded friends have moved to bike-friendly cities where people ride to work and park their bikes outside the library and the grocery store. They report having ridden to the grocery store for a gallon of milk. If I tried to navigate the major thoroughfare between my neighborhood and the nearest grocery store, I'm afraid I'd be taking my life in my hands. Drivers here just don't expect or know how to react to a vehicle moving at less than 50 MPH.

So what can communities like mine do to ensure they're friendly to bicycle commuters? The League of American Bicyclists makes it simple with its 5-E rating system:

• Engineering What's on the ground in your community: bike trails and lanes, connectivity, parking.
• Education Teaching cyclists of all ages how to ride safely in any area; teaching motorists how to share the road safely with cyclists.
• Encouragement Encouraging bicycle riding, from Bike Month and Bike to Work Week events to community bike maps, route-finding signage, community bike rides, commuter incentive programs and Safe Routes to School programs.
• Enforcement Is there a bike liaison with law enforcement? Bicycle divisions? Do police encourage cyclists and motorists to share the road safely? Are there laws requiring helmet or sidepath use?
• Evaluation & Planning How much cycling is taking place? What are crash and fatality rates? Is there a plan to improve these numbers?

There are lots of Top 10 lists of bike-friendly cities out there, but the League of American Bicyclists requires hard facts and demonstrated achievements. Find out how your community rates (or look for a more bicycle-friendly area) by clicking on the LAB's interactive Bicycle-Friendly Community map.