The League of American Bicyclists honored the efforts of Cedar Falls to build better places for people to bike with the renewal of the city's bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) status. The award recognizes Cedar Falls for its commitment to creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit residents of all ages and abilities while encouraging healthier and more sustainable transportation choices.
Cedar Falls is one of eight cities in Iowa to earn this distinction and joins 506 communities across the country in the movement for safer streets and better bicycling for everyone. To attain such accreditation, the League of American Bicyclists studied the area infrastructure provided for cyclists as well as the contributions of local organizations including businesses, non-profits, the Cedar Falls school district, the Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments (INRCOG), and City departments. City staff worked together with the Cedar Falls Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to secure the bronze-level status renewal, effective through 2027.
"This recognition is important for Cedar Falls because it is a reflection of our community and the many who participate in bicycling for recreation, health, and transportation," said Andrew Shroll, Cedar Falls Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Chair. "With an expanded application process compared to previous versions, the bar was raised to demonstrate that we are inclusive of different backgrounds and abilities within the community. Major components of the application included our Bicycle Network Plan, which was updated in 2022, as well as education, encouragement, equity, and safety."
"Cedar Falls has continued to take practical steps to improve biking throughout the city and this process has given us a roadmap to how we can keep moving forward through advocacy for both bikeability and walkability to ensure that our city remains a vibrant place to live and visit."
About the League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists leads the national movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. The League is committed to engaging diverse communities and building a powerful, unified voice for change around protecting and promoting bicyclists' rights. The League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly America program sets the standard for how communities build and benchmark progress toward making biking better. 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.