The City of Alameda recently received the League of American Bicyclists’ Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) Award for its efforts to build better places for people to bike—a distinction held by only 32 cities nationwide.
“More than 40% of Alameda students walk and bike to school, and we are committed to making sure they get there safely,” stated Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft. “This includes building ‘complete streets’ and expanding Neighborhood Greenways to ensure that residents, workers, and visitors can travel safely to school, work, shopping, and dining across our beautiful island.”
Alameda’s journey to this honor reflects a decade of steady progress, starting with a Bronze Award in 2016 and a Silver Award in 2021. Since 2021, the City has made major strides to support safe biking and walking, including:
- Approving the Active Transportation Plan, a comprehensive roadmap for future safety and mobility.
- Advancing the Cross Alameda Trail to near completion, providing a seamless east-west corridor.
- Launching the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle, commonly known as Woodstock, a critical new connection from the west end of Alameda to Oakland.
“Biking protects our environment, keeps us healthy, and saves Alamedans money,” said California District 18 Assemblymember Mia Bonta. “That’s why I’m so proud of Alameda’s commitment to making bicycling safe, easy, and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. Alameda is a forward-thinking city, and we’re once again ahead of the pack, joining an elite group of only eight California cities to reach the Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) Award.”
This award is only possible thanks to the outstanding safety programs provided by Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools—active in 94% of Alameda’s public schools—and bike safety education provided by Bike East Bay and others, according to a press release issued by the City of Alameda.
The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program sets the standard for how communities build and benchmark progress toward making biking better, helping them raise their standards for safety, equity, and accessibility.
To learn more about bicycle projects and programs in Alameda, visit the City’s Transportation webpage.
