FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Maryalicia Johnson 407-246-3629

ORLANDO RECOGNIZED FOR
BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

ORLANDO, FL (May 16, 2003) -- Orlando was one of 25 cities in the nation to be recognized recently by the League of American Bicyclists for its bicycle friendly community initiatives; in particular, the City was recognized for its bicycle loop detector project.

The City of Orlando’s Transportation Planning Bureau has increased its bikeways from three miles to more than 170 in the last twelve years, in addition to being noted for providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists and encouraging residents to bike for transportation and recreation.

In 2000, the City of Orlando was awarded the title of “Bicycle Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the City of Orlando the Clean Air Excellence Award for the Orlando Bikeways Project.

The League of American Bicyclists considered several factors in recognizing cities for their Bicycle-Friendly Community status. Reviewers examined the traffic engineering facilities and policies and bicycling promotion efforts of each city. The cities’ enforcement of traffic laws on motorists and cyclists, their efforts to educate both groups on traffic safety and their processes to plan for and evaluate policies and facilities for cycling also were considered.
 

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