Champaign has made significant strides in becoming a more bicycle friendly community in recent years. Miles of new bicycle lanes have been added to city streets along with many new programs and educational efforts to promote cycling as a safe and viable means of transportation. The efforts are paying off as the community has become noticeably more favorable for bicycling. To recognize these efforts, City staff intends to nominate Champaign for the designation of “Bicycle Friendly Community” with the League of American Bicyclists. The City organization is already a “Bicycle Friendly Business” but the new designation would apply to the community as a whole. Why does Champaign seek this status? Many communities today struggle with traffic congestion, environmental degradation, declining public health and skyrocketing transportation costs. Bicycling is part of the solution to these problems. Bicycle-friendly towns are communities that offer improved quality of life for families, which can lead to higher property values, business growth and increased tourism. The application will be submitted to the League of American Bicyclists in February with an announcement expected in early May which is National Bike Month. For questions please contact Rob Kowalski at the Champaign Planning Department.