Naperville Awarded Bicycle-Friendly Community Designation

By Ross Tierney

Naperville is now officially bicycle-friendly.

This summer, the City of Naperville became one of only three Illinois cities and 108 U.S. cities to be designated a Bicycle-Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.

The League bestowed a Bronze-level designation on the suburban community. The City of Chicago (Silver in 2005) and the Village of Schaumburg (Bronze 2003).

“The award to us means that we’ve committed the necessary resources to building bicycling and education,” said Jen Ebel, City of Naperville Transportation Planner. “It’s one step in the right direction.”

The award is no coincidence. Naperville has been purposefully working toward becoming a bicycle-friendly community.

The City recently completed a comprehensive bicycle plan, printed its first public bicycle map and installed several significant infrastructure improvements the Route 59 pedestrian bridge and the Washington and 75th Street underpasses. Plus, Naperville Mayor George Pradel proclaimed June Bicycle Month in Naperville.

Naperville pursued designation as a way to not only promote the recent construction projects, but also to highlight the ability of bicycling to contribute to a strong community, and to build momentum for future progress. The ultimate goal is to encourage more trips by bike in residents’ daily lives, especially for short trips.

The award also raises the community’s stock on a national level by solidifying the City’s commitment to the well being of its residents. Naperville is consistently recognized as one of the best places to live in America by sources such as Money Magazine and U.S. News & World Report, and the designation highlights its commitment.

“The incentive came about as interest from our Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee,” Ebel said. “The process is resource-intensive, so with their support volunteering their time to commit to the process, we were able to submit the appropriate documentation.”

The award makes the City of Naperville eligible for several grants that could multiply its efforts and expand the types of infrastructure (bike lanes, off-street trails, bike parking) it can install.

Even with this honor, Naperville bicycle planners are not resting on their laurels.

“The next step is to review the League’s suggestions and feedback and make modifications that best suit residents,” Ebel said.

Started in 1995, the allure of the Bicycle-Friendly Community award is heating up as more cities, states and businesses jostle to appeal to the biking community – a hardy and engaged population indeed (the kind you would want in your state, city or business, right?). The program enables communities to benchmark their initiatives against comparable communities throughout America.