Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

Central cities don't have a monopoly on making cycling a safe and convenient choice for residents. In the latest round of the League of American Bicyclists' bicycle-friendly communities program, several suburbs made a strong showing.

false

The League's Liz Murphy shares a few examples of the suburban communities that won recognition for their efforts:

Suburban towns, like Menlo Park, Calif.; Elmhurst, Ill.,; and Ferguson, Mo. are showing large urban centers aren't the only areas making biking better for millions of Americans.

Menlo Park, Calif., moved up to Silver status in this round by making significant improvements through its partnership with Facebook, a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Business. Since its last application to the BFC program, Menlo Park has added miles of bike lanes and boosted its share of bike commuters to 8 percent -- more than doubling its bike commuters in the last 10 years...

Ferguson, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis, has led the way with its education and encouragement policies, including an Earn-a-Bike program that's free to local youth...

Outside Chicago, Elmhurst, Ill., has so many children who bike to school -- between 10 and 20 percent -- that they recently had to install hundreds of additional bike racks to local schools.

"We applaud Elmhurst," said Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists. "They could have been content with the major regional trail going through their suburb. Instead, they took a holistic approach to becoming bike-friendly through education, encouragement, and expansion of the bike network."

Elsewhere on the Network today: Better Institutions shares a recent analysis by a Toronto mortgage broker showing that it pays to live in a place where you don't have to drive everywhere, even if the housing costs more. The State Smart Transportation Initiative outlines a new MIT study that found emissions from vehicles caused an astounding 53,000 premature deaths in 2005. And Bike Portland says a new protected bike lane has resulted in a 15 percent increase in cycling on that street.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Wednesday’s Headlines

Is our Jetsons future is finally upon us? Plus, a new and better way to measure streets' level of service.

September 17, 2025

Op-Ed: Congress Has A Big Opportunity to Connect America By Intercity Bus

The next federal transportation bill could be a chance to connect rural America with buses like never before — and it will have spillover benefits nationwide, the CEO of one top bus company argues.

September 17, 2025

Breaking: US DOT Pulls Grants For Projects That Aren’t Focused on Cars

The Trump administration bias for "vehicular travel" — and the burning of fossil fuels that it requires — rears its ugly head again.

September 16, 2025

Seattle’s Human Population Is Up, But Its Car Population Isn’t

Urbanists have long been making that case that growth in Seattle is the most climate-friendly and easiest to support with transit and infrastructure. And it's happening.

September 16, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Stay Safe

Political rhetoric notwithstanding, you're much safer on a bus or a train than in a car, or walking or biking near cars.

September 16, 2025
See all posts