Ohio Bicycle Federation Extra Credit Ideas for Cyclist Friendly Award Overview This article contains further explanation and additional ideas for improving your community's environment for cycling.  We hope you will focus your attention on the measures in the application form.  But you may find more ideas here that may add a few points to your score to help you qualify for the award (or for a higher level of the award). The guiding principle for Bicycle Friendly Communities must be that a bicycle is a vehicle that must be operated on the same roads as other vehicles, by the same rules and with the same rights.  Every user of bicycles and every other user of the roads must be taught this principle.

EDUCATION

1. Please list any League Cycling Instructor(s) in your area and tell how they are working with your program.  Do you sponsor BikeEd classes with subsidized tuition for residents?
2. What other cycling education opportunities do you provide for adults?  Please describe.
3. Do you have a bicycle driving instruction program for children in schools or as part of youth activities?  Explain how you work with parents to gain their support.  How many children participate?  (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None)
4. What other types of bicycle safety and education opportunities are available for children and their parents?  Please describe.  How do you ensure that information provided is correct and that instructors are qualified?  How many families participate?  (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None)

LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT

1. Ohio traffic law includes bicycle provisions that are contrary to safety and that discriminate against cyclists. For example, the "far right rule", ORC §4511.55(A)  How do you train your police officers that enforcing such laws may be contrary to safety?  What are you doing to urge the legislature to reform the law?  Do you support efforts of cycling advocacy organizations (including OBF) to improve conditions?  (Such efforts include reforming state cycling laws, continuing to issue the state bicycle driving manual, adding relevant questions to the motor vehicle driver's exam, etc.)  Please enclose a copy of resolutions or letters to legislators and agency officials.
2. How do you handle concerns about uniformity of laws if other community's ordinances differ?  Have you urged your neighbor communities to reform their ordinances?
3. Do you have a police bicycle patrol?  If so, how many officers are involved?  What training have they received?  Are your officers instructed to set a good example by riding conspicuously on the roadways, following proper vehicular cycling procedures?  Do they avoid riding riding on sidewalks except where absolutely necessary for performance of their duties?
4. Has every police officer been trained to understand bicycle driving and to know traffic law as it applies to cyclists?  Is there a police liaison that communicates with the cycling community?
5. Do you have a mandatory helmet law?  If so, to what ages does it apply?  How do you avoid the law becoming punitive?  Does it include a disclaimer that the absence of a helmet shall NOT be considered "contributory negligence" in the event of an accident?
6. Do you have an educational "diversion" program for bicycle-related offenses?  (These involve violations by cyclists or by motorists that harass cyclists.)
7. Do you have a registration program to identify stolen bicycles?  If so, is the program voluntary or mandatory?  How many bikes have been recovered through registration in the past 5 years?
8. Do your ordinances allow police to impound bicycles?  If so, is this restricted to children's bicycles?  Are impounded bicycles released promptly to parents?  What safeguards prevent police from abusing this authority?

ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE

1. How do you ensure accommodation of cyclists in all new road construction and reconstruction and resurfacing?  Is there any location in your community that is accessible via private automobile but not conveniently accessible by bicycle?  If so, why and what are you doing to correct the problem and when will it be fixed?
2. What training do you provide for engineers and planners whose work affects cyclists on how to accommodate bicycle traffic?  Do these officials know how to operate a bicycle in traffic?  Is there a mechanism to provide training on an on-going basis?
3. Describe two important non-freeway transportation arteries in your community with respect to cycling.  Include information on factors such as: number of lanes, width of lanes (especially the outside lane), traffic speeds, traffic volume (especially during commute periods), condition of pavement (especially slots, cracks, ridges, chuck holes and drain grates), any skidding hazards from sand or gravel, clearance intervals for traffic lights at wide intersections, whether vehicle detectors detect bicycles and are marked (where necessary) to show the "sweet spot".  Describe your plans for correcting problems.
4. How many bridges or other barriers are in your community?  Are any closed or inaccessible to cyclists and why?  What are you doing to provide access?  Of those accessible by bike, how many utilize the regular travel lanes vs. shoulders, bike lanes, or sidewalks/walkways?  Are freeways or other high-speed roads closed to cyclists by state law or other authority?  Is so, are there safe, reasonable and convenient alternate routes?  What are you doing to provide access?
5. Describe the provision of bike parking (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None) at:  Schools, Libraries, Transit stations, Recreation centers, Government buildings, Office buildings, Retail centers, Public spaces and parks.
   Do bike racks hold bicycles securely by both frame and wheels (as opposed to "wheel bender" racks that hold only the wheel )?  Are there lockers or other parking facilities that also protect bike contents?  Are these racks located in convenient and secure places unlikely to attract vandals and thieves?  Do you have any ordinance that requires use of a bike rack where one is provided (thus outlawing informal bike parking, such as locking to a fence or parking meter)?  How do you educate merchants and building owners about bike racks, including mistakes to avoid?  Provide sample of literature.
6. Are buses equipped with bike racks?  (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None)
   Are bicycles permitted on public transit?  Please describe any restrictions and what you are doing to remove restrictions.
7. How many main (arterial or collector) streets have on street parking (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None)?
   What are you doing to discourage cyclists from riding in the "door zone" where they risk hitting opening car doors and to educate motorists to use care in opening doors?
8. How many of arterial and collector streets have wide curb lanes (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None)?
   Does your bicycle master plan encourage wide lanes as a preferred bicycle facility?
9. If you have striped bike lanes, how many miles of them do you have?  What percent of arterial and collector streets have such bike lanes?  Are any adjacent to parked cars or to the right of right-turning traffic?  (Note: in the application, you are asked about mitigation of hazards such as these.)
10. What is the interval (every ___ days) for:
    1. Sweeping roadways in the community?
    2. Cleaning of any bike lanes?
    3. Cleaning of any off-street facilities?
    4. Cleaning of shoulders?
11. Are there other facilities that have been created to promote cycling in your community?  If yes, please describe.

ENCOURAGEMENT

1. How do you promote Bike Month?  Please describe and provide attendance numbers.  Do you actively promote Bike to Work Day or other bicycle commuting incentive programs?  Please describe.  What portion of the community workforce do you reach?  (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None)
2. How many businesses employing over fifty people have worksite bicycle accommodation programs such as worksite bicycle parking, shower facilities, or "guaranteed ride home?" (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None)
   Describe how you encourage more such programs.
3. Do you have Safe Routes to School program that includes cycling?  How many schools are involved?  (All) (Most) (Some) (Few) (None)
   Has a League Cycling Instructor reviewed the program to correct errors in the materials?
4. Does your community have youth recreation programs that include cycling?
5. Do you publish a bike map and keep it up to date?  Do you avoid describing difficult roads in negative terms like "dangerous" or "unsuitable" that might encourage authorities to ban cyclists on these roads?
6. Please describe any other efforts in your community to encourage cycling.

EVALUATION & PLANNING

1. Do you have any information on the percentage of trips by bike in your community?  Please describe.
2. How many bike crashes, how many cyclist fatalities or serious injuries have occurred in your community in the past five years?  What are the major causes (riding wrong-way, without lights at night, riding on sidewalks, failure to obey traffic control devices, intoxicated motorists, inattention by motorists, illegal turns, etc.  What countermeasures have you identified to prevent future crashes?
3. Do you have a comprehensive bicycle plan?  Please include a copy.  When was it passed or updated?  Is it funded?  How much has been implemented?  Describe the training and cycling experience of the people responsible for the plan.  Does this training include bicycle driving in traffic?
4. What bicycle-related improvements do you have planned?
5. How well integrated is your bicycle network?  Do wide curb lane roads, bike routes bike lanes and trails connect with each other to provide seamless transportation options?  How do you train cyclists how to use the existing road network?
6. Have you evaluated your transportation network and prioritized bicycle improvements based on hazards and needs?
7. What are the three primary reasons your city deserves to be designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community?
8. What are the three aspects of your community most in need of improvement in order to accommodate cyclists?

FEEDBACK

1. How has completing this application affected your awareness of improvements which may be made for cyclists?
2. Are you planning any new projects based on your involvement with the Cyclist Friendly Community program?  Please describe.
3. How do you foresee this designation affecting your community's outlook on cycling?
4. How do you foresee this designation affecting future cycling improvement efforts?
5. Are you aware of other communities that should be involved with this program?  Please list below.

For comments, questions, contact f.oswald@earthlink.net  Rev. 2/21/04.

© Copyright 2003 Fred Oswald and Ohio Bicycle Federation.  Non Commercial distribution authorized.