09-14-10 South Bend named as a Bicycle Friendly Community

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Office of the Mayor NEWS RELEASE September 14, 2010 2 p.m. South Bend named as a Bicycle Friendly Community Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 or Chris Dressel, Bicycle Coordinator, 235-9371 In an elite quality-of-life measure, South Bend today became the first community in northern Indiana to be designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists for its “remarkable commitment” to promoting bicycling. The designation places South Bend among 158 communities in 43 states (four in Indiana) for their demonstrated ability in providing safe accommodation for cycling and encouraging residents to bike for transportation and recreation. Together, they represent the top one-half of 1 percent of the nearly 30,000 incorporated U.S. cities. “This award is presented only to communities with remarkable commitments to bicycling,” said Bill Nesper, director of the Bicycle Friendly America program for the League of American Bicyclists, one of the largest U.S. membership associations of cyclists. “It is great to see the bicycle-friendly bar being raised in communities across the nation.” “We’re proud of this national recognition of the progress we’ve made in South Bend with the development of trails along the St. Joseph River and bike lanes in our city streets,” said Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. “We will continue to work with our partners in the bicycling community, such as the Bike Michiana Coalition and Bike the Bend, to increase bicycling alternatives and make South Bend a more livable community.” Photo: Mayor Stephen J. Luecke, surrounded by bicycling advocates and South Bend Bike Coordinator Chris Dressel, announces that South Bend has been designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.