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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />October 28, 2009 <br /> <br />CONTACT: <br />Dave Roth, Associate Transportation Planner, 541-682-5727 <br /> <br />From Public Information Section, 682-5523 or 541-954-2938 <br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br /> <br />Eugene Advances to Gold Level as a Bicycle Friendly Community <br />Eugene has moved into the prestigious Gold circle as a bicycle friendly community. <br />The League of American Bicyclists this week announced that Eugene has become one <br />of only 10 cities in the nation to be designated at the Gold level, which is presented only to <br />communities with “remarkable commitments to bicycling.” <br />“The League is proud to award Eugene for its work to promote bicycle safety and <br />education while encouraging bicycling in the community,” said League President Andy Clarke. <br />“Cycling and the use of alternate modes of transportation are cornerstones in our local <br />sustainability program,” said Mayor Kitty Piercy. “The recognition that we truly are a bicycle <br />friendly community reaffirms our commitment to do the right thing for our environment, our <br />economy and our health.” <br />Eugene was designated at the Silver Level in 2004. In reapplying for designation in <br />2009, Eugene citied a number of factors that make it a bicycle friendly community: Eugene has <br />80 miles of on-street bike lanes and 41 miles of off-street paths connected to a regional network <br />of cycling routes; Eugene has a strong bicycle education program, including the Eye-to-Eye <br />traffic safety campaign and a well-organized Safe Routes to Schools program; and Eugene’s <br />cyclists are well represented in policy and legislative issues and have strong connections <br />through groups such as Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARS), the BikeLane Coalition, the <br />Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), Disciples of Dirt and the League of American Bicyclists. <br />“We came up strong in every category – engineering, education, encouragement, <br />enforcement, evaluation and planning,” said Eugene Bicycle Coordinator Lee Shoemaker. <br />“Gold-level designation is an honor for our community, and it’s also an incentive for us to <br />continuously improve the cycling experience here in Eugene.” <br />Six other communities in Oregon have been designated bicycle friendly communities by <br />the League of American Bicyclists. Portland is designated at the Platinum level and Corvallis is <br />a Gold-level community, Bend is at the Silver level and Ashland, Beaverton and Salem are at <br />the Bronze level. <br />For more information about the League of American Bicyclists, visit www.bikeleague.org. <br /># # # <br /> <br />Public Works Administration ? City of Eugene ? 101 E. Broadway, Suite 400, Eugene, OR 97401 <br />Phone 541-682-8421 ? Fax 541-682-6826 ? www.eugene-or.gov/pw <br />