Cyclists in Juneau know that this can be a wonderful place to ride a bike, and now the community is even receiving national recognition as a biking city. For the second time since 2011, Juneau has been designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. Juneau is one of three communities in Alaska to receive the designation, including Sitka (bronze) and Anchorage (silver). The community received a Bronze level rating in recognition of, among other things, the many activities and events Juneau Rides hosts during National Bike Month in May.
Although there are many local facilities and programs to be proud of, there is still lots of room for improvement to make our community even more inviting and safe for people on two wheels. The League provided a list of recommendations to improve cycling in Juneau and move from Bronze to Silver status, including the following actions:
- Design and publish a bike map in paper and online.
- Reliably clear roads and bike paths of snow and debris; restripe as needed.
- Encourage the University of Alaska Southeast to promote cycling to students, staff and faculty.
- Appoint a bicycle advisory committee.
Unfortunately the application process doesn’t award extra points for being able to bike to a glacier, or we surely would have been awarded Silver status!
You can read Juneau’s full report card here (pdf, 109KB).
by Sarah Bronstein
Juneau Rides 