If at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again.
That was the strategy for New Orleans as it improved its habitat for bicyclists and joined the list of 11 cities to achieve Bicycle Friendly status from the League of American Bicyclists in the fall of 2011.
The road wasn't easy for the Big Easy, which had finished with only an honorable mention for three straight years.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told the Times-Picayune that the city had quadrupled its miles of bikeways since Katrina.
The League also cited the city for its large biking population — an increase of 150% in the past five years –, bicycling education programs and the strong bike culture, like the NOLA Bike Bash.
Bike friendly totals
The announcement of the 11 cities brings the number of Bicycle Friendly cities in the US to 190 in 46 states. They are designated from the best, which is platinum level, to gold, silver, then bronze.
All 11 new cities entered at the bronze level. An additional 14 communities renewed their Bicycle Friendly status, and many of these improved to higher levels.
In making the awards, League President Andy Clarke pointed out that
“Cities are choosing investment in bicycling, even in tough economic
times, as a key to building the places people want to live, work and visit.”
New cities
The 11 new Bicycle Friendly cities are:
Conway, Ark.
Goshen, Ind.
New Orleans, La.
Omaha, Neb.
Reno‐Sparks Washoe County,
Nev.
Saint Paul, Minn.
Santa Fe, N.M.
Sheboygan, Wis.
Shorewood, Wis.
The Woodlands, Texas
West Windsor, N.J.
The cities must renew their applications in four years to remain on the list, or improve.
Renewing cities
The 14 renewing cities, and their new designations are (an * shows they moved to a higher level:
Platinum
Davis, Calif.
Gold
Breckenridge, Colo.*
Corvallis, Ore.
Palo Alto, Calif.
Steamboat Spring, Colo.*
Scottsdale, Ariz.*
Silver
Arlington, Va.
Burlington, Vt.*
La Crosse, Wis.*
Redmond, Wash.*
Sacramento, Calif.*
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Tempe, Ariz.
Bronze
Chattanooga, Tenn.
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