The uncharacteristically sunny and dry weather in Sequim on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula always has made it a good destination for bicycling. Now there’s another reason.
Bridge over Dungeness River near Sequim
The League of American Bicyclists announced today that the town of 6,624 has earned designation as a bicycle-friendly community.
There are currently 303 communities listed as bicycle friendly nationwide. Now 13 are in Washington state.
Eighteen communities were added to the “bicycle-friendly” list across the US in the latest announcement. They are:
Akron, OH – Bronze
Chula Vista, CA – Bronze
Edina, MN – Bronze
Farmington, CT – Bronze
Healdsburg, CA – Bronze
Henderson, NV – Bronze
Key Biscayne, FL – Bronze
Las Vegas, NV – Bronze
Menomonie, WS – Bronze
Mesquite, NV – Bronze
Milledgeville, GA – Bronze
Portsmouth, VA – Bronze
Rancho Cucamonga, CA – Bronze
Sequim, WA – Bronze
The Villages, FL – Silver
West Hartford, CT – Bronze
York, PA – Bronze
Sequim is the smallest town on the list. The owner of Ben’s Bikes, Sam Chandler, filled out all the paperwork that the League requires for the designation.
“We’ve got such a great cycling infrastructure and a really well-stocked community. It just seemed like we were exactly fit for this,” Chandler told the Peninsula Times.
The Olympic Discovery Trail passes through town, bringing a lot of traveling bicyclists. Many residents actively volunteer to keep the trail in shape.
Also, eighty percent of Sequim’s arterial roads have bicycle facilities, such as bike lanes or sharrows.
The League grades applications based on the “Five E’s”:
Engineering
Education
Encouragement
Enforcement
Evaluation and planning
Depending how they score, cities receive either a platinum, gold, silver or bronze designation. Communities that are making progress will receive an honorable mention.
Recent Comments