Bronze from the League!

[Matt Burton-Kelly]

Hey, congrats to Fargo-Moorhead for getting Bronze from the League of American Bicyclists!  We were hoping we could beat you to it up here in Grand Forks, but alas...

Some local coverage: http://www.grandforksherald.com/content/our-opinion-bike-friendly-grand-forks-east-grand-forks-earn-much-deserved-well-done (pasted below)

I'm wondering if we could use this momentum to get the rest of North Dakota organized.  Rebooting some version of the North Dakota Cycling Federation or even having some sort of informal virtual summit or other communication that includes reps from each of the groups seems like a decent first step.  Is GPCC the main advocacy group in the Fargo area?  Northern Star Cycling Club is filling that role to some degree in Grand Forks.  I don't know about Bismarck or anywhere else.  

Thoughts?

Beek

P.S. NSCC Bikecicle is February 21st.  Short race (lap style, what we've always done) and long race (fat only, 20 miles on groomed trail).  http://northernplainsathletics.com/node/1665

GFH editorial:

Uncertainty dogs the first few moments of any bike ride. Does the machine still work? Is the chain poised slip off the gears? Did you fail to spot a flat because the tire looked inflated at first glance?

But then the chain sings, the tires hum, the breeze cools your face, and exhilaration replaces doubt about the coming ride.

That’s the position Grand Forks and East Grand Forks are in after last week’s announcement that the Grand Cities have earned a bronze-level award for “bike friendliness” from the League of American Bicyclists.

Hearty congratulations to the city staff, avid riders, bike-industry professionals and others whose long years of effort and advocacy now have paid off.

Furthermore, it’s just the beginning, as suggested above. It’s the start of a great and thrilling ride. There are more League awards to be won.

And as the good work continues and becomes even more a labor of love, Grand Forks and East Grand Forks’ bike friendliness can keep getting better, qualifying the community for silver, gold and maybe even platinum status — the latter an honor won by only four cities across the United States.

Rest assured, the four platinum- and 21 gold-award winners tout those facts high on every promotional website and brochure. For bike-friendly communities tend to be people- and family-friendly, too. They’re places that act to improve such things as safety, aesthetics and quality of life.

More good news:

Last week, the Fargo-Moorhead metro area won a bronze award from the League, too.

Why is that good news?

Because the fates of the Grand Cities and Fargo-Moorhead areas are intertwined, as the Valley Prosperity Partnership is documenting and most residents already know. The Red River Valley is better off with two metro-area growth centers than it would be with only one.

Just as important, Fargo and Grand Forks now can serve as examples to guide the rest of North Dakota. Because while Minnesota long ago recognized the value of bike-friendly state policies, North Dakota has a lot to learn.

Consider: Minnesota ranks second on the League’s 2014 list of bike-friendly states, while North Dakota ranks 35th. Suggestions for North Dakota to move up the list include: Adopt a statewide “Complete Streets” policy, in which bicycling would be accommodated in most street designs and renovations; dedicate more state and federal funding to bike projects; and hold a state “Bicycle Summit,” among other ideas.

Winning those changes provide another great goal for Grand Forks area bicyclists and their supporters. Let’s put on our helmets, set as our destination statewide and continuing local improvements, and ride.