BOISE – Boise has received a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award, honoring the city’s efforts to build better places for people to bike. The award, presented by the League of American Bicyclists, recognizes the city and all community partners for their commitment to creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit residents of all ages and abilities while encouraging healthier and more sustainable transportation choices.
"Over the last four years, Boise has continued to prioritize and invest in projects that provide safe and reliable transportation options in our growing city," said Mayor Lauren McLean. "I am proud of the work that we've done to expand safety and accessibility for cyclists across the community."
The League of American Bicyclists sets the standard for how communities in the nation build and benchmark progress toward making biking better and raise their standards for safety, equity and accessibility. This round of awards includes 91 new and renewing awardees, joining a total of 460 current Bicycle Friendly Communities in the U.S.
“After over a decade with a Silver rating, we are beyond excited to see Boise reach Gold, one of the top levels a community can receive,” said Council member Jimmy Hallyburton. “This award recognizes the collective efforts of the City of Boise, ACHD, CCDC, local nonprofits, dozens of bicycle-friendly businesses and countless community members to advance safe, accessible and joyful bicycling opportunities across Boise.”
In addition to Boise, Ada County was also designated a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community this round. These were the only two communities nation-wide to move up to Gold, demonstrating the shared commitment to creating safer, more accessible streets. In total, 33 business and organizations in Boise have received a BFC award.
Awarded communities must renew their status every four years. In 2024, the City of Boise convened a working group which met over the course of several months to complete the application, receiving input from numerous organizations and community members, and working in collaboration with ACHD to complete the two separate applications.
Some of the improvements the city has implemented in the last four years include miles of new bikeways, collaborations with organizations like the Boise Bicycle Project on Open Streets, partnerships with neighborhood associations like West Bench to help build out the Boise Pathway’s Master Plan, or partnerships between Safe Routes to School and our City of Boise community centers.
“This has been a beautiful community effort. I hope everyone hops on their bikes to celebrate this major achievement. Then it's back to work examining the feedback we received from the League of American Bicyclists, keeping the momentum going, and working our way toward Platinum,” Hallyburton said.
Learn more about the city’s mobility and public spaces program. To learn more about the BFC program, visit bikeleague.org/community.