Community Engagement
There are tons of ways to get involved with your community for better biking, walking, and rolling for all! Read on to learn more.
Authentic Community Engagement Values Many Voices
This produces many shared goals such as:
- Creating a culture where community members believe walking and biking can be fun
- Seeing more people walking and biking as a CELEBRATION of community
- Grassroots movement growth
- Experience sharing among leaders
- Strengthening community teams to build better places for people to move every day
The Bicycle Friendly Community Resource Guide
Interest in bicycling in the United States is skyrocketing and Minnesota is setting the pace as one of the most bicycle friendly states in the country. In our work with cities around the state, we’ve learned that Bicycle Friendly Communities attract new residents, visitors, businesses, and investment. The Bicycle Friendly Community Resource Guide: A Toolkit for Minnesota is designed to help Minnesota advocates foster bicycle friendliness in their communities and to improve health and safety, the efficient conduct of commerce, delivery of government services, and overall quality of life.
This brochure contains context and a helpful workbook designed to guide communities through the process to become more bicycle friendly, starting with an assessment of your community.
Each community and organization is unique. The approach to be a bikeable community will vary to reflect those unique conditions. This guide and workbook will help you assess and take advantage of your situation and meet your goals for bicycling.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank all of the communities and partners who contributed their time and knowledge to these resources. Their commitment to community improvement and bicycles makes resources like this possible. Support for development of this resource guide has been generously provided by the Otto Bremer Trust, Minnesota GreenCorps, Minnesota Department of Health, McKnight Foundation, and BikeMN Members. © Copyright 2017 Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota. The content of the Bicycle Friendly Community Resource Guide: A Toolkit for Minnesota may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota.
Bicycle Friendly Programs
What is Bicycle Friendly?
Bike Racks, bike lanes, and trails come to mind. These are some, but not all, of the many components involved in being bike-friendly. The BikeMN endorsed Bicycle Friendly America program recognizes states, communities, businesses, and universities for their efforts to promote bicycling and provide roadmaps to improve. It also provides a great objective comparison between your group and your peers from around the country. The programs focus on achievements related to six categories often referred to as the Six E’s. These are:
- Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI): A Bicycle Friendly America for Everyone
- Engineering: Creating safe and convenient places to ride and park
- Education: Giving people of all ages and abilities the skills and confidence to ride
- Encouragement: Creating a strong bike culture that welcomes and celebrates bicycling
- Evaluation & Planning: Planning for bicycling as a safe and viable transportation option
- Engagement: Advocacy should begin by seeking out and listening to all members of the community and working with existing organizations
Local Leadership Teams
Community-based teams who organize and lead creation and implementation of bike walk strategies.
Universities & Businesses
Learn about why Minnesota is #1 when it comes to having the most Bicycle Friendly Universities and Businesses in the country!
Communities
Improved quality of life and health; stronger community connections; a proactive stance toward climate change concerns; increased tourism, property values and economic development; added safety; and more.
Bikeable Community Workshops
Assess and evaluate your community’s current bicycle friendly efforts and facilities.
Leadership Network
More than just a social group connected by shared hobbies or transportation modes, the Network aims to connect local bike walk leaders to share ideas and strategies about how they’re lifting up the walking and biking culture in their communities.
BikeMN brought their bikeablity workshop to Hopkins and inspired me to create an advocacy group in our community. BikeMN is an inspiration, motivator, and educator for advocates around the state.
BikeMN provides effective bicycle community advocacy for:
A) Safety & Infrastructure Funding
B) Education (Safe Routes to Schools)