Dayton awarded bike-friendly status

Columbus also lauded for promoting bicycling; Troy gets honorable mention.

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By Ken McCall, Staff Writer Updated 3:50 AM Saturday, May 1, 2010

Dayton is joining Columbus as the only cities in Ohio to be designated as “bike friendly.”

The League of American Bicyclists today, May 1, will give Dayton and 15 cities across the country a bronze award for their efforts to promote bicycling.

Troy was one of two Ohio cities to get an honorable mention.

Dayton city leaders hope the honor from the league will lead to better things to come.

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman said the bronze designation his city received last year provided a “rallying point for the community” to encourage more bike riding and a healthier active lifestyle. It also had an economic payoff, he said.

“Being part of the elite number of bike-friendly communities nationwide has given Columbus an edge over competitors for wooing potential businesses, events and residents who give biking a high priority,” said spokesman Dan Williamson. “A bikeable community is a quality of life issue, and it helps us attract young professionals and businesses who want to employ them.”

Dayton’s commitment to becoming more bicycle-friendly was “huge” in the judges’ consideration, said Bill Nesper, director of the program for the 130-year-old league, the nation’s largest bike advocacy organization.

He cited the recent adoption of a citywide complete streets policy, new bike lanes downtown, and the city’s bike parking ordinance as contributors.

Dayton also benefited from the work of regional agencies centered here, he said.

Nesper lauded last year’s cycling summit and the new bike hub sponsored by Five Rivers MetroParks, the river corridor trail system built and maintained by the Miami Conservancy District, and the regional bike plan coordinated by the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.

“We think the commitment is there,” he said.

City Commissioner Nan Whaley, who heads the city’s Bike/Walk Committee and submitted the application, was “tickled” with the award but doesn’t want to stop there.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what the league sends back that tells us what we need to do to work toward silver,” she said. “The Bike/Walk Committee will continue to work on that.”

Nesper said Dayton has “a lot of work to do” to move up to a silver designation, currently held by only 23 communities — all but five west of the Mississippi River. The city will need to show increased ridership, among other things, he said.

“A big part of this is to implement the on-street network to connect with the off-street network,” Nesper said. “The jump to bronze to silver is significant, but we believe in you.”

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