• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania

Municipal Certification Project

  • Community Vision
    • Overview
    • Building Together
    • Benefits of Sustainability
    • Get Involved
  • Certification Program
    • Certification Program Overview
    • Assessment Criteria
    • Certification Levels
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Participating Municipalities
  • Action Resources
    • Economic Development and Revitalization
    • Strategic Engagement and Resilience
    • Energy
    • Land Use and Housing
    • Water
    • Parks and Land Conservation
    • Waste and Materials Management
    • Municipal Operations
    • Public Health and Safety
    • Transportation
Home › Action Resources › Transportation › Mobility Options

FOCUS AREAS

Related Criteria

T3 Bicycle Friendly Community: The municipality has earned a "Bike Friendly Community" status from the League of American Bicyclists or is part of a regional entity that has

T4 Bicycle Friendly Community Status: What "Bicycle Friendly Community" level did the municipality earn?

T5 Bicycle Policy and Infrastructure: The municipality has created and is implementing plans and policies to improve bicycle infrastructure and increase bicycle usage.
A. The municipality has a plan for a bicycle infrastructure network that will reach a majority of the municipal population and commercial businesses with protected and/or separated bike lanes.
B. Bicycle infrastructure is required in SALDO and neighborhood development overlays (this must include trails, protected bike lanes, or paths.)
C. The municipality actively promotes bicycling with information provided on its website, newsletter, and/or other communication networks.
D. Regional public transit permits bicycles on its vehicles and/or has bike storage at key locations.
E. The municipality has bike racks at key locations around the town.
F. Police are trained on the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists and state law on passing bicycles.

Bicycle Policy and Infrastructure

Description: 

Bicycles offer an affordable, healthy mode of travel that can connect people to economic opportunity, education, socialization, and recreation without the negative environmental impacts of gas-powered vehicular transportation.

Key to enabling communities to effectively advance bike-riding in a municipality is the installation of critical infrastructure that supports safe, connected riding. Routes should be created with a focus on connecting people to job centers, local businesses, recreational assets, and other amenities, as well as clearly defined and well-marked to keep drivers safe or, ideally, separate from motorized traffic.

The League of American Bicyclists’ ‘Bicycle Friendly America’ program provides a roadmap of actions and best practices that municipal leaders can use to make their communities safer for people on bicycles.The program’s “5Es Framework” offers helpful direction for municipalities looking to advance a bike-friendly effort in their communities:

  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion considerations are woven throughout the other categories and focus on issues related to the physical accessibility of bike infrastructure, whether such infrastructure and programs feel welcoming and usable to a diversity of populations, and inclusivity in ongoing planning efforts.
  • Engineering considerations prioritize the importance of physical reinforcement of bike-friendly culture through built infrastructure that is interconnected, convenient, and offers a variety of safe corridors such as shared-use trails, on-road routes, and protected lanes, with supportive amenities like bike parking and fix-it stations.
  • Education programs can build the safe-biking skills, awareness, and confidence of a community’s residents, workers, and visitors while also serving to educate motorists and public safety officers on the rights of cyclists on the road.
  • Encouragement from local leaders can incentivize bike riding through special events, helpful signage, discounts, and even challenges with prizes. Investing in bike sharing systems can help to advance interest in bike riding locally.

Evaluation & Planning allows for community members to continuously improve the safety, connectedness, and accessibility of bicycle routes and other infrastructure, with special attention to be given to key metrics such as relevant public safety data or number of low-income households within a certain distance of a dedicated bike lane or trail.

Resources


Financial Assistance/Incentives
Keystone Community Program
Pennsylvania Department of Communities and Economic Development The Keystone Communities Program (KCP) program is designed to encourage the creation of partnerships between the public and private sectors that jointly support local initiatives such as the growth and stability of neighborhoods and communities; social and economic diversity; and a strong and secure quality of life. Visit resource website
Multimodal Transportation Fund
Pennsylvania Department of Economic Development Funds may be used for the development, rehabilitation and enhancement of transportation assets to existing communities, streetscape, lighting, sidewalk enhancement, pedestrian safety, connectivity of transportation assets and transit-oriented development. Visit resource website
Municipal Assistance Program
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Provides funding to assist local governments to plan for and efficiently implement a variety of services and improvements, and soundly manage development with an emphasis on intergovernmental approaches. Visit resource website
Walk Works
Pennsylvania Department of Health WalkWorks is an initiative between the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center that supports the development and adoption of active transportation plans or related policies. Visit resource website

Footer

About Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania, a joint project of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and Sustainable Pittsburgh, is a voluntary performance recognition program designed to help municipalities set and achieve sustainability goals, save money, conserve resources, and foster a vibrant community.

Pennsylvania Municipal League

The Pennsylvania Municipal League is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1900 as an advocate for Pennsylvania’s 3rd class cities. Today, The League represents participating Pennsylvania cities, boroughs, townships, home rule communities and towns that all share The League’s municipal policy interests.

The mission of the Pennsylvania Municipal League is to strengthen, empower and advocate for effective local government.

Sustainable Pittsburgh

Sustainable PGH is a nonprofit committed to building the knowledge, perspective, and ability needed to create a better tomorrow for our region.

Contact us

Email info@sustainablepa.org or call Leslie Rhoads from PML at 717-236-9469 *237 or Jim Price from Sustainable Pittsburgh at 412-259-5331

© 2023 Sustainable Pennsylvania. All Rights Reserved.

  • Login / Start Certification
  • Contact Us