APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Bronze is good, but silver is better.
The American League of Bicyclists has elevated Appleton’s status on its ‘Bicycle Friendly America’ list.
City Spokesman Chad Doran says “it shows that the efforts in terms of planning and implementing our five-year bike lane plan that was passed several years ago, and that continued commitment, I guess, to bicycle infrastructure that we’ve made, and doing it kind of in the smartest way for our city, is really what’s paying off now.”
Doran feels there are other reasons for the bolstered ranking.
“(It’s) based on some improvements we’ve made to bike infrastructure. Also, working with outside groups like the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, which has a bicycle pedestrian coordinator that helps us with our planning efforts.”
Doran notes Appleton is in good company.
“There’s only about 400 communities in the country who are recognized as ‘bike friendly,’ so it’s kind of a nice award for the city to be included on that list and now heading our way toward the top of that list.”
There are 17 bicycle friendly communities in Wisconsin.
Appleton is now one of four at the silver-level.
Sturgeon Bay, the only other Northeast Wisconsin city on the list, is one of 12 with bronze status.
Madison leads Wisconsin with a ‘platinum’ grade.
As a state, the League of Bicyclists ranks Wisconsin ninth in the nation.
Washington is first while neighboring Minnesota comes in second.
The ‘Bicycle Friendly America’ distinction is tied to ten criteria.
Recently, fitness tracking device maker ‘Fitbit’ also recognized Appleton as the United States’ second-fittest city, behind only Duluth, Minnesota.
Appleton placed first on the list of American cities with the ‘most steps recorded per day.’ Green Bay ranked second.
