Hilton Head: SC’s first to receive Silver as a BFC

It’s official: Hilton Head Island becomes the FIRST community in South Carolina to be recognized as a silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League. In a letter from  Frank Babel, PCC Board Member and Squeaky Wheels founder, Frank writes:

We are pleased to announce that the Town Of Hilton Head Island has been awarded the coveted League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community award at the silver level. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our community and reflects the decades of investment in pathways, safety initiatives, and infrastructure activities to support residents and the nearly 1 million people who bike yearly on our island. The preparation and submission of our application was a daunting, but collaborative process by members of town staff, the chamber and local volunteers.

Being given the silver award is especially notable. We are now the highest ranked Bicycle Friendly Community in South Carolina. We are one of nine other communities of our size around the United States so honored, and we join one other community in North Carolina as the only two silver designated Bicycle Friendly Communities of our size east of the Rocky Mountains.

There will be events planned to commemorate this achievement when representatives from the League of American Bicyclists formally present the award to our community in June.

To date, the League has received 452 applications from communities interested in receiving the designation, and they have granted awards to 179 Bicycle Friendly Communities in 44 states. The BFC program recognizes communities that promote bicycling and provides technical assistance in the form of a roadmap to help cities build great communities for bicycling. The League has identified projects, policies, programs and plans that most effectively improve cycling conditions and make up the foundation of a bicycle-friendly community. All of these bicycle-friendly elements are clearly described in the League’s Bicycle Friendly America: The Blueprint. Communities are using these building blocks. Find out more about the Bicycle Friendly America program.