Take a ride to check out these Bicycle Friendly Communities

“Bicycle Friendly Community” is more than just a slogan. On Jan. 29 the League of American Bicyclists, announced seven Chicago metro municipalities and one county earned this designation based on rigorous assessment in its Bicycle Friendly America program.

First-timer Niles and repeat honorees Aurora, Batavia and Elmhurst achieved bonze level status. Evanston retained its silver ranking, tops in the Chicago area, and Grayslake, Kane County and Skokie, achieved honorable mention, just below bronze.

LAB’s program is “a tool for states, communities, businesses and universities to make bicycling a real transportation and recreation option for all people.” LAB assigns bronze, silver, gold, and higher award levels as entities progress. More important are LAB’s specific recommendations for improvement.

Application categories cover “Five E's” — equity, engineering, education, encouragement and evaluation. Within each, applicant scores in focus areas are weighted against other similarly sized applicants. Online report cards provide scores and recommendations.

Illinois boasts 16 Bicycle Friendly Communities, bronze or higher, ranging from Warrenville’s 15,000 residents to Aurora’s 180,000, and from Evanston’s eight square miles to Springfield’s 66. Urbana stands alone at gold.

Distinctive county

Kane County, with 500,000 residents more than 519 square miles, is unique. It’s the first Illinois county to apply, reaching honorable mention on its first try, and one of very few U.S. counties to do so.

As its Bicycle and Pedestrian coordinator, Gretchen Klock was pleased and surprised that Kane County achieved this honor on its initial application. A recent University of Iowa planning graduate, Klock has only filled that role since June 2024.

Klock is also Regional Planning liaison for the Kane Kendall Council of Mayors. Its Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee meets three times a year. As coordinator, Klock viewed the BFC process as a “good exercise for me. I found the application experience to be valuable, definitely daunting.”

A member of Batavia's Active Transportation Advisory Commission had suggested Kane County apply, knowing counties in other states had earned BFC status. “We were cautiously optimistic about making it.” Klock acknowledged the effort relies on partnering across the county.

The next step is to address LAB’s recommendations with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and other entities. “It’s definitely a multiyear effort,” extending beyond Kane County’s BFC communities — Batavia (bronze since 2013), Aurora (bronze since 2016) and Geneva (Honorable Mention 2024).

Amelia Neptune, LAB’s Bicycle Friendly America program director, confirmed that neighboring state Wisconsin has had four counties/regions in the program (all bronzes), Indiana had one honorable mention and Missouri applied but wasn’t awarded. Counties/regions constitute roughly 8% of community applications nationwide, with about 7% hitting bronze or higher.

Skokie’s second

Skokie earned its first honorable mention in 2023. Rolando Ithier, management analyst in the village manager’s office, shepherded the 2025 application, and was “pleased to achieve this award,” with plans to reapply, recognizing the status lasts only one year.

Skokie’s BFC effort is tied to its 2022-2030 Environmental Sustainability Plan. One of the plan’s Transportation and Mobility section goals is to decrease communitywide vehicle miles traveled by 5% by 2030 through increased biking, walking and shared mobility.

In June 2024 Skokie received a Technical Assistance grant to work with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to develop a bicycle/pedestrian plan. LAB commended Skokie for these efforts and for approval of a recommended 25 mph speed limit for most residential streets based on a village engineering study.

Repeat honorable mention

Grayslake is “very pleased to have received its honorable mention recognition from the League,” and plans to work toward bronze, according to village management analyst Nate Cashmore. After its first 2005 attempt, Grayslake has earned a string of honorable mentions in 2019, 2020 and 2023.

With access to prior applications and their authors, Cashmore looks forward to reviewing LAB’s recommendations. A lifelong resident, he noted Grayslake’s pride in a 21-mile trail system integrating its neighborhoods, parks, schools, village center and other commercial areas.

Grayslake’s website says it became one of the first communities in the region in 1989 to include development of a comprehensive townwide trail system in its planning. Grayslake partners with its park district in an approximate 70-30 split for maintaining that system.

The mobility section of the 2017 Grayslake Sustainability Plan noted collaboration with local entities to create regional trail linkages: Lake County, Libertyville Township, Lake County Forest Preserve District, College of Lake County and Grayslake Park District. Cashmore hopes to continue those efforts in pursuing LAB’s recommendation to analyze bicycle network connectivity.

Suburban leader

Evanston retained its silver status earned in 2012 and 2016. Its BFC application included introduction of Evanston’s bikeshare program. In June 2016 100 bikes at 10 stations joined Divvy’s regional transportation system connecting Chicago, Evanston and Oak Park. According to Evanston Now, the city council approved a plan to expand the bikeshare program in January, adding 17 docking stations, yielding four per square mile.

Transportation and Mobility Coordinator Sarah Fiorito said Evanston’s application also noted its recently concluded Bicycle Access Voucher Pilot. This equity initiative provided 65 income-qualified residents with vouchers to purchase bicycles, helmets, locks, lights, and service at six local bike shops. Additionally, the program offered free cycling and traffic safety education courses.

Not resting on its silver laurels, Evanston is undertaking a 2026 bicycle plan update that LAB recommended, suggesting the inclusion of best practices like separated and protected bike lanes, among others. LAB also recommended Evanston conduct a connectivity analysis and evaluation of its existing bicycle network and work to identify and fill gaps.

• Join the ride. Contact Ralph Banasiak at alongfortheridemail@gmail.com.