Chico gets bike-friendlier

Chico has officially made the jump from a bronze to a silver-rated bike-friendly city in the League of American Bicyclists’ Bike Friendly America program.

For years, Chico has been rated bronze by the program, which released its rankings Oct. 18, according to a City of Chico press release. The ranking is based on “the five E’s”—Engineering, Encouragement, Education, Enforcement and Evaluation.

Tracy Bettencourt, senior planner for the city, emphasizes that Chico’s ongoing efforts to become more bike-friendly (as part of the 2030 Chico General Plan) is reflective of the community’s values.

“There are people who rely solely on the bicycle as their transportation, there are people who cycle for exercise and people who cycle because they care about the environment, air pollution and traffic congestion,” she said. “This [award] is just illustrative of our dedication.”