City of Brantford Awarded Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community Designation

BRANTFORD, ON – The City of Brantford is pleased to be awarded a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) designation through the Share the Road Cycling Coalition. This designation indicates that Brantford has taken the first steps in a journey towards becoming a destination for bike riding. The City of Brantford joins more than 50 other communities across Canada that have also been recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community.

In recent years, the City has made strong investments in making Brantford more bicycle-friendly, as well as championing cycling as a safe, healthy and fun means of transportation and recreation. 

An upgrade from the Honourable Mention that was awarded to the City in 2018, Kathryn Broadbelt, Brantford's Transportation Planning Project Coordinator said "Receiving a Bronze Award is a step in the right direction. The City is committed to continuing to make strides towards becoming a safer place for both residents and visitors to ride their bicycles." 

Initiatives that have taken place since 2018 include an update to the Transportation Master Plan, ongoing investments in on-road bicycle infrastructure, and establishment of the Brantford Active Transportation Subcommittee and the Brantford/Brant Active Routes to School Committee.

About the Bicycle Friendly Communities Program and Share the Road Cycling Coalition

The BFC program, an initiative of the League of American Bicyclists, was launched in Canada by Share the Road Cycling Coalition in 2010. The program provides guidance, inspiration, and award recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. Municipalities are judged in four categories: Engineering, Education, Encouragement, and Evaluation & Planning. A community must demonstrate achievements in all four categories to be considered for an award. The award categories include Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond recognition. 

Share the Road is an Ontario-based not-for-profit organization working to make communities across Canada bicycle-friendly for people of all ages and abilities. They work in partnership with municipal, provincial, and federal governments; the business community; road safety organizations; and other not-for-profits to:

• Enhance access for bicyclists on roads and trails
• Improve safety for all bicyclists
• Provide education about the value and importance of safe bicycling for healthy lifestyles and healthy communities

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