League of American Bicyclists to visit Davis

What’s better than platinum? Diamond, according to the League of American Bicyclists, which recently created the new designation for cities to achieve as part of its Bicycle Friendly Community program.

The city of Davis was first named a platinum-level bicycle community in 2005, an honor that later was renewed in 2007 and 2011.

To help guide Davis to that next level, representatives of the league will visit the city this week to meet with city staff, elected officials, bicycle advocacy groups, UC Davis, the business community and the public to tour the city and review the city’s new “Beyond Platinum” bicycle action plan.

Dave “DK” Kemp, the city’s active transportation coordinator, unveiled the bicycle action plan in August that aims to enhance all facets of bicycling in the community over the next five years, culminating in a Bicycle World’s Fair and Exposition in Davis.

“Their mission to Davis is to review our draft Beyond Platinum — Bicycle Action Plan,” Kemp said in a news release. “And to understand our community’s aspiration to improve cycling for Davis’ residents, students and visitors.”

The city will host a reception for the league representatives at the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, 303 Third St., from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday. Refreshments will be provided.

Members of the public are welcome to join the party and to thank local bicycle volunteers, recognize 2012 accomplishments and to “think big over the coming years as we begin the transformation of becoming a world-class, bicycle-friendly community.”

“The new, diamond-level Bicycle-Friendly Community status will inspire the Davis community to plan, collaborate and implement a much higher sophistication of bicycling by providing an improved bicycling infrastructure, several pro-bicycle policies and many programmatic endeavors, including an emphasis on bicycle safety education,” Kemp added in the release.

“The end goal: A safer, better connected and more comfortable environment in which to ride a bicycle for people of ages and abilities.”

For more information on Wednesday’s event, call Kemp at 530-757-5669.

— Reach Tom Sakash at tsakash@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8057. Follow him on Twitter at @TomSakash

Tom Sakash

Tom Sakash covers the city beat for The Davis Enterprise. Reach him at tsakash@davisenterprise.net, (530) 747-8057 or @TomSakash.

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