After applying for a national designation, Jefferson City received an honorable mention for its cycling community and infrastructure.
The city applied in August for a bicycle-friendly community designation through the League of American Bicyclists. While it was not one of the 65 new and renewing bicycle-friendly communities announced Thursday, it was an honorable mention.
"I think it's quite an honor to get this far in the process," said City Transportation Planner Alex Rotenberry, who was part of the local group that applied for the designation. "When you look back in recent history in terms of bicycle infrastructure and things along that line, I think we've come quite a long way in such a short period of time, in just a couple of years. We're going to continue to make strides in the direction that the League of American Bicyclists are looking for."
To receive a four-year BFC designation, a city must earn a certain number of points for things done to promote cycling, such as installing bicycle racks, painting bicycle lanes and creating a bicycle committee. Those points translate into bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond ranks.
The BFC designation focuses on the five E's: engineering, encouragement and enforcement, education, and evaluation and planning.
Bicycle racks and lanes have popped up around Jefferson City over the last couple of years. Lanes were added to East Capitol Avenue recently as part of the corridor's improvement project, but this project was not included in the BFC designation application since it was not complete at the time of the application.
The Jefferson City Environmental Quality Commission also resurrected its bicycle subcommittee in July, and a local group is working toward a bike-share program. Ashley Varner, healthy communities coordinator and wellness navigator at Capital Region Medical Center, said she is working with bicycle instructors who provide educational classes in the community.
The League of American Bicyclists sends a report card to cities that applied for the designation, noting what they can approve. Rotenberry said Jefferson City has not received this report card but would review it and continue to work toward the BFC designation.
He said the city could reapply for the designation within a couple of years.
"(The honorable mention) is better than nothing," Rottenberry said. "It's not certainly where we want to be, but it's a great starting point. When the city applies again, I think we're going to have an even stronger application and have a real chance at getting that bronze designation."
Varner, who is leading the bicycle subcommittee, said the honorable mention will help push the community and local bicycle advocacy groups to "continue to grow and build the bicycling culture efforts."
As an employer, Jefferson City received a bronze bicycle-friendly business designation earlier this year, meaning the city provides bicycle features and education to city employees. A community designation encompasses a city as a whole.
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, which represents Jefferson City and other Mid-Missouri municipalities, applied for a BFC designation in 2014 but did not receive it.
Rolla also received an honorable mention for fall 2017.
There are seven Missouri communities with BFC designations: Clayton, Columbia, Ferguson, Kansas City, Lee's Summit, Springfield and St. Louis.
Missouri is ranked No. 34 in the country for bicycle friendliness, according to the League of American Bicyclists.