Five California Universities were celebrated for having exception facilities for bicyclists.
Stanford and U.C. Santa Barbara won the top award, a platinum designation, from the League of American Bicyclists, meeting now in Washington, D.C. for its Bicycle Summit.
U.C. Davis received a gold award. Among those California schools also cited: Long Beach State, U.C. Irvine won a silver and U.C.L.A. won a bronze.
The award recognizes schools that have an exception environment for cycling, and make special efforts to encourage and nurture a cycling culture.
A total of 34 universities applied for the designation, 20 were awarded. There’s no indication which universities applied but were passed over.
None of the California schools are really surprising. Those who have visited the Stanford or U.C.S.B. campus while classes are in session know that the campuses are awash in whizzing cyclists going in every direction. On the U.C.S.B. campus any visitor oblivious to the fact that the nice paths are for bikes only takes life into their own hands. Davis in the very flat Delta region is also extremely bike friendly.
A nice climate helps. Among the Platinum, Gold and Silver level schools only one — University of Wisconsin Madison — is from the Midwest or East. Among the cold weather schools, only Boise State and Cornell received recognition.
Flat terrain helps too. That may explain the exclusion of Cal Poly and U.C. Santa Cruz.
Yet it is nothing but exhilarating to see and be part of a bicycle-friendly campus.
