WASHINGTON, DC (BRAIN) Thursday March 29 2012 12:54 PM MT—The League of American Bicyclists is engaging in tis own form of March Madness, ranking university campuses on their bike friendliness.
The LAB on Thursday released its list of 35 top-ranked universities. Five universities made the top silver award: Boise State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Northern Arizona State University, Oregon State University and Virginia Commonwealth University (Full list.)
"As universities compete for students and status, becoming more bicycle-friendly is a winning strategy that energizes and invigorates staff and the student body, not just in March, but year-round," said Andy Clarke, the League's president. "By making cycling safe and enjoyable, (Bicycle Friendly Universities) are both educating and empowering the next generation to adopt smarter, healthier transportation habits that will last a lifetime."
Duke University advanced from an honorable mention last year to a bronze award this year. Duke worked diligently to improve its bike facilities, said Brian Williams, Duke's Transportation Demand Management Coordinator. "Over the past six months, we've addressed safety on all our roads, adding bike lanes, wide shoulders or sharrows to every street on campus," Willans said. "The BFU award highlights the work of the Duke community to make riding a bike easy."