Bicycle Friendly Community

Des Moines, IA | Bronze Level

Community Highlights: The Des Moines Bicycle Collective opened a bicycle rental system in 2010 for the downtown business district. Commuter bicycles are rented for a few hours or by the day from kiosks located around the downtown area. The Bicycle Collective also has several lockers and a shower that downtown bicycle commuters can use before heading to work.  Every May, Des Moines hosts over 30 events during Bike Month. Events ranging from a Ride of Silence to Confident Cycling Courses to a “wheels and heels” fashion show to Community Bike picnics.  Last year was the 23rd of the Mayor’s Annual Ride, offering 3 routes for all ages and abilities through Des Moines on city streets and on the city’s trail network.  Des Moines also has a number of facilities for mountain bikers including 4 mountain bike trails, three BMX facilities and two parks that are regularly used for road racing, criteriums and multiple parks approved for cyclocross. The city is currently in the final stages of an 18 month process to conduct and implement a bicycle master plan created by Alta Planning + Design.

Most Recent Bicycle-Related Accomplishment: The City of Des Moines has over 41 miles of paved, off-street trails that follow rivers, greenways, railroad corridors, and roads, connecting people to places of work, recreation, and to each other, allowing users to get almost anywhere on bicycle. The City of Des Moines added nearly six miles of bicycle lanes to its bikeway network in 2010 with several more miles planned for 2011. This was done through road diets, adding lanes to streets when reconstructed and adding bike lanes on completely new streets.