Bicycle Friendly Community

Roanoke, VA| Bronze Level

Community Highlights: The City of Roanoke has committed significant resources to bicycling, from adopting new policy (Complete Streets Policy, Street Design Guidelines), to building infrastructure (greenway development, wider outside lanes), to creating the Bicycle Advisory Committee, and educating children (Safe Routes to School grants).  There is a diverse and growing number of cyclists and interest in bicycling in Roanoke. Bike shops in the community report rising bike sales as miles of pathways increase. There are numerous support organizations, all of which are growing in membership and activity. Interest in the City being recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community has come from a grassroots movement by local cyclists, and led to the formation of the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee in 2009.  The Roanoke Valley Allegheny Regional Commission (RVARC) recently conducted a Bicycle Users Survey in preparation for updating the 2005 Bikeway Master Plan.  The Planning Building and Development Department is establishing a Bicycle Transportation page that will include both links to bicycling information and resources and a forum for bicycle needs input.  A larger event that Roanoke hosts is Ciclovia, organized entirely by volunteers with sponsorships from the YMCA, RIDE Solutions, BikeWalk Virginia, Spectrum Design, and others. The event closes a number of busy downtown streets and opens them up to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. 

Most Significant Bike-Related Accomplishment: Roanoke's Street Design Guidelines and Complete Streets Policy were recently sought out and selected by the American Planning Association for its Essential Info Packet for Complete Streets. The Essential Info Packet is a compilation of publications on a cutting-edge topic of interest to practicing planners across the country. According to the APA Roanoke’s documents exemplify a best practice in street design.