Bicycle Friendly Community

Scottsdale, AZ | Gold Level

Community Highlights: Scottsdale is striving to become a community that safely, conveniently and efficiently moves people, goods, and information by providing access and mobility choices. Scottsdale recognizes that there will be a diversity of mobility systems to match the character and lifestyle of different areas of the community. Scottsdale takes the unique approach to promote bicycling through its Public Art Program. Some of the City's first settlers were artists, craftsmen, architects, art collectors, educators, and others who believed that art should be part of the fabric of the community. The City has a Percent for Art component in its Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget as well as an Art in Private Development ordinance and the parks and paths have benefited tremendously from this effort. Transportation projects regularly include artists as members of design teams, most recently on the Crosscut Canal path project from McDowell to Thomas roads. Each year, the Public Art Program teams with City staff to host a bicycle tour of public art installations. This Cycle the Arts event, typically during Bike Month, is truly unique to Scottsdale. Temporary art installations often feature bicycle themed projects and staff is always working to integrate bicycling into the art. A staff members 1953 cruiser with a handlebar-mounted radio was featured in the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art during a six month exhibit on how we listened to music.

Most Significant Recent Accomplishment: The Chaparral Underpass on the Indian Bend Wash Path eliminated the need for pathway users to make three major arterial street crossings. The path is located on the west side of a seven-lane street. Users had to cross both legs of a 60,000 vehicle-per-day intersection, ride one-half mile, then cross the seven-lane street again. The project was initiated in 1994 and was stalled several times by adjacent property owners. Staff developed a plan using existing right-of-way, mitigated the neighbor's concerns, and provided a major improvement to the most popular path in the region.

Most Compelling Community Statistic: According to a recent study, Scottsdale has more bike facilities per resident than any other of the 90 largest U.S. cities. Since 2007, 26 miles of bike lanes, 62 miles of bike routes, 40 miles of paths, and 14 enhanced crossings have been completed. Nearly 75 percent of all locations are now within one-half mile of a shared use path, up from 60 percent.