Bicycle Friendly Communities

Sisters, OR | Silver Level

Community Highlights:The city of Sisters has recently completed a number of new infrastructure projects.  They have constructed a multi-use path that connects the high school and middle school campuses to the town core. The city also striped bike lanes and crosswalks, and completed sidewalk infill on routes to the elementary, middle and high schools. Sisters Trails Alliance volunteers finished building 20 miles of the Peterson Ridge mountain bike trail system.   In the coming months, they plan to implement the proposed paved 8' wide paths to improve safe bicycle access to middle and high schools, and to connect the community trail system that serves large rural subdivisions outside of the urban growth boundary. Sisters places a strong emphasis on educating their youth about proper bike safety, as exemplified by the Safe Routes to School program at all elementary and middle schools in the city.  The schools participate in Walk + Bike to School Day, as well as the Walk + Bike Challenge Month.  These programs compute a bicycle mode for students of 13.6% in 2010.  The town hosts a number of bike-related events throughout the year.  For example, the Sisters Mountain Bike Festival is held annually in September and offers guided and unguided rides for novice and experienced mountain bikers. The Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian gave the City of Sisters its Big Chainring Award in 2010 for its contribution to better cycling and walking conditions in Central Oregon