The League of American Bicyclists has announced five new Bicycle Friendly Community designations. Bikes Belong is the lead sponsor of the Bicycle Friendly Communities program, which recognizes cities that support bicycling and works to replicate their successes. In May, the following cities earned the Bicycle Friendly Communities designation for the first time: Silver: Austin, Texas San Luis Obispo, California Bronze: La Crosse, Wisconsin Park City, Utah Salt Lake City, Utah In particular, the League of American Bicyclists commended these cities for the following efforts: Austin, Texas, recently updated their 1998 bicycle plan, and included $2 million in bicycle-specific funding. The city offers weekly Road I courses, has a maintenance hotline, and promotes bicycling year round. San Luis Obispo, California, has a strong cycling culture and recently created a safe and fast route into downtown from the south side of town, allowing cyclists to avoid a high-volume, narrow right-of-way arterial. LaCrosse, Wisconsin, has a strong education program. All schools have extracurricular activities centered around cycling, and the school district provides bicycles and helmets for use at elementary schools. Park City, Utah, is a great town for mountain bicyclists, and understands the importance of connectivity in the bike network. The community also has a Complete Streets policy that will be implemented starting this year. Salt Lake City, Utah, has a great bicycle culture and a strong Complete Streets policy that was initiated by the mayor in January 2007. With improvements planned for its cycling infrastructure and great in-town mountain biking, this city has a lot to offer cyclists. Learn more about the Bicycle Friendly Communities program.