We’d like to congratulate a group of residents who worked quite hard to see The Villages designated as Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
If you know any of the bicyclists who live in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown, then you won’t find this surprising – The Villages is the first and only retirement community to be gain the prestigious designation.
Not surprisingly, it’s an honor that makes Villager David Taylor quite proud.
“Receiving the award is a tribute to everyone involved in bicycling in The Villages, including our three bicycle clubs, our Villages public officials, The Villages Recreation Department and every person who uses a bicycle for either transportation or recreation in The Villages,” said the avid cyclist who serves as president of the Sumter Landing Bicycle Club.
According to the League of American Bicyclists’ website, a Bicycle Friendly Community welcomes bicyclists by providing safe accommodations for riding and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. Making bicycling safe and convenient are keys to improving public health, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and improving quality of life, the site says.
Those criteria certain apply to The Villages, where on any given day a plethora of bicyclists can be seen riding throughout the community, enjoying the Florida sunshine and doing their part to stay healthy through rigorous exercise.
That said, here’s another great thing about the recent honor: The entire approval process, from concept to award, was completed by Villagers who took it upon themselves to make sure their community – the place where they’ve elected to be spend the best years of their lives – was recognized for its extraordinary bicycling program. And special kudos must go to Robert Jordan and Diana Mirkin, who put in countless hours developing the award application.
The effort clearly paid off, because The Villages earned silver level recognition right out of the gate. But here’s something even better – according to the League of American Bicyclists’ website, our community quickly moved up to the gold level, joining Washington, D.C., as the only other community out of 55 to earn a top ranking in the spring.
If you’re still not convinced of how terrific this award really is, then consider this – 12 communities gained silver status, 27 earned bronze and 14 received honorable mentions. The Villages earned a higher status than cities like Tallahassee; Louisville, Ky.; Clermont; Las Vegas; Gulf Shores, Ala.; San Diego, Wake Forest, N.C.; Jacksonville and Waco, Texas, to name just a few.
So what does all that mean? It’s simple, really. Our community ranks among the best of the best for places where bicyclists can enjoy riding safely, socializing with like-minded friends and getting exercise that could help keep them healthy for years to come.
We think that’s pretty special and we hope those who worked so hard to earn this honor know how much those of us who enjoy bicycling appreciate their hard work and dedication.
