Knox College programs to promote bicycling, including loaning bikes to students and training student mechanics to repair and maintain the fleet of bikes, have gained Knox recognition as a "Bicycle Friendly University" from the League of American Bicyclists.

Knox's Bronze level designation as a Bicycle Friendly University was announced Wednesday, November 14. According to the League of American Bicyclists, the award "recognizes institutions of higher education for promoting and providing a more bikeable campus for students, staff and visitors."

According to Deborah Steinberg, Knox's director of sustainability initiatives, Knox's notable achievements include

• "Bike Share" program that loans more than 80 bikes to students
• Bike Shop, where student mechanics offer repair services to the campus community
• Installation in the past two years of new racks on campus for up to 40 bikes

"Congratulations to Knox College for its inclusion in a select class of 45 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Universities nationwide," stated League Executive Director Bill Nesper in a news release. "The standards are very high and require deliberate, determined efforts to earn them. Universities and colleges are in a unique leadership position to help encourage and enable people of all ages—especially young adults—to adopt healthy, sustainable habits that can benefit them throughout their lives."

The program, which now includes 193 colleges and universities, is part of the League’s larger mission to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.

"More than 3.8 million students now attend Bicycle Friendly Universities in 46 states and Washington, DC," said Amelia Neptune, director of the Bicycle Friendly University program. "From large to small, urban to rural, these educational institutions are creating a powerful community of college campuses that model and support the use of bicycles for improving health, sustainability, and transportation options."