Davis, California, Bicycle Capital of the U.S.: Where Does Your Community Stand?

Are you aware that May is National Bike Month? Bicycle enthusiasts all over the United States will be attending events throughout the month to celebrate this four-week holiday. From bike shops to bicyclist advocate groups to environmentally conscious organizations, groups with an intense interest in promoting the act of riding a bike will use this holiday designation as a prime motivation to meet other enthusiasts and to spread awareness about various benefits of the hobby to those who may otherwise never even consider them. It is an opportunity to honor and inspire those who already ride to become more involved and to encourage people who don't ride a bike to understand why perhaps they should.

There are many groups in this country who spend the majority of their work's focus on advocating for the regular use of bicycles as leisure tools and modes of transportation; many of them are using this National Bike Month holiday to officially kickoff new campaigns and recognize those who have had significant impact on the cause. One campaign of particular interest is that of the League of American Bicyclists. It's called the Bicycle Friendly Communities Campaign and it was designed as a way to award those cities or towns that have gone out of their way to accommodate bicycling and even better, encourage it. Riding a bicycle is not only a great way to promote physical fitness but it also helps reduce the amount of pollution in the environment. By taking dedicated measures to support the use of bicycles for transportation and leisure purposes, community officials have the opportunity to set themselves apart, as a government who not only takes actions to make their town or city a more healthy and safe place to live and visit but who also cares genuinely about contributing to its residents' overall quality of life. At a time where the state and health of our environment on Earth is a major universal concern and obesity is one of the largest issues in United States public health, a move like this would surely benefit every party involved.