Garden City - In December, the League of American Bicyclists has again named the Ada County Highway District a Silver-Level Bicycle Friendly Business. The honor was previously bestowed upon ACHD in 2012. The award, ranging in honors from Bronze to Platinum, is given to businesses that show a commitment to bicycling. Applications for the honor are reviewed for engineering, education, encouragement and evaluation efforts.
The Ada County Highway District has long encouraged cycling, both as an employer and as a transportation agency. The ACHD Commission approved the Roadways to Bikeways Plan in 2009, the purpose of which is to install bicycle facilities within a quarter of a mile of 95 percent of residents within Ada County. The county currently has 760 miles of bike lanes and over 300 wayfinding signs.
"We are honored to be recognized again for our commitment to promoting bicycling as an alternate form of transportation among our staff," said ACHD Commission President Rebecca Arnold. "We will continue to invest not only in the many programs and provisions we provide to our employees, but also to our commitment to providing bicycle infrastructure with every project we are able to."
As an employer, ACHD encourages employees who want to commute on bicycle by providing showers for employees to refresh before the work day, a safe place to secure their bikes, and commuting incentives for participating employees. ACHD's B.E.S.T. Program (Benefits for Effective and Smart Transportation) encourages ACHD employees to track their commutes and enter those numbers into monthly and annual drawings for various prizes. ACHD employees also receive a free membership with Boise Green Bike through our Bike Share Program.
My Commuter Crew Program also encourages people (both ACHD employees and others) to track their commutes. Each trip is worth 1/2 point, and once 35 points have been accrued, commuters can select a $10 gift card.
The Highway District also works closely with the ACHD Bicycle Advisory Committee, a committee made up of area cyclists who advise the district about how best to design roadways and other infrastructure to better accommodate cyclists.
Previously, Ada County won the Silver award in 2016 and 2012 after first being named a Bronze-Level Community in 2004.
