BFCs come in all shapes and sizes – from small rural centres to bustling urban metropolises. All BFCs must take a comprehensive approach that incorporates all 5 Es (Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Evaluation & Planning, Equity & Accessibility). What makes an individual community bicycle-friendly varies from place to place, and no two BFCs are the same!

If your community is investing time and money into becoming more bicycle friendly, your efforts deserve recognition! The BFC application provides a checklist to assess community assets, recognize gaps, and identify possibilities. 

Each time a community reaches an award level, they will receive one highway-quality bilingual road sign, a digital award icon, and be included in a press release announcing your designation. 

Designated communities will also receive discounted registration to the Ontario Bike Summit for their 4-year term. 

Even if your community doesn’t quite reach the requirements to be awarded a Bronze designation or higher, applying is well worth the time. With the new BFC Application launched in 2024, all applicants receive a detailed BFC Feedback Report with the score earned in each of the 5Es (out of 100 percent), and comparative data from other communities. Communities will be able to identify subcategories where they community scored well and where there are gaps to be filled. 

Between 2022-2024, the BFC program underwent a significant update, with enhancements to data collection and reporting, and introduction of a new standalone section, Equity. Starting in 2024, there is a fee to apply to the BFC program based on the size of your community as follows:

$750 for <25 000 residents

$1500 for 2500 – 100 000 residents

$3000 for > 100 000 residents

This fee covers a 4-year term, and includes a detailed Feedback Report and discounted OBS registration. Fees are due within a week of submitting the application.

Applicants must complete the comprehensive online application and three local reviewer forms to be considered for an award. All components must be submitted before the deadline. It is recommended that a team of experts collaborate to complete the online application over several months. The local reviewer form takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Any local municipality, military base, aboriginal territory or regional municipality can apply to the BFC program. Usually, a community staff member responsible for cycling issues generally serves as the lead applicant, with support from a range of stakeholders including public agencies, non-profit organizations and local cycling groups.

No, both first-time applicants and renewing applicants fill out the same form. However, if you applied in 2018 or later using the, you can transfer data from your previous application to the current application. Application data prior to 2018 is still available in PDF format. Email [email protected] and we can send you a copy.

Successful applicants typically create a task force of experts for each of the 5Es to complete the application form. We recommend that a municipal or regional staff member serves as the lead applicant and adds other key stakeholders (e.g., student transportation services, public health) as collaborators on the form. Collaborators may view and edit information on the form, but only the lead applicant may submit it. 

BFC designations are valid for 4 years and must then be renewed to ensure that municipalities continue to make investments and keep up with the latest developments in bicycle friendliness.

Our program partners have created and curated a tremendous number of transferable programs and projects.

Check out this video describing BFC resources available on Vélo Québec’s website, featuring Louis Lalonde, Chargé de projet, mouvement VÉLOSYMPATHIQUE.

Learn more about the BFC Ideabook created by the League of American Bicyclists through this video featuring Amelia Neptune, Director of Bicycle Friendly America.

Though STR is no longer running the Bicycle Friendly Business program in Ontario, organizations and businesses that welcome cyclists may apply for Bicycle Friendly Business certification through Ontario By Bike. 

Businesses in Quebec may apply to become a VÉLOSYMPATHIQUE certified organization. 

Businesses in the United States may apply to the Bicycle Friendly Business program.

Starting in 2024, there will be one application deadline per year. The next deadline is October 11, 2024.

Following the deadline, the application, 3 local reviews, and any supplemental material is reviewed by STR and an external panel of judges comprised of bicycle professionals. The comprehensive review process takes approximately 5 months and includes comparisons to communities with similar characteristics across Canada and the United States. In some cases, the panel of judges will request additional information or clarification before a final decision is reached.

All lead applicants are notified of the result by email and receive a Feedback Report. All BFC award winners receive a digital award badge, one Bicycle Friendly Community road sign (when a new level is reached), and access to exclusive BFC-CAA bicycle racks. The awards are announced in a news release and celebrated at the Ontario Bike Summit.

Applicants must meet minimum scoring thresholds in order to receive a BFC designation. Some applicants – those that fall just short of a Bronze designation – may receive an Honorable Mention that is valid for 2 years. However, all applicants, regardless of the outcome, will receive a detailed Feedback Report with comparative data that can be used to guide future work towards a designation.

Yes! Contact [email protected] if you are a designated BFC and would like to order additional BFC signs or purchase sign artwork to procure your own signs locally.