In a nutshell, Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s mission is to help make our greater community even more bicycle friendly.  To fulfill our mission, BFK surfaces near and long-term needs via an annual poll, feedback from stakeholders and in Annual Public, quarterly community-wide Bike Program Steering Committee and Diversity & Bicycle Leaders Meetings.  Interested in participating?  Please Contact Us.  BFK has an all-volunteer board with no staff.  Core Teams throughout the community undertake implementation, and we encourage the community to think of creative ways to implement these programs, whether or not you are part of the Bike Program Steering Committee or a Core Team!  

We often leverage our own efforts by supporting other organizations that make our greater community even more bicycle friendly.  Sometimes our support comes in the form of financial assistance.  With that in mind, the goals and programs listed below are considered by BFK’s board as eligible for seed, matching and/or full funding from BFK.  We think such support is justified in order to have an impact.  Please see our Bike-Booster Mini-Grants and Scholarships pages for more information about how we may be able to help.  For funding programs above the ceilings we mention on our website, please Contact Us.

Please see the individual tabs for more details about our featured programs.  We list them here, as well:
– All Kids Bike
– Bike-Booster Mini-Grants
– Driving Change
– Fall Bike Celebration
– Kalamazoo Area Bike Week
– Public Art
– Reward Fund
– Scholarships.

Other goals involve policy and related changes aligned with BFK’s mission to help make our greater community even more bicycle friendly (but we do not believe will require funding from BFK), that we will be working toward as well — such as infrastructure improvements.  Policy related goals are not listed here and are addressed as opportunities arise.

Program numbering is for reference and does not indicate priority.  *Asterisks indicate programs we encourage and have supported via our Bike-Booster Mini-Grants program; we would consider offering grants for all the others.

Goal: Improve Public/Rider Safety

1. Bike light use campaign* (e.g., by providing best practices and funding)
2. Law enforcement: selective traffic law enforcement efforts, bike related equipment (e.g., see BFK’s Reward Fund)
3. Public Service Announcements (e.g., our local Driving Change Program)
4. Signage (Traffic: wayfinding, reducing wrong-way riding, etc.; see our support of the community-wide Bike Program Steering Committee and Kalamazoo Region Bike Route Committee)
5. Studies & research related to locally relevant best practices (often also related to the other goals; for examples, see the resources we have compiled related to Costs, Benefits & Statistics, Ideas in Practice, Planning & Policy Examples, and Standards and Guidelines)

Goal: Maintain & Increase Bicycle Friendly Education Opportunities

6. Bicycle donations for bike education programs (learn more at our Shops & Services page)
7. Support new and existing bike skills education (e.g., All-Kids-Bike Kindergarten Learn to Ride PE Program; overlaps with #8)
8. Increase number of local Certified Cycling Instructors (see our Scholarships program)

Goal: Increase Bicycling Participation / Ridership

9. Bike Maps (overlaps with signing the Southwest Michigan Bikeway, aka KATS 2045’s “Map 7”; see Where to Ride)
10. Events: Kalamazoo Bike Week (www.kalamazoobikeweek.org), Fall Bike Celebration (www.fallbikecelebration.org)
11. Public Bike-Related Art, Trail Enhancements, Civic Displays & Exhibits (e.g., BFK’s Public Art programs)
12. Bike Racks* (promoted via our social media postings as well as funding)
13. Bike Security* (promoted via our social media postings as well as funding)