Bike Friendly Kalamazoo (BFK) surfaces near and long term goals and program 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!  

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 pull-down tabs under this menu item 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, which we do not fund directly.  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 have supported via our Bike-Booster Mini-Grants program in the past; we would consider offering grants for all the others.

Goal: Improve Public/Rider Safety

1. Bike light use campaign*
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.)
5. Studies & research related to locally relevant best practices (can also be related to the other goals)

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 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”)
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*
13. Bike Security*