The University of Iowa received an honorable mention for the Bicycle Friendly University designations administered by the League of American Bicyclists, according to a university press release.

“The designation will give us some great guidance on becoming a more bike-friendly campus,” Liz Christiansen, the director of the UI Office of Sustainability, said in the press release. “While we hoped for a higher designation, it was an honest evaluation of where we are today. It’s an honor to be included in the listings. By submitting the application, it shows that we have the interest and desire to make this a safe, accessible environment for cyclists.”

UI officials have made several efforts in recent years to promote and support bicycling on campus, including the formation of the Bicycle Advocacy Group, the creation of the bike.uiowa.edu website, and the increase in bike-related events on campus, the release said.

UI officials plan to start offering a bike-repair course and form a bike-advocacy student organization, among other things, over the course of the next year, the release said.

— by Kristen East