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North Country Tri-Town Bike Friendly Community Campaign

A group from the Tri-Town area of Littleton, Franconia and Bethlehem have started an initiative to become the first North Country area certified by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bike Friendly Community. Currently there are five such certified communities in New Hampshire, including Concord, Hanover, Lebanon, Keene and Portsmouth. Of note is that most communities that get certified are larger towns or cities, as they tend to have more resources. The Tri-Town initiative is lay-led and so far has the overwhelming support of the Franconia and Bethlehem Selectboards and are hoping to get Littleton’s support when they meet with them in December.

The initiative’s goal is to bring visitors to the area to have a safe place to ride whether on the road, gravel, mountain bikes or fat tire bikes. There are great trail networks already in existence in all three Towns, and they’re being connected through a great Safe Routes to School project.

But it’s not only about bringing in visitors; it’s about making cycling safer for those in the community, educating children in schools as well as vehicle operators, being inclusive and making cycling available to all, as well as making sure roads and trails are well-marked for everyone’s safety.

While their goal is to make it a cycling mecca in the North Country, it’s also to reduce emissions, congestion, parking issues, all while making it a healthier environment – which is what cycling is all about!

They’re also partnering with organizations such as the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail as those routes go through Littleton and Bethlehem, providing great options for getting around some of the busier roads.

The initiative is in its early stages and they hope to submit a successful application within two years.  Learn more about LAB’s Bike Friendly Community program here.

If you are interested in helping out with this effort, please contact BWA at info@bwanh.org.