Washington, D.C. - October 24, 2012 - Yale and Princeton are already among the nation's elite colleges. Now they're among the top universities when it comes to bicycling, too.   

Today the League of American Bicyclists announced the designation of nine new Bicycle Friendly Universities, growing the program to 44 colleges in 25 states.  

 Click here to see the full list.

"Just like many students aspire to an Ivy League education, a growing number of college students want their university to be smart about biking, too" said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. "Young adults want to drive less and ride more -- and they're choosing schools, like Yale and Princeton, that are making bicycling a vibrant part of campus life."

At Yale, a new Bronze level BFU, bicycling is on the rise, thanks to both a student and a departmental bike sharing system; "commuter counseling" for the Yale community; an annual Bicyclist Appreciation Breakfast and more. 

"With Yale's dedicated leadership in sustainability, creating a safe and attractive environment at Yale for bicyclists and reducing single occupancy vehicle usage in the city are goals for us and many in our community," said Holly Parker, Yale's Director of Sustainable Transportation. "We're grateful for the attention this award will draw to the extraordinary combined efforts of the City of New Haven, local advocacy through Elm City Cycling, and the university. Together, we will continue making a difference."   

At Princeton, also a Bronze BFU, new students get information about bicycling in their welcome packets, introducing them to the large network of campus paths, weekly bike maintenance classes, plentiful bike parking, free bike locks and the wide array of U-Bikes and CycLab programs and events.  

"Princeton is honored to become part of the Bicycle Friendly University program," said Andrea DeRose of the University's Transportation & Parking Services. "The University encourages biking as an efficient mode of transportation for faculty, staff and students -- and strives to increase the number of bicycle-related facilities and bicycle-related polices on campus." 

Also in this round, the University of Utah shot up the ranks to a Silver designation in its first application. With innovative on-road facilities, bicycle-related academic course offerings, a successful anti-theft campaign, on-campus bike rental and bike collective, and a wealth of pro-cycling policies, the Utes aren't stopping at Silver.  

"Bikes and their riders are not strangers here at the University of Utah -- over the years cycling has gathered more attention as a healthy and sustainable mode of active transportation," said Heidi Goedhart, the university's Bicycle Coordinator. "We're conveniently situated within a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community that is surrounded by excellent mountain bike and road bikeways, as well as a growing cycling community. With the adoption of our new Bicycle Master Plan, we have proven our commitment to planning the university's future with bicycles by outlining a set of clear goals and objectives."

The BFU program provides the roadmap and technical assistance to create great campuses for cycling. To apply or learn more, visit www.bikeleague.org/university.