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Anacortes recognized as Silver Bicycle Friendly Community; volunteers, police credited
Summary
At its Aug. 11 meeting the Anacortes City Council heard a presentation celebrating the city’s elevation to Silver level in the Bicycle Friendly Community program and heard volunteers describe years of work on bike infrastructure, education and bike donations.
Anacortes officials and volunteers celebrated the city’s elevation to Silver in the Bicycle Friendly Community program at the City Council meeting on Aug. 11, 2025.
The designation, city speakers said, reflects years of work by the Anacortes Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (APAC), city staff and the Anacortes Police Department to add bike lanes, neighborhood greenways and education programs. Councilmember Moulton introduced the presentation and invited APAC volunteers to speak about the application process and local programs.
The nut of APAC’s pitch, committee volunteer John Pope told the council, was sustained volunteer effort and city-staff cooperation. “There just aren’t that many bicycle communities that make even this level,” Pope said, noting the city joined a small group of Washington municipalities at Silver. He credited staff members including engineer Andy Ream and volunteers who supported the application and improvements.
Julie Kinder, another APAC volunteer, described on-the-ground benefits: a neighborhood greenway she used to cycle to the meeting, signs for the U.S. Bike Route that run through town and school-based bike education. “This grade that we got is a result of everyone’s effort,” Kinder said, adding the committee and city plan to post recognition signs at a few key bicycle entrances.
Council comments praised the volunteers and the police department’s long-running bike-donation program. Council members noted the program’s role in safety education for students and in providing refurbished bikes to children at no cost.
APAC volunteers also invited the public to an Open Streets event in late August to celebrate walking and bicycling in Anacortes; organizers said signage and promotional materials would appear around town and on the city website.
The council did not take any formal action on the item. The presentation materials and the APAC application are available on the city’s website; the city said staff would coordinate installation of recognition signs and follow-up items with the committee.
