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ORLANDO BIKEWAYS PROGRAM RECEIVES CLEAN AIR EXCELLENCE AWARD

Release Date: 03/20/2003
Contact Information: Wesley Lambert, Media Relations, U.S. EPA, Region 4 Phone: 404/562-8316

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the City of Orlando's Bikeways Program is the recipient of the 2002 Clean Air Excellence Award. The award was given to recognize and honor outstanding and innovative efforts that help to make progress in achieving cleaner air. The Orlando Bikeways Program is 1 of 21 national award winners. "From Kentucky to Colorado, and across the nation, these award winners are using innovative approaches to help make our nation's air cleaner," said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. I am proud to honor these pioneering individuals and organizations for using creative ideas, showing once again, that government and industry working together can achieve a healthy environment without sacrificing economic growth. The winners of the Clean Air Excellence Awards are real-life examples of how one person-- or one organization - - can take steps to reduce pollution can make our air cleaner." The City of Orlando developed the Orlando Bikeways program to make bicycling safer and encourage the use of this alternative transportation mode. Orlando has achieved this goal by increasing its bikeways from three miles to over 150 miles in the past 12 years. The City has publicized and promoted bicycling in numerous other ways, such as expanding the bike units and teams of the Orlando Police and Fire Departments, increasing bicycle parking availability and establishing an annual "Bike to Work Day", led by the Mayor.