Time to grab your helmet and cycling crew for a victory lap: today, the League of American Bicyclists, a national organization that strives to make a “Bicycle Friendly America,” has recognized Tampa as the No. 1 city in Florida for biker-accessible businesses.
Eleven Tampa businesses have been awarded a medal ranking out of the 100 new awardees for 2015, with six Downtown businesses receiving honorable mentions. There are now well over 1,000 Bicycle Friendly Businesses throughout 47 states and DC that hold this special honor. Check to see if your local favorites made the list this year:
Tampa General Hospital — Silver Level
The Blind Tiger Cafe — Silver Level
Buddy Brew Coffee — Silver Level
Duckweed Urban Grocery — Silver Level
Spain Restaurant & Toma Bar — Silver Level
Downtown Tampa YMCA, 100 N. Tampa — Bronze Level
Ferg’s Live – Bronze Level
Downtown Tampa YMCA, Fort Brooke — Bronze Level
Old Tampa Book Company — Bronze Level
Anise Global Gastrobar — Bronze Level
Tampa Pizza Company — Bronze Level
Hablo Taco — Honorable Mention
Splitsville — Honorable Mention
The Franklin — Honorable Mention
European Wax — Honorable Mention
The Cry Baby Café — Honorable Mention
Cafe DuFrain — Honorable Mention
These businesses took steps to get certification through Bike Friendly Tampa, who has certified 29 local businesses, before applying for this national award. With higher demands for safer cycling conditions, Tampa has worked to meet those needs with numerous cycling lanes, bike trails, and bike racks throughout the Downtown area.
Between biker friendly roads and businesses, along with the rise of weekly and monthly cycling groups, there’s no reason not to hop on the saddle and get peddling.
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2015.
