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The Tucson metropolitan area has been awarded another gold-level designation for bicycle friendliness, which is good, but not really where advocates wanted to be.

Gold is the second-highest designation from the League of American Bicyclists; only a platinum award is better.

The Tucson area was first recognized as a gold region in 2006. Some of the region's cyclists and cycling advocates applied in March, hoping for a bump up to platinum this year.

"It's still something we're proud of," Gabe Thum, senior transportation planner for the Pima Association of Governments, said of maintaining the gold standard. "We're the only gold-rated region in the country," he said.

The others in the gold-rating category are single jurisdictions, usually a city. The Tucson metropolitan area's application includes eastern Pima County and other jurisdictions, such as Oro Valley.

A committee formed to compile the application focused on the areas that needed improvement in the past, including enforcement of laws for drivers and bicyclists, Thum said. The Tucson Police Department focused on drivers and cyclists near the University of Arizona, giving warnings to educate people, he said.

The passage of the Regional Transportation Plan, which includes additional bike facilities, including bike lanes on road-widening projects, also helped in the category for engineering, Thum said. The plan includes adding bike lanes, shared-use paths and bike routes, he said.

But in the end, all that was not enough. Although the official announcement from the League of American Bicyclists is expected Thursday, PAG announced the results Tuesday. In the past Davis, Calif., has been the only community to receive a platinum award.

Recommendations for improvement will be issued by the league next month, said Bill Nesper, director of the organization's Bicycle Friendly Community program.

A local celebration of the gold designation is planned for May 15 in the Copper Room of the Randolph Golf Complex, 600 S. Alvernon Way. An 8 a.m. celebration ride with Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup will be followed by a keynote address at 9 a.m.

The next round of applications is due in four years, rather than two years, to give communities more time to make greater strides in reaching the friendliness goals, Thum said.