Before hosting the 2024 Olympics, Paris rewrote the transportation playbook for host cities. In two years, the French capital added 34 miles of new protected bike routes, created more than 27,000 bike parking spaces, and made all 35 Olympic venues safely accessible by bike, earning the unofficial title of the "first bikeable Olympics." With Los Angeles set to host the 2028 Summer Games — and dozens of North American cities preparing to host matches during the 2026 World Cup and 2031 Women’s World Cup — the U.S. bike industry, local leaders, and advocates have a rare opportunity to use major international events as catalysts for bike improvements that will last long after the final whistle and closing ceremony.

Here's what Paris did, why it worked, and lessons LA and other host cities can follow.

Start With Political Will — Everything Else Follows

Paris didn't become bikeable overnight. The groundwork was laid nearly a decade before the Olympic torch arrived. Mayor Anne Hidalgo launched Plan Vélo in 2015, committing the equivalent of $290 million to expand protected bike lanes citywide. The payoff came quickly: Paris raised bike ridership 54% in a single year, driven almost entirely by new, protected infrastructure.

The Olympics then accelerated what political leadership had already set in motion. Just two years before the opening ceremony, existing routes to venues were unmarked and dangerous and early Olympic planning focused exclusively on buses and rail. Advocates pushed for cycling to be included. City officials listened and moved fast.

The lesson for LA: Lasting transportation improvements require both public support and consistent leadership. LA voters have already signaled their support through a 2024 ballot measure demanding a mobility safety plan, but the city has yet to outline its implementation. Mayor Bass' most recent budget also cut funding to the two agencies responsible for street safety.

The centerpiece of Paris' build was the "olympiste" network — more than 37 miles of permanent, protected paths connecting every competition site. All of it was built to stay. Those new cycle paths brought the total across the Ile-de-France region to more than 400 kilometers of protected lanes. The 10,000 temporary bike racks installed at venues didn't disappear after the closing ceremony, either. They were redistributed to schools, sports centers, and municipal facilities across the city.

This is the contrast with past host cities. Rio de Janeiro rapidly deployed 450 kilometers of bike lanes for the 2016 Games, then let them fall apart from systemic neglect. Beijing built a bike share network for 2008 that gradually declined due to safety, pricing, and policy failures. Event-driven infrastructure that isn't embedded in a city's long-term network doesn't survive.

The lesson for LA: Every lane, every rack, and every bike share dock built for 2028 should be designed as a permanent city asset from day one, not a temporary amenity.

Bike Share + Parking Are Just as Important as the Lanes

Infrastructure is more than pavement. For the Games, Paris expanded its Vélib Métropole bike share fleet by 3,000 bikes to 20,000 total and added 10 new stations. Lime brought an additional 5,000 electric bicycles online, bringing the city's total e-bike share fleet to 15,000. All told, more than 46,000 rental bikes were available during the Games, many of them electric.

Parking also kept pace. More than 3,000 permanent bike rack spaces were installed around the Stade de France before the Games. A solar-covered, high-tech bike parking facility opened at a major train station, and a double-decker rack facility went in at the stadium itself. Paris knew that to get people riding, their entire ride needed to be easy — including the final destination.

The lesson for LA: Protected lanes without abundant, convenient, and secure parking as well as accessible bike share make for an incomplete bike network. The full system has to work together.

The Legacy Is Real, But There Are Still Lessons to Improve On

The numbers from post-Olympic Paris are striking. Cycling now accounts for 11.2% of all trips in Paris, versus just 4.3% by car. This is a remarkable shift from 2010, when bikes represented just 3% of travel.

But recent research adds important nuance. A 2026 study of post-Olympic bike lane utilization found that buffer zones around Olympic routes retained only 26%–59% of their peak Games-era usage. The takeaway isn't that the infrastructure failed — it's that Olympic bike infrastructure must be designed as connective tissue in a citywide low-stress network, not as standalone showcase corridors. Paris's broader network is what's sustaining ridership gains. The olympiste paths work because they connect to everything else.

We've covered the contrast between ambitious commitments and slower-than-hoped execution before. The cities that close that gap are the ones that treat advocacy, political will, and construction as a continuous, coordinated effort — not sequential steps.

Paris had a decade of groundwork before the Olympics arrived. L.A. has less than three years.

The good news: Los Angeles already has a strong network of transportation advocates working to create a safer, more connected bike network. Organizations like Move LA, BikeLA, and ActiveSGV are helping lead the effort locally, creating an opportunity for LA to build on proven strategies while tailoring them to the city's unique needs. They also have an opportunity to learn from groups like Paris en Selle — a key driver of the Paris bike build — who have shared lessons from that success with advocates preparing for the 2028 Olympics. 

Even better, PeopleForBikes is already on the ground in Los Angeles. Through Ride LA Together, we're bringing the U.S. bike industry, national groups, and  local partners together to build the political and public will for quality, lasting bike infrastructure ahead of 2028 and get more people excited about riding bikes more often. Our City Ratings data identifies exactly where LA's low-stress network gaps are most critical — and where Olympic investment would deliver the greatest long-term impact.

PeopleForBikes is rallying support around six key infrastructure projects already in motion across the region.

Festival Trail: The Festival Trail envisions a network of car-free, multi-modal corridors linking Olympic venues, green spaces, and neighborhoods across Los Angeles County. The project also includes Resiliency Hubs along the route — public spaces with shade, water, charging stations, and restrooms — investments that will benefit locals and visitors long after the Games.

LA River Bikeway: Metro's LA River Path project looks to deliver a new protected bike and pedestrian path along a critical transportation corridor — an approximately 8-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River, running from the Valley through Downtown LA and Long Beach.

Rail to River: This 4-mile active transportation connection would link the Metro A Line's Slauson Station to the LA River, running through the Bell, Huntington Park, and Florence-Firestone neighborhoods — communities that are densely populated, transit-dependent, and historically underserved with safe places to bike.

Western Our Way: Between 2010 and 2019, 136 severe and fatal collisions occurred on a 4.5-mile stretch of Western Avenue. This project targets that corridor directly with protected bike lanes, pedestrian safety improvements, and new crossings.

San Gabriel Valley Greenway: The San Gabriel Valley Greenway Network plan would create 130 miles of connected bike paths, trails, and green space across the San Gabriel Valley, built along the region's existing flood control channels and river easements. The project vastly improves Olympic venue access while also delivering on long-term regional connectivity, emissions reduction, and stormwater management goals.

Sunset4All: This community-led campaign looks to bring 3.2 miles of protected bike lanes, pedestrian improvements, trees, and pocket parks to Sunset Boulevard. Sunset4All has identified more than $600 million in eligible grant opportunities by installing protected bike lanes, making it one of the highest leverage projects ahead of 2028.

By 2028, priority bike projects are funded and built, creating connected, low-stress networks that make it safe and easy for more people to bike. With those improved networks, participation grows, with more people biking across LA not just for the Olympics, but for everyday trips for years to come. 

The 2028 Olympic Games are around the corner. Paris showed the world what a city looks like when it chooses to meet the moment. The U.S. bike industry, advocates, and local leaders need to make sure Los Angeles makes the same choice — and makes it now.

Ready to get involved? Reach out to PeopleForBikes at info@peopleforbikes.org to learn more.

What Paris Built for the Olympics Should Be Los Angeles’ Blueprint for 2028

PeopleForBikes’ mission and work to make biking better for everyone and help the United States become the best place in the world to ride a bike wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our partners. That’s why we’re proud to work with REI to advance safe, fun, and connected places to ride and ensure everyone can experience the joy and benefits of getting outside.

Since 2022, REI’s support has helped PeopleForBikes produce a first-of-its-kind recreational access tool, accelerate bike infrastructure in key states, and improve bikeability in countless communities nationwide. In 2026, REI is helping us go even further with support focused on our Ride LA Together initiative and improving our tools and resources to create more connected bike networks in communities across the U.S. 

In 2022, REI supported the development of our Recreational Bicycling Access Tool, which measures how well people can reach trails, bike parks, pump tracks, and other off-road biking opportunities close to home. Our existing Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA) tool already scores how safely and comfortably people can travel by bike to everyday destinations, and the Recreational Bicycling Access tool extended that framework to measure access to off-road riding opportunities. The project helped define what "good access" to recreational bicycling actually means and provide local leaders a map of where improvements can make the biggest difference.

Infrastructure Wins in California and Michigan

With subsequent support in 2024, PeopleForBikes partnered with nine local coalitions in California and Michigan — including the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative, the Detroit Greenways Coalition, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, and Bike East Bay — to accelerate critical bike projects and close longstanding network gaps. That year, PeopleForBikes also supported the passage of $12 billion in state and local funding for bike projects in those two states, a historic Complete Streets mandate in Los Angeles, and reduced speed limit legislation in Michigan.

By the end of 2025, those efforts had compounded. Through our VoteForBikes program, we helped secure $2.2 billion in additional state and local bike and pedestrian funding — including $300 million in Chicago, $273 million in California, and $5 million in New Mexico. We also tracked more than 2,400 local bike projects nationwide and expanded our City Ratings to 2,541 U.S. cities and 360 international cities, supporting communities across the U.S. in making the proper investments to become great places to ride.

2026 + Beyond: Safer Streets, Stronger Networks, More Riders

PeopleForBikes' 2026 REI grant supports our core mission: getting more people riding bikes more often by making biking safer, more accessible, and more connected for people of all ages and abilities. Our three priorities driving our work this year:

Accelerate the construction of safe and connected places to ride through coalition building, local advocacy, community engagement, and campaigns like VoteForBikes. In Los Angeles, this includes Ride LA Together — a coalition-driven initiative to get more people riding bikes more often and build a safe, connected bike network across the region ahead of the 2028 Olympics with partners including Move LA, Active San Gabriel Valley, the Los Angeles Bicycle Academy, and BikeLA. 

Invest in the people who make this work happen. Through expert-led webinars, policy support, trainings, and practical tools, we're helping advocates, planners, and policymakers to plan, fund, and deliver great places to ride in their communities.

Continue to strengthen our data and measurement tools — including City Ratings, the Recreational Bicycling Access Tool, and our Bike Project Tracker — so communities can benchmark progress, prioritize investments, and make the case for critical funding.

Want to help move this work forward? Become a PeopleForBikes Foundation member, explore City Ratings to see how your community scores, and sign up for PeopleForBikes’ newsletter to be the first to know when you can take action for better biking near you. The momentum is building. Every rider, every mile, and every investment counts.

REI + PeopleForBikes: Building a Brighter Future for Biking

Last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), a bipartisan proposal to reauthorize federal transportation funding programs for five years. The 1,005-page bill includes major investments in roads, bridges, transit, and bicycle infrastructure.

The legislation would directly impact federal funding for bike lanes, trails, greenways, and transportation safety programs across the country. PeopleForBikes and our partners spent the past year advocating to preserve and strengthen key bicycle infrastructure and safety programs included in the bill. Learn more about PeopleForBikes efforts to shape the bill here.

The last surface transportation reauthorization bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, included big wins for bicycling thanks to the work of PeopleForBikes and our partners.

Federal transportation policy shapes how communities fund bike lanes, trails, connected active transportation networks, and roadway safety improvements. The next transportation bill will influence billions of dollars in future investment — affecting riders and local communities for years to come. Federal investment in bike infrastructure also plays a significant role in expanding ridership, improving access, and supporting long-term growth for the U.S. bicycle industry.

Key Bike Infrastructure and Safety Provisions in the BUILD America 250 Act

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)

What it is: TAP is the nation’s largest dedicated federal funding source for bike lanes, trails, sidewalks, and active transportation infrastructure.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act reauthorizes TAP at an average of $1.6 billion annually, a modest increase over current funding levels. However, the bill also makes it easier for states to transfer TAP funding away from bike and pedestrian projects.

Why it matters: TAP is one of the most important federal programs supporting local bike infrastructure projects nationwide. Changes to the program could directly impact future investment in connected bike networks and safer streets.

PeopleForBikes’ position: Preserving and increasing TAP funding is a top PeopleForBikes priority. We support the funding increase but remain concerned about provisions that could weaken long-term protections for bike infrastructure funding.

What it is: The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program funds local transportation safety planning and infrastructure projects aimed at reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries.

What changed: The bill reauthorizes the program at $3.75 billion over five years, slightly below IIJA funding levels. It also shifts the program towards implementation projects and lowers local cost-share burdens for communities.

Why it matters: SS4A has become one of the most important federal funding sources for bike safety improvements and Vision Zero initiatives across the country.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes strongly supports continued funding for SS4A alongside efforts to make the program more accessible for local communities building safer bike infrastructure.

What it is: RTP funds the development and maintenance of trails, greenways, and off-road active transportation infrastructure.

What changed: The bill reauthorizes RTP at $84 million annually and includes language clarifying that electric bicycles are allowed on non-motorized RTP-funded trails.

Why it matters: RTP supports access to trails and outdoor recreation nationwide, while the e-bike clarification provides additional certainty for riders and land managers.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports RTP reauthorization and advocated for the inclusion of e-bike access language in the bill.

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

What it is: HSIP is the federal government’s core transportation safety funding program.

What changed: The bill increases HSIP funding and retains IIJA requirements directing high-risk states to invest more resources into vulnerable road user safety.

Why it matters: HSIP funding helps communities address dangerous road conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports maintaining strong vulnerable road user safety requirements within HSIP.

Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act

What it is: This legislation aims to reduce barriers that prevent communities from building connected bike networks and safer active transportation infrastructure. Learn more here.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act includes provisions that improve eligibility for connected bike networks and reduce financial barriers for local governments using TAP funding.

Why it matters: These changes could help communities deliver larger, more connected bike infrastructure projects.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports these provisions as an important step toward accelerating investment in connected bike infrastructure.

What it is: The BIKE Act expands eligibility for bicycle safety education and training within federal traffic safety funding programs.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act adds bicycle training and education as an eligible use of federal behavioral safety funding through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Why it matters: This change could increase support for bicycle safety education programs nationwide.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports expanding federal support for bicycle education and rider safety initiatives.

Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP)

What it is: ATIIP is a federal grant program that funds connected active transportation networks.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act repeals the program.

Why it matters: ATIIP was designed to help communities build large-scale connected bike and trail networks. Eliminating the program could slow future investment in transformative active transportation projects.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes views the repeal of ATIIP as a significant setback for connected bike infrastructure and active transportation investment across the U.S.

Surface Transportation Accelerator Grant Program (STAG)

What it is: STAG is a new discretionary grant program supporting transportation projects in rural, urban, local, and regional communities.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act creates this new program with broad transportation project eligibility. 

Why it matters: Because the program is highly competitive and broadly defined, bicycle infrastructure projects may struggle to compete for funding.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports strong eligibility for bike infrastructure projects within discretionary transportation funding programs, including dedicated funding programs for bicycle infrastructure.

What it is: The bill includes a federal study focused on micromobility safety and children.

What changed: The legislation excludes additional language supported by PeopleForBikes related to the safety risks posed by high-speed e-moto devices.

Why it matters: Federal research could shape future micromobility safety policy and product regulation.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports stronger federal attention to e-moto safety concerns and continues to advocate for clearer distinctions between low-speed e-bikes and high-speed motorized devices.

What it is: The Safe Routes to School movement supports safer walking and biking access for students traveling to school in communities nationwide.

What changed: The BUILD America 250 Act does not include the Kids on the Go Act, which would encourage states to employ Safe Routes to School coordinators.

Why it matters: Safe Routes to School programs improve student safety and increase active transportation options for families.

PeopleForBikes’ position: PeopleForBikes supports stronger federal support for Safe Routes to School programs and local coordination efforts.

What the BUILD America 250 Act Means for Bikes, Trails, and U.S. Transportation Funding

Biking has long been a core part of the culture in Mill Valley, California. Mount Tamalpais, or Mount Tam to locals, sits just north of the city and is best known as the birthplace of mountain biking. In addition to this extensive network of trails, residents of Mill Valley are now seeing more opportunities for biking even closer to home.

A Holistic Approach to Solving Transportation Problems

Located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, the roads of Mill Valley were originally laid out to serve a more rural population. As the population grew, the city’s geography limited opportunities for major infrastructural changes — there simply wasn’t room to add more car lanes. With traffic increasingly impacting daily life, Mill Valley needed to find a better solution to move people safely and efficiently to the places they wanted to go.

The city council recognized the opportunity for a transportation modeshift, and also the need to approach the issue of traffic more holistically. In 2023, Mill Valley created the Transportation Mobility Advisory Committee (TMAC), which addresses the four major modes of transportation: cars, buses, bikes, and walking.

Building a More Bikeable City: Applying the SPRINT Principles

Summarized by the acronym SPRINT, PeopleForBikes identified six principles that can help cities of all sizes become great places to ride:

Mill Valley has already applied a number of these principles in their work to improve biking locally, best exemplified by the Miller Avenue project. Miller Avenue is essentially one of the  main streets in and out of Mill Valley, and the city completed a major overhaul of the road in 2018 with continued improvements in the years since.

Safe Speeds: Mill Valley lowered the speed limit on Miller Avenue from 30 mph down to 25 mph, aligning with NACTO guidelines. The city has also been proactive about lowering speed limits on other key streets, especially near schools.

Protected Lanes: A buffered bike lane was added in each direction along Miller Avenue.

Reallocating Space: Miller Avenue was narrowed down to one lane in certain parts to allow for the construction of the buffered bike lane. In another part of town, an agreement was made to construct a multi-use path through the middle of a golf course, improving connectivity between the neighborhood and downtown.

Intersection Treatments: The city is working on a safety corridor study on Miller Avenue, which includes looking at how to improve the safety of two major intersections for bikes, pedestrians, and cars.

Network Connectivity: Mill Valley is currently updating its bike/pedestrian plan and connectivity will be a big focus in prioritizing future projects which will be reviewed annually. The city also puts a lot of emphasis on connecting to surrounding towns, collaborating on mutli-use paths that provide additional opportunities for getting around by bike.

Trusted Data: A representative from Mill Valley attended PeopleForBikes’ mapathons and updated their OpenStreetMap data to better reflect Mill Valley’s infrastructure, leading to a more accurate City Ratings score.

Bike and pedestrian infrastructure has long been a key part of Mill Valley’s city planning strategy. Equally important is the support of residents for safer places to walk and bike. With the construction of new bike lanes, the culture around bikes as transportation has started to shift.

“The thing about humans is we like to do what other people are doing. If you are stuck in traffic and you're looking at people on their bikes riding by, you go, ‘You know what? There's probably a better way of doing this. Maybe I should [ride] too.’,” says Urban Carmel, Mill Valley city councilmember and former mayor. “The Miller Avenue bike lane is really important because it's a billboard for what we're trying to create.”

By building infrastructure that provides a comfortable, safe, connected alternative to driving, Mill Valley is proactively supporting a modeshift and creating a culture of biking throughout the city. With the rising popularity of e-bikes and cargo bikes, this culture is expanding to a much broader array of people.

“Advocacy looks different now because it covers so many segments of our population,” says Kat Jones, another city councilmember. “It's a lot easier to gain support for bike infrastructure from this broad swath of the population. It just has a different face than it did before. A nice bike lane has really changed a lot of lives.”

Bill Hoppin, chair of TMAC, describes Mill Valley as a city where residents have pride in their town and want to see it continue to improve and be best-in-class as a place to live and raise a family. They also growingly see a clear 1:1 relationship for traffic reduction that results when one trip by car is replaced by a bike. This is why Hoppin selected PeopleForBikes’ City Ratings program, because it’s a clear, data-driven way to measure annual progress and maintain momentum.

“We want to do really well on this, and we think that PeopleForBikes can help us fundamentally create a better, safer, more sustainable city — a city that lives up to the values it proclaims,” says Hoppin. “It's not going to happen overnight, so having an annual ranking that can show incremental improvement and progress is critical and we are excited for what comes next.”

Stay tuned for the release of PeopleForBikes’ 2026 City Ratings in June, highlighting communities like Mill Valley that are building connected, low-stress networks. This year, new census data, refined bike network analyses, and updated design standards are reshaping how cities are scored. Learn more here.

Building a Culture of Biking in Mill Valley, California

When New York City installed protected bike lanes on 9th Avenue, something remarkable happened: injuries for all street users fell by 58%. Across NYC corridors with protected bike lanes, pedestrian injury rates have dropped by 12 to 52% depending on the corridor. These infrastructure improvements aren't just making streets safer for cyclists — they're protecting everyone who uses our roads.

Protected bike lanes do more than separate cyclists from cars. They fundamentally reshape how streets function, creating multiple safety benefits for pedestrians as well as people riding bikes. By placing a physical barrier between the bike lane and vehicle traffic, these designs shorten crossing distances at intersections. That means instead of navigating across multiple lanes of mixed traffic, pedestrians cross distinct, predictable zones.

The safety improvements are dramatic. Streets with protected bike lanes in New York City typically see injury crashes drop by 40% for all road users — drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Some locations have recorded reductions exceeding 50%. A comprehensive study across 12 large U.S. cities found that streets with protected bike lanes had 44% fewer deaths and 50% fewer serious injuries compared to average American streets.

These lanes also reduce turning conflicts at intersections. When cyclists have their own protected space, drivers making turns have clearer sightlines and fewer potential collision points. The result is less traffic weaving, fewer sudden movements, and more predictable street behavior — all factors that directly benefit pedestrian safety.

Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco demonstrate what's possible when cities commit to protected infrastructure. Portland's fatality rate dropped 75% between 1990 and 2010 as the city built out its protected bike network. Seattle saw a 60.6% decline, while San Francisco recorded a 49.3% reduction in fatal crashes during similar periods of infrastructure investment.

The key to these successes lies in thinking about the broader network. Cities that connect protected bike lanes into comprehensive networks see exponentially better results than those installing isolated segments. Evidence from Austin, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. shows ridership gains of 21 to 171% when protected lanes connect into networks — with proportional safety improvements following.

Philadelphia offers another compelling example. After expanding its protected bike lane network, the city saw a 95% increase in ridership. More cyclists using protected infrastructure means fewer riding on sidewalks — New York City documented sidewalk riding dropping by up to 84% after installing protected lanes, directly enhancing pedestrian safety.

Not all bike lanes deliver equal safety benefits. A 13-year analysis of more than 17,000 fatalities and 77,000 severe injuries across major U.S. cities revealed that only physically separated protected bike lanes improve safety. Painted lanes showed no benefit — and in some cases increased risk compared to unmarked roads. The distinction is crucial: physical separation changes driver behavior and creates genuine protection.

Research from the University of Colorado Denver and University of New Mexico, with findings highlighted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, confirms that cities with more protected bike lane footage per square mile experience fewer fatalities and serious injuries across all road users. However, the study also highlighted that design quality matters. Lanes with frequent driveway crossings, like Washington D.C.'s 15th Street NW, pose higher risks than fully separated or raised designs.

The most effective protected bike lanes use concrete barriers, planters, or parked cars as buffers — not just flexible posts. These robust separations cut cyclist-motorist crashes by 53% while reducing injuries for all street users. Streets with these high-quality protected lanes experience 28% fewer injuries per mile than those without any bike infrastructure.

Despite overwhelming evidence, some community members worry that bike lanes make streets more dangerous. The data tells a different story. New York City's comprehensive analysis shows protected lanes reduce total deaths and serious injuries by 18.1%. For pedestrians specifically, these lanes cut deaths and serious injuries by 29.1%, with an even more impressive 39% reduction for seniors.

This safety improvement extends beyond direct infrastructure benefits. Protected bike lanes calm traffic speeds, encourage more predictable driver behavior, and create visual cues that remind all road users to stay alert. They transform chaotic, multi-use spaces into organized corridors where each mode of transportation has its designated place.

An April 2025 analysis of protected bike lane impacts reinforced these findings, directly countering narratives that bike infrastructure endangers streets. As cities expand these networks using federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we're seeing consistent safety improvements across diverse urban environments.

For advocates and community members pushing for safer streets, the evidence provides a clear roadmap. Focus on building connected networks rather than isolated lanes. Push for physically separated designs with robust barriers. Use city-specific data in local campaigns — statistics from peer cities can be powerful tools for change.

When engaging with local officials, emphasize that protected bike lanes aren't just cycling infrastructure, they're comprehensive safety improvements that benefit all road users, especially pedestrians. The 44% reduction in deaths and 50% drop in serious injuries across 12 major cities represents thousands of lives saved and injuries prevented.

Protected bike lanes represent one of the most effective tools we have for creating safer streets. The data from cities across the country proves that when we give each mode of transportation its own protected space, everyone benefits — especially our most vulnerable road users.

A.J. Bruning is a personal injury attorney at Bruning Law Firm in St. Louis, Missouri.

Why Protected Bike Lanes Are Good for All Road Users

Every five to six years, Congress passes legislation to reauthorize federal surface transportation funding programs. For more than a year, congressional lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have been working on bipartisan proposals to reauthorize federal funding for roads, bridges, and transit systems, as well as bike infrastructure like trails, protected bike lanes, and multi-use paths that directly drive ridership, retail demand, and long-term growth for the U.S. bicycle market. The last major infrastructure bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), contained major wins for bikes thanks to the work of PeopleForBikes and our partners.

PeopleForBikes is once again leading the bike industry’s federal advocacy strategy, working to continue the momentum gained through the IIJA. Since early 2025, our team has lobbied lawmakers to include critical infrastructure funding and policies that support: 

High-quality, modern bicycle infrastructure that boosts local economies, reduces congestion, and improves safety and public health 

Efficiency and modernization improvements to key programs that streamline project delivery and accelerate progress

Congressman Sam Graves, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and lead author of the bill, is expected to release and begin markup of the bill in early-to-mid May. If that happens, the next 60 to 90 days will determine what bike infrastructure funding and policies make it into the final bill.

Lawmakers are still negotiating major policy provisions in the bill, and it remains unclear whether they will meet the mid-May target. While Congress must reauthorize surface transportation programs before they expire on September 30, 2026, a short-term extension of current law is increasingly likely. Lawmakers are still grappling with several long-standing and unresolved issues including identifying a sustainable funding source and broader disagreements about transportation priorities. These challenges are compounded by a packed legislative calendar and the approaching midterm elections.

An extension would maintain current funding levels established under the IIJA, likely ensuring that communities across the country can continue building bike lanes, trails, and connected networks without interruption. Additional time could also allow lawmakers to strengthen key programs and policies, helping deliver a final bill after the mid-term elections that better supports safe, connected places to ride and long-term growth in the U.S. bicycle market.

Although we do not yet know what will be in the bill, PeopleForBikes has pressured lawmakers to include funding for key programs, such as the Transportation Alternatives Program and the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program. 

House lawmakers recently introduced three more bills central to PeopleForBikes’ federal infrastructure policy agenda that will create more places to ride. These bills are under consideration for adoption into the broader surface transportation reauthorization package:  

Active Transportation for Public Lands Act (H.R. 8514)

Expands access to biking and walking in national parks and public lands by funding new and improved trails and bike paths. This bill will unlock expanded outdoor recreation economies, boost demand for bike tourism, and create more high-quality places to ride in some of the country’s most visited destinations.

Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program Reauthorization and Improvement Act (H.R. 8565)

Strengthens and expands the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) to fund connected, protected bike networks in communities nationwide. By making biking a viable transportation option, this bill will directly drive ridership growth, increase bike sales, and support long-term market expansion for the bicycle industry.

Parks to People Active Transportation Act (H.R. 7751)

Invests in greenways and trail connections that link neighborhoods to parks, jobs, and essential destinations. By improving network connectivity and access to safe places to ride, this bill will help build more bike-friendly communities, increase bicycling participation for both transportation and recreation, and expand the customer base for bike businesses.

A Critical Bill at a Critical Moment for Bike Businesses

Communities across the country have made huge strides in recent years to expand access to safe places to ride a bike. While growth in bike lanes and trails has come thanks to a mix of federal, state, and local investments, federal funding — especially in the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill — is critical to continuing this momentum. Where people can safely ride bikes, they buy bikes: PeopleForBikes’ data demonstrates that communities with better bike networks have more bike shops and higher sales. As our industry continues to navigate evolving consumer demand and a challenging trade environment, it is crucial that we continue to boost demand for bicycling by creating more places to enjoy the many benefits of riding a bike.

With lawmakers targeting to introduce this bill by mid-May, it is critical that Congress hears from members of the bike industry about how important their support for pro-bike infrastructure policies is to your business.

Now is the time to speak up. Contact your senators and representatives and make it clear to them that investing in bike infrastructure is investing in American communities, public safety, and economic growth. Reach out to PeopleForBikes Director of Federal Policy Chris Bell at chris@peopleforbikes.org if you would like additional assistance contacting your elected officials. 

What the Federal Transportation Bill Means for Bike Infrastructure and the U.S. Bicycle Industry

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