By providing meaningful and visionary efforts for leaders to study, and investing in city staff and local partners to increase local knowledge and leadership, we can accelerate the installation of complete mobility networks. We encourage cities and states to move faster in creating these complete networks by funding additional planning, outreach and communications.

An integral part of any network buildout is measuring key outcomes with network connectivity, ridership and safety metrics. We provide measurement activities that offer a baseline evaluation of current and future conditions through our Bicycle Network Analysis and City Ratings tools.

Through proactive ballot initiatives, securing dedicated funds for planning and implementation, supporting coalitions that make bicycling a part of a broader narrative and encouraging communities across city lines to collaboratively pursue federal or state grants for regional infrastructure development, we help fund paths, bike lanes, mountain bike trails, pump tracks, bike parks, bike parking and more.

Our nation needs immediate action and long-term planning to mitigate the effects of climate change. Trading car trips for biking and walking is part of a broad suite of solutions. We advance climate and  active transportation infrastructure for carbon emission reduction programs as well as incentives that support climate resiliency.

Building a safe, interconnected network of protected bikeways relies on gaining the support of people who only occasionally bike or never bike at all. We perform research to understand people’s aspirations for mobility and the ways in which bike infrastructure can help achieve those. We use that research to craft messaging and marketing that grows public support for bicycling.

In the 2024 general election, PeopleForBikes’ VoteForBikes campaign tracked 30 bike-related measures on state and local ballots across the country. Out of a possible $33 billion available on November ballots, voters approved an impressive $26 billion in funding to support paved and off-road bicycle infrastructure projects. Combined with $1.4 billion approved in earlier elections, VoteForBikes supported a total of $27.4 billion for better biking nationwide in 2024!

Nearly 60% of the approved funding, totaling $16 billion, will go towards projects largely focused on the construction and improvement of safe places to ride including protected bike lanes, bike network expansions, street safety upgrades, and traffic calming improvements. The remaining $11.4 billion will fund the construction and maintenance of off-road trails and the acquisition and management of open space that supports and increases recreation opportunities. 

We collected seven of the most important pro-bike measures from the November election below. Visit our VoteForBikes page for a state-by-state breakdown of other pro-bikes measures in your area and around the country. 


Voters in the Evergreen State successfully voted against this harmful measure to protect critical funding for transformative multi-modal transportation infrastructure. Funding from the 2021 Climate Commitment Act (CCA), Washington’s cap-and-invest program designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, will continue to be available. This program funds the Move Ahead Washington package, which provides $1.3 billion for bike and pedestrian projects and programs that support safe and connected places to ride a bike across the state, including Connecting Communities Grants, Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School, and the School Based Bike Program. 

With a two-thirds majority, Seattle voters approved Proposition 1 and replaced the expiring Levy to Move Seattle. This 8-year, $1.55 billion investment represents a significant proportion of the Seattle Department of Transportation's budget and will increase mobility options across the city. Funding will be used to construct new protected bike lanes and greenways, improve the safety of existing bike lanes, and complete network gaps with an emphasis on southern Seattle. 


Nearly 60% of voters in the Golden State voted YES on Proposition 4, a $10 billion general obligation bond focused on safe drinking water, wildfire prevention, drought preparedness, clean air, and open space preservation projects. Of the $10 billion, nearly $2 billion will support the construction, maintenance, and improvement of recreation and active transportation infrastructure (like bike paths and trails!) to help combat the effects of climate change. 

City and County of San Francisco, California

San Francisco residents approved Proposition K to establish a park at Ocean Beach. This measure will amend the park code to permanently dedicate car-free space at the Parkway at Upper Great Highway after a temporary shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic was extremely popular. This initiative will allow people of all ages and abilities to safely gather and enjoy the outdoors for generations to come while also preserving delicate natural resources along San Francisco’s coastline. The park will increase opportunities to safely walk, bike, roll, and use transit, whether for recreation or transportation, without having to interact with vehicular traffic. 


Environment and Natural Resources Fund Amendment 

In a resounding win for the environment, Minnesotans overwhelmingly voted YES to reauthorize state lottery revenue to the Environment and Natural Resources Fund by constitutional amendment. This big win will provide a projected $1 billion in funding for projects that protect, conserve, and enhance air, water, land, and wildlife across the state. These projects include the creation and expansion of biking trails and biking tours that will increase recreation opportunities and continue Minnesota’s efforts to stay at the forefront as one of the best places to ride a bike in the U.S. This amendment also authorizes a 1.5% increase in funding for community grants that invest in underserved communities so everyone can enjoy access to nature. 

Voters in Maine approved Question 4 to authorize a historic appropriation of $30 million to the Maine Trails Program and fund the design, development, and maintenance of recreation and active transportation trails. With a focus on accessibility for all and a significant proportion of funding going towards non-motorized or multi-use trails, this funding will significantly expand opportunities to ride a bike across the state. 


Central Ohio Transit Authority (Franklin County, Ohio)

Voters in the greater Columbus area approved the Central Ohio Transit Authority Sales and Use Tax in a significant win for multi-modal transportation. This tax will generate an estimated $6 billion in revenue over the next 25 years to strengthen the rapidly developing region’s transportation system. While the primary focus is on public transit, nearly one-third of revenue will support transit-supportive projects like safe and connected places to walk and bike that facilitate safe access and first- and last-mile connections. Plans include building 500 miles of new bike paths, multi-use trails, and sidewalks, with 150 miles planned for completion in the next five years. 


Thanks to voters like you making your voice heard, we showed that Americans across the country value access to more safe and connected places to ride a bike. Thank you for joining us in voting to support vibrant communities where people and the environment are happier and healthier and everyone can access affordable and safe modes of transportation and recreation.


Looking for even more ways to get involved and make a difference? Explore PeopleForBikes’ Great Bike Infrastructure Project to support more great places to ride in your backyard and become a PeopleForBikes Foundation member to support better biking in your community and hundreds of others across the U.S.

Voters Approved $27.4 Billion to Support Better Biking in 2024

As the popularity of electric bicycles (e-bikes) continues to rise, it is important for states and municipalities to understand the best methods for regulating this rapidly growing sector of the bike industry and keeping everyone safe on our shared roads and trails.

A groundswell of new proposed legislation at both the state and local levels has occurred in the last few years, and PeopleForBikes is actively involved in drafting and influencing those laws. We also continue engaging with advocates and government leaders on the best approaches to safely and successfully regulating e-bikes as there is a clear need for laws that are reasonable and consistent to keep e-bike riders and our communities safe.

In response to this need, PeopleForBikes launched our E-Bike Legislative Toolkit, compiling best practices, offering model safety-related legislation, and clearly highlighting the intersection of bike infrastructure and education. The toolkit offers a foundation to make it easier to propose and implement safety-related policies and programs while considering each communities’ unique needs and governmental structures.

We invite advocates, retailers, and policymakers across all levels of government to utilize this resource, reach out to us with questions, and borrow what works best for your community in creating effective, equitable, and harmonized e-bike laws. 

PeopleForBikes recommends that government leaders and advocates consider nine key priorities when addressing the safety and regulatory aspects of electric bicycles:

CREATE INFRASTRUCTURE: Prioritize funding and building connected bike networks to improve safety.

ADOPT THE 3-CLASS SYSTEM: Clearly define e-bikes using the three-class model and federal definitions set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

REGULATE OUT-OF-CLASS PRODUCTS + ANTI-TAMPERING: Address unsafe products exceeding power and speed limits set by law.

ENABLE CLASS 1 EMTB ACCESS: Define where e-bikes can be ridden both on and off road, including speed limits on shared paths.

CHAMPION BATTERY AND ELECTRICAL SAFETY: Ensure e-bikes meet applicable safety standards for electrical systems and lithium-ion batteries.

FUND E-BIKE INCENTIVES: Create equitable incentive programs to make e-bikes more affordable.

PROMOTE EDUCATION AND RIDER SAFETY: Implement effective rider education programs.

OPPOSE REGISTRATION AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: Avoid unnecessary registration and insurance for e-bikes, which don't significantly reduce road fatalities.

PROVIDE LANDLORD GUIDANCE ON E-BIKES: Encourage landlords to allow safe storage of certified e-bikes.

With so many possibilities and limited resources, it's important to first focus on the greatest needs of your community. We strongly suggest improving infrastructure as the single most important strategy to provide the most impactful and lasting returns on safety and participation.  How does your state and its communities stack up in terms of City Ratings and pending infrastructure projects? Do you have laws in place requiring Complete Streets design standards and allowing communities to lower their speed limits? Is there adequate funding for projects?

Assuming you’re already making strides on infrastructure and growing ridership, you may be hearing concerns about how electric bicycles are being used, the kinds of e-mobility devices appearing on streets and trails, younger riders on e-bikes, or the safety of lithium-ion batteries. PeopleForBikes is very involved in all of these areas, and the E-Bike Legislative Toolkit contains our best advice on addressing them. With these resources, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to proactively respond to safety concerns and can leverage the work PeopleForBikes, our advocacy partners, and other states and communities have already accomplished.

Last, while we like to focus on the positive, we know that sometimes a defensive battle must be fought against proposed legislation that will negatively impact bike riders or the community.  Confronted with a bad e-bike bill or even a proposal for legislation? Please reach out to us!


If you have any questions about the toolkit or crafting state and local policies or programs related to bicycles and electric bicycles, please reach out to PeopleForBikes Vice President of Government Relations Dr. Ash Lovell at ash@peopleforbikes.org.

Advance Safe and Successful E-Bike Policies With PeopleForBikes’ New Toolkit

Slow streets, like this one in Chicago, help  turn dangerous residential streets into child-friendly open spaces. PHOTO CREDIT: City of Chicago

PeopleForBikes’ Legislative Guide for Safe and Connected Bike Infrastructure, a component of our Great Bike Infrastructure Project, is a valuable resource for elected officials and local advocates, showcasing the most effective ways to advance great places to ride through state and local legislation. To help improve bicycling in communities across the U.S., we’ve already explored the how and why behind funding bike infrastructure, mandating Complete Streets, and integrating bikes into climate legislation. In the latest edition of our blog series, we’re reviewing the fourth legislative strategy to create great places to ride — reducing traffic speeds.

Even relatively minor differences in speed can make the difference between life and death. SOURCE: Vision Zero

While most of the world is reducing traffic danger, injuries and deaths caused by car crashes in the United States continue to increase, injuring millions and killing more than 40,000 people last year alone. One of the big reasons for this ongoing tragedy is the high speeds at which most automobiles travel on U.S. roads. On September 19, PeopleForBikes hosted a webinar with experts from around the country to discuss the importance of reducing traffic speeds to save lives. 


Amy Cohen, the director of Families for Safe Streets, a national organization representing the families of victims of traffic violence, shared practical advice on campaigning for significant policy changes. One key example is “Sammy’s Law,” which permits New York City to reduce local speed limits to 20 mph with proper signage. In her presentation, Cohen recounted the moving stories they told and powerful strategies they employed to champion the law which took effect on October 9. She also pointed to the potential of technology, such as intelligent speed assist that alerts drivers who are speeding, and urged support for a California bill that would require the technology in new cars. 

The webinar also addressed a common challenge people face when advocating for slower speeds: emergency responders. Charlie Ream, planning and project development team leader at the Oakland Department of Transportation, shared how his agency earned the support of Oakland’s fire and police departments. His successful navigation of the “constant tension between the city and their emergency services departments” resulted in formalized agreements that expedite the installation of certain traffic calming measures that otherwise might be delayed by long negotiations and engineering experiments. You can access those memos, along with his presentation, here.

Christopher Falcos, traffic operations and technology engineer at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, one of the nation’s leaders in reducing dangerous vehicle speeds, also spoke during the webinar. MDOT’s “Safe Speeds” web page is a model for transportation departments nationwide to prevent serious injuries and fatalities through speed management. As discussed in Falcos’ presentation, one of MDOT’s biggest successes is the integration of speed management in all design decisions, as mandated in the MassDOT Project Development and Design Guide. 

Amy Cohen laid out the nation’s failure in stark terms. “We perform abysmally compared to every high-income nation, and it's because other nations are doing everything they can to slow speeds, and we’re not,” she said. "We need every tool in our toolbox.” 

To learn more about the best talking points and access resources and policy examples to reduce traffic speeds, check out our resources below:

Watch the recording of our “Designing Streets for Safety, Not Speed” webinar. 

Review our Legislative Guide for Safe and Connected Bike Infrastructure for examples of states and communities that have lowered speed limits.

Read our Supplemental Guide for Reducing Traffic Speeds, which includes data-backed talking points to help you advocate for change in your community.

Learn how reduced traffic speeds increase City Ratings scores.

Every year, PeopleForBikes advocates on behalf of the bike industry and bike riders across the country to support the construction of fun, safe, and connected places to ride that welcome more people to the joys of bicycling. 


From championing e-mobility lithium-ion battery safety, to mandating Complete Streets for improved road safety, to advancing the construction of bike infrastructure through climate legislation, PeopleForBikes successfully advocated for a multitude of policies at the state and local levels during the 2024 legislative session that will support bike businesses and riders of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds nationwide.

The safety of e-mobility lithium-ion batteries was a top priority for many states and communities across the U.S. this legislative session.

Following the guidance of PeopleForBikes and other industry experts, New York passed legislation to ensure the quality and safety of e-mobility products while maintaining accessibility to equitable transportation options. The legislation requires that e-bike and other e-mobility lithium-ion batteries be tested to standards that ensure the safety of the products the batteries power. It also enables the enforcement of products that do not meet these standards and contribute to unsafe conditions, including battery fires. 


Read more about this important legislation.

In June, the Chicago City Council committed to working with the bicycle industry and other stakeholders to amend a proposed battery safety ordinance to align with similar safety legislation in New York so individuals, retailers, and manufacturers can rely on consistent e-bike battery testing requirements across the country.

PeopleForBikes looks forward to continuing our work with states and municipalities across the country to promote uniform and effective battery testing regulations that ensure that e-bike batteries sold and used in the U.S. meet the highest safety standards.


PeopleForBikes recognizes the three-class system as the framework to categorize and regulate low-speed electric bicycles (e-bikes). Currently, 43 states officially recognize our model legislation. In 2024, Oregon and Rhode Island signed the three-class system into law. This system promotes a uniform definition of e-bikes across the country to mitigate confusion for riders, retailers, manufacturers, and regulators. 

PeopleForBikes will continue supporting the classification of electric bicycles as bicycles (not motorized vehicles) and will work with legislators to showcase the need for clear definitions and strong enforcement so that bicycles, and bicycling infrastructure, are protected. 


Out-of-Class Electric Vehicle Legislation 

Due to the constantly evolving range of electrically powered devices entering the marketplace and the growth of their use nationwide, PeopleForBikes led efforts to define products that exceed the speed and power limitations of the three-class system and federal law as out-of-class electric vehicles (OCEVs). 


Utah and Minnesota passed landmark OCEV legislation to promote safety and protect hard-won access for bicycles on state trails and paths. You can read more both here and here about why this legislation is so critical. 


PeopleForBikes will continue helping states and municipalities better define and enforce the difference between electric bicycles and overpowered, higher-speed, out-of-class electric vehicles (including electric dirt bikes) to protect the rights of bike riders across the country.

Cities and states nationwide continue to prioritize sustainable, equitable, and accessible forms of transportation through e-bike purchase incentives and rebate programs. This year, the Atlanta City Council approved a $1 million incentive for the purchase of e-bikes and the Bentonville City Council in Arkansas approved $2.25 million in grant funding for an e-bike rebate program.


With $20 million in funding approved in 2023, Portland City Council approved an implementation plan for the city’s e-bike incentive program set to launch in 2025. Michigan legislators also approved $2.95 million in funding for an e-bike purchase incentive program in their state budget to implement a statewide e-bike transportation incentive program. 

The 2024 legislative session included many recreation policy wins that PeopleForBikes helped secure to continue building momentum for eMTB access on natural surface trails. 

In Oregon and Colorado, PeopleForBikes supported the passage of recreational immunity bills that protect landowners from liability resulting from the use of their lands by other individuals for recreational purposes, including mountain biking.

The Tahoe National Forest prepared a Decision Notice/Finding of No Significant Impact (DN/FONSI) and final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Pines to Mines Trail Project. The project, totaling 72 miles of new, natural surface trails, will provide expanded recreation opportunities on National Forest System lands. It also authorizes the use of Class 1 electric mountain bikes (eMTBs) on all new and existing trails where traditional mountain bikes are already allowed within the project area.

A National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessment is also underway in the Tahoe National Forest, utilizing a forest-wide approach. This first-of-its-kind approach could yield historic results that allow entire forest districts to allow Class 1 eMTBs on natural surface trails, as opposed to laws differing by individual trail systems. 


Look out for more recreation and eMTB policy wins as we continue engagement with state and local land managers to open access for Class 1 eMTBs on multi-use singletrack trails in Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah. Additionally, PeopleForBikes is working on recreational trail access for mountain biking within the implementation of the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule. 


A lack of safe places to ride is one of the most significant barriers preventing Americans from biking. Dedicated funding streams for the construction of bike infrastructure creates more safe and connected places to bike, which in turn increases bicycling participation. The construction of bike infrastructure also contributes to other co-benefits, including positive public health outcomes, economic vitality, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and transportation equity.  


As of July, PeopleForBikes has helped secure nearly $1.5 billion for the construction of bike infrastructure that increases safe places to ride bikes through our 2024 VoteForBikes campaign. With a potential $2 billion more on the November general election ballot, 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for bike infrastructure funding. Stay tuned for our post-election VoteForBikes recap to see how much funding PeopleForBikes helped secure for local communities across the country! 


In addition to our work advocating for bikes at the ballot box, PeopleForBikes supported additional legislation to fund bike infrastructure, including Minnesota’s Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund that invests more than $11 million in the expansion and enhancement of recreational trails, active transportation infrastructure, and mountain bike access across the state. 


Passing dedicated funding streams for bikes and bike infrastructure at the state and local levels is the most important policy priority for PeopleForBikes. We will continue paving the way for the construction of infrastructure that allows more people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds across the country to safely and efficiently travel around their communities and access more opportunities to ride a bike.


PeopleForBikes continues to advocate for legislation that reduces serious injuries, saves lives, and allows people to travel safely throughout their community with confidence. Reducing speed limits and actual vehicle speeds is one of the most effective ways to improve road safety and save lives.

After four years of hard work, PeopleForBikes was honored to support local advocates in New York as Governor Kathy Hochul signed Sammy’s Law into law in May. The new law allows New York City to implement a 20 mile per hour speed limit with additional 10 and 15 mile per hour zones. This legislation will dramatically increase safety for people walking and biking on roads with a high volume of motor vehicles. 


Michigan and Virginia also passed legislation that makes it easier for local municipalities to lower speed limits that are appropriate for the context and needs of those communities. 

We know that in addition to lower speed limits, safer road designs reduce motor vehicle speeds, one of the most significant causes of serious injuries and deaths on roads. As a result, Complete Streets mandates — which require the construction of bike infrastructure when roads are reconstructed or repaved — are one of the most effective policies communities can implement for improved road safety. Complete Streets also close gaps in transportation networks and enable all road users, regardless of their mode of transportation, to easily access places that they need to go. PeopleForBikes will continue to fight for legislation that mandates Complete Streets to promote safe and thriving communities. 

In March, voters in Los Angeles, California, one of the nation’s most car-centric cities, approved Measure HLA. This requires the implementation of the city’s Mobility Plan, including bike and pedestrian infrastructure when road construction or repaving occurs. PeopleForBikes endorsed this measure to increase transportation opportunities and accessibility, improve road safety, promote health, and reduce transportation-related GHG emissions. 


As part of historic legislation, Minnesota also strengthened the state’s Complete Streets policy by adding PeopleForBikes-supported amendments that require the integration of Complete Streets design principles and offer implementation guidance.

Advancing Bike Infrastructure Through Climate Legislation 

There is significant momentum across the country to fund active transportation infrastructure through climate legislation in order to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and GHG emissions. Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed an executive order establishing annual GHG and VMT reduction targets for his state’s transportation sector, requiring the Maryland Department of Transportation to implement a process for evaluating and reducing GHG emissions attributable to transportation projects, and investing in projects that reduce VMT and enhance transportation choices. 

Looking ahead to the 2025 legislative session, PeopleForBikes is actively involved in several local coalitions supporting climate legislation to curb transportation-related GHG emissions. Stay tuned for more bike infrastructure and climate legislation wins next year! 

There is already huge momentum for bikes and 2024 is not finished yet! At all levels of government and at the ballot box, PeopleForBikes is championing policies that create safer and more connected places to ride alongside supporting legislation that maintains safe, reliable, and quality products to get more people on bikes more often. 


You can help us achieve even more! By making a donation to PeopleForBikes, we can make an even greater impact in communities like yours all across the country. You can also sign up to receive our advocacy alerts to learn how you can support similar policy wins where you live.

PeopleForBikes’ 2024 Policy Wins Advance Bicycling Safety and Access Nationwide

Bicyclists enjoy the newly redesigned Inman Square. Photo Credit: City of Cambridge

With the release of our seventh annual City Ratings, featuring 2,300 U.S. cities for 2024, PeopleForBikes is celebrating cities that have dedicated work in recent years to improve their scores and make biking better in their communities.


Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of our 2024 Cities on the Rise, scoring a tremendous 72 out of a possible 100 in this year’s ratings. This year, they rank #2 out of 604 medium-sized U.S. cities for bicycling.

In 2019, Cambridge City Council passed the Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO), one of the strongest Complete Streets ordinances in the nation, requiring the city to construct separated bike lanes when streets are reconstructed. Since then, bike infrastructure has popped up all across the city, thanks in large part to their quick-build projects that create separated bike lanes without the major time or funding investment of other infrastructure improvements.  But Cambridge’s commitment to better bicycling started well before the CSO. 

“The backbone of our work really started in the early 1990s with our Vehicle Trip Reduction Ordinance,” says Cara Seiderman, the transportation program manager for the City of Cambridge. “The ordinance was voted on by the city council and said we were going to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips through the promotion of walk, bike, and transit trips.”

Seiderman says a slew of other city policies also work toward that same goal — the city’s climate action plan supports active transportation, the Cambridge Growth Policy includes provisions for walking and biking infrastructure, and even the Cambridge Public Schools District Plan looks to help more students safely bike to school.    

With multiple policies supporting bicycling as a form of transportation in the city, bike infrastructure grew, and so did the number of people bicycling. The City of Cambridge’s website includes an interactive map and data table showing the evolution of the city's bike network alongside bicycle counter data dating back 20 years.


Seiderman also points to the city’s Vision Zero policy as a major step forward, which was unanimously adopted by the Cambridge City Council in 2016. One of the main outcomes of the initiative was the reduction of speed limits throughout the city, with most streets now having a 20 mile per hour speed limit with major streets only being 25 miles per hour.


One major recent project highlighting Cambridge’s dedication to better and safer bicycling is the redesign of Inman Square, named one of PeopleForBikes’ Best New Bikes Lanes of 2023.


“Inman Square is an extremely complicated intersection, with seven different streets coming into one area. Before, it was hard to traverse by any means — car, bike, bus, or walking. But it is also one of the highest traveled corridors by bike in the Northeast,” says Seiderman. “It was the biggest transformation of any corridor in the city. It became a really beautiful public space that people flock to, not just walk through.”

A separated bike lane in the newly redesigned Inman Square. Photo Credit: City of Cambridge


A testament to the quality of work Cambridge put in, a video clip of the redesigned Inman Square went viral on social media after a local jokingly claimed the newly built bike lanes he was riding were in the Netherlands.

But Cambridge’s efforts to improve bicycling go beyond just infrastructure projects, with a large emphasis placed on youth riding in the city.

“Like many places, we have Safe Routes to School. In first and second grade, students are introduced to general traffic safety, followed by a learn to ride program in fourth grade,” says Seiderman. “In middle school, there’s a biking on the streets program that teaches students how to safely travel around the city by bike. For high schoolers, 16 year olds can get really cheap passes for our Blue Bike bike share program.”


So, what can your city learn from Cambridge? According to Seiderman, you don’t have to think that far outside of the box.

“If a place is starting from the beginning, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are tried and true ways of creating good bicycling environments,” she says. “Incorporating good bicycling facilities that serve people of all ages and abilities should be assumed. Everyone deserves to have a safe place to walk and ride a bike. And when good bicycle infrastructure and facilities are created, people will choose to bike more.”

For local advocates, Seiderman’s point about making sure all members of the community feel safe using the infrastructure hits the nail right on the head.


“One concept that I lead with when speaking to city council is mobility justice — that all people should feel safe using our streets,” says Clyve Lawrence, a strategy team member with the local advocacy group Cambridge Bike Safety. “Bike lanes are helpful for our communities. When we build bike lanes in areas that were previously only seen as safe or comfortable for white men to ride in, we’ll get those other groups on bikes. Don’t be afraid of pushing the status quo and leaning into the idea that bicycling and multimodal transportation can and should be equitable.”

How Pro-Bike Policies Transformed Cambridge, Massachusetts, Into a Top City for Biking

Through our Great Bike Infrastructure Project, PeopleForBikes is helping communities across the country develop safe and connected bike infrastructure that gives people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to experience the many joys of bicycling for everyday trips and recreation. The Great Bike Infrastructure Project seeks to transform local communities by providing countless benefits to all community members, not just those who bike. When proper infrastructure enables increased bicycling, communities become safer and more sustainable, residents enjoy better physical and mental health, and the local economy thrives.

The Great Bike Infrastructure Project includes three pillars:

A legislative playbook to aid lawmakers and advocates in implementing the most impactful state and local policies that will lead to safer streets

A nationwide database and interactive map tracking progress on more than 1,400 bike infrastructure projects, as well as resources to support the completion of those projects

Local investment, including PeopleForBikes’ expert leadership and influence, to secure support for transformative infrastructure changes 

PeopleForBikes also measures progress towards building bike infrastructure through City Ratings, a data-driven program that analyzes how well a city is served by its network of bikeways. Cities are scored on a scale of 0-100, with a score of 50 being the tipping point to becoming a great place to bike. The better a city’s bike infrastructure and low-stress streets safely and conveniently connect people to everyday destinations, the higher its City Ratings score.

Why is bike infrastructure important? Communities with high City Ratings scores are more than just great places to bike: 

They are safer. Quality bike infrastructure reduces conflicts between road users. Research conducted in 2019 revealed that cities with protected bike lanes experienced 44% fewer fatalities for all road users and 50% fewer serious injuries compared to average cities, meaning protected bike lanes make roads safer for everyone, regardless of transportation mode.

They are healthier. Biking is an excellent form of low-impact physical exercise and studies show that every dollar invested in active transportation infrastructure saves communities $24 in health averted health care costs.

They are happier. Riding a bike is good for your mental health. According to the International Journal of Epidemiology, exercise reduces symptoms of depression and bicycling outdoors improves mood and increases social interaction.

They have a thriving economy. The revenue generated by tourism in areas with active transportation opportunities is eight to nine times the original investment in infrastructure upgrades. According to an analysis from the National Complete Streets Coalition, in Orlando, Florida, streets with bike infrastructure updates saw 77 new businesses open, creating 560 jobs over seven years.

They are better for the planet. Biking is a nearly zero-emission mode of transportation. The transportation sector is the highest emitter of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) in the U.S., responsible for 29% of all emissions. Most of those emissions (57%) come from passenger cars and light-duty trucks (pickups and SUVs). When 53% of car trips made in the U.S. are three miles or less (the equivalent of a 20-minute bike ride for the average person) there is a tremendous opportunity to shift close-to-home trips to those made by bike with more safe and connected infrastructure.

They foster community. Evidence is strong that places where the built environment (i.e. infrastructure) fosters social connection have high levels of civic engagement and community resilience. Infrastructure that connects people to their community instead of simply driving through it fosters social connection.  

In short, the Great Bike Infrastructure Project is really the Great Community Project. At PeopleForBikes, we focus on improving and increasing opportunities for bicycling because the simple bicycle can be a powerful tool to transform our communities into better places for everyone. 

Want to make your community a great place to live through more and better bike infrastructure?Explore our Great Bike Infrastructure Project to find bike projects near you that need your support. You can also sign up to receive our local action alerts so you’re aware of every opportunity to advance pro-bike policies in your city and state.

Policy

Building Safe Mobility Networks

Assisting Cities and States to Create Long-Term Bike and Pedestrian Network Plans, Faster

Measuring the Effectiveness of Safe Mobility Networks

Creating New Funding Mechanisms for Bike Networks

Developing Programs That Fund Bike Plans to Mitigate Carbon Emissions

Improve Messaging Around What Bike Networks Are and Why They’re Important