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.

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 2024, PeopleForBikes awarded a grant to the Active Transportation Alliance in Chicago to support the nonprofit advocacy organizations’ transformative Safe Streets for All campaign. The campaign focuses on two key policy priorities: renewing funding for the Chicago Works Capital Improvement Plan, which accelerated the construction of concrete-protected bike lanes across Chicago in recent years, and lowering Chicago’s default speed limit to 25 miles per hour. 


With speed being a leading factor in traffic fatalities across the U.S., reducing speed limits is a significant step toward making streets safer across the city of Chicago. The Active Transportation Alliance led a coalition of 16 community-based organizations to advocate for this change, garnering more than 1,000 comments from local community members and providing expert testimony at public hearings. In October 2024, the ordinance to lower speed limits passed out of the Chicago City Council's Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety and both the Active Transportation Alliance and PeopleForBikes continue advocating for its full approval by the City Council.

Alongside advocating for safer policies, the Active Transportation Alliance also works to advance critical bike infrastructure projects. On the Far South Side, the organization is advocating for side paths on 103rd Street and 130th Street to address long-standing connectivity challenges caused by industrial and highway infrastructure. On the Southwest Side, the group is supporting the implementation of neighborhood bike networks and safety improvements along the historically dangerous Pulaski Avenue. On the Northwest Side, the Active Transportation Alliance partnered with community leaders to improve the protected bike lane along Milwaukee Avenue, a vital corridor serving a local high school. 


The Active Transportation Alliance’s work in Chicago offers several valuable lessons for other communities looking to improve biking locally:

Build broad coalitions. The Active Transportation Alliance’s Safe Streets for All Coalition brings together diverse stakeholders, including groups focused on youth and disability rights. The collective outcomes achieved by the coalition demonstrate the value of developing broad-based support to drive systemic change.

Make engagement in advocacy accessible. By offering stipends, translation services, and accessible meeting locations, the Active Transportation Alliance ensures that the voices of community members who are sometimes excluded from public planning processes are heard and involved in decisions.

Cultivate relationships with decision-makers. Through one-on-one meetings, public comments, and grassroots advocacy, the Active Transportation Alliance cultivates meaningful relationships with city officials and other key decision-makers. This direct engagement is instrumental in securing wins for bike projects and policies. 

Fund bike infrastructure. Local programs like Chicago Works enable rapid deployment of life-saving infrastructure while freeing federal funds for other large-scale projects. This approach provides a model for other communities seeking to accelerate the development of their bike network.

Reduce speeds. Reducing vehicle speeds is one of the simplest yet most effective first steps to improve road safety — studies show that lower speeds make streets safer for all road users. By advocating for a citywide default speed limit of 25 mph, the Active Transportation Alliance sets an important precedent for other communities to follow. Integrating additional infrastructure investments to lower speeds via smart street design will further improve road safety in the future. Bonus: Lowering speed limits can boost your City Ratings score!


PeopleForBikes is proud to support the Active Transportation Alliance as they champion safer streets and connected bike networks across Chicago. Their work is a powerful example of how all communities can prioritize biking and safety, creating healthier, more accessible communities for all. 


To learn more, check out PeopleForBikes’ guidance on legislative initiatives that improve bike infrastructure, like funding bike infrastructure and reducing speeds, and effective local advocacy tactics like building broad coalitions, increasing community engagement, and fostering relationships with decision-makers.

Supporting Better Biking in Chicago With the Active Transportation Alliance

Much of the recent critical reporting around e-mobility products, specifically e-bikes, centers on the Big Apple. New York City’s 8 million residents are seemingly on the front lines (or as many call it, the “wild west”) of folks riding e-mobility devices of all kinds on our streets. The city has been busy proposing new regulations and rules in an effort to rein in the worst outlaw operators, and more importantly, curtail a serious outbreak of dangerous and sometimes fatal fires related to unsafe and untested lithium-ion batteries, and rightly so: Of the 40 deaths nationwide related to lithium-ion battery fires, 29 (72%) occurred in New York City alone.

Thankfully, there is some good news on that last front: According to Underwriters Laboratories, deaths from e-bike fires declined in New York City after battery safety standards were written into law. At the same time, the number of fires and deaths rose rapidly from near zero prior to 2020 to a peak of hundreds of fires and 18 deaths in 2023. So far in 2024, only four people (still four too many) died from a battery-related fire in the city. This progress is no doubt due to the passage of ordinances that require lithium-ion batteries used in all e-mobility devices to be tested and certified by accredited third party laboratories, ongoing public education, and diligent enforcement efforts by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and the New York Fire Department, including shuttering some of the worst violators and going after online sellers who openly sell substandard batteries.

Over that same roughly five-year period, the number of people who lost their lives in New York City in a crash involving only an e-mobility device climbed from zero a few years earlier to 11 in 2023. That same year, eight cyclists and two pedestrians lost their lives in crashes that did not involve an e-mobility device or motor vehicle. As one might expect, crashes involving motor vehicles were the deadliest, taking the lives of another 22 cyclists, nine e-mobility users, 101 pedestrians, and 112 vehicle occupants. Despite the grim data clearly showing the dangers posed by motor vehicles to all road users, there has unfortunately been an increased focus on e-mobility devices (collectively and often incorrectly referred to as “e-bikes” in the public discourse) as particularly threatening. As the data clearly shows, New York City streets do present a real and present danger for operating an e-bike or e-scooter.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) both issued reports showing that the growth in popularity of e-mobility devices over the last five years has led to a significant increase in crashes and fatalities nationwide. Appendix B to the NTSB report reveals exactly where these fatalities occurred. Of the 53 reported e-bike fatalities nationwide from 2017 to 2022, 25 occurred in one of the five boroughs of New York City and two more occurred in neighboring cities in New Jersey. New York City had 47% of nationwide e-bike fatalities even though its residents only account for about 2.5% of the U.S. population. So just why is that?

Certainly, one may point to population density and lack of safe cycling infrastructure as possible causes. But New York City is not alone in that regard, and over the same period, other major, densely populated cities like San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago combined had a total of just two fatalities. Other cities also have equally inadequate infrastructure, while New York is actually making strides towards safer streets.

The prevalence of delivery workers in New York City, with an estimated 65,000 people performing the difficult and dangerous work of delivering meals and goods by bicycle, e-bike, scooter, or moped, could also be a factor: according to a recent article, 19 delivery workers died on the job in 2021 and 2022, two of the five years of the NTSB report with the highest number of fatalities (although some of these workers could have been using mopeds, which are considered motor vehicles). It is certainly unfair to blame these workers, many of whom are recent immigrants without other employment options, for the dangerous conditions they face trying to earn a living and support their families.

What is it about New York City in particular that led it to have both 72% of the fire deaths and 47% of the e-bike related deaths from traffic violence? This may be an instance where we should blame the e-bikes, because New York City has a type of e-bike that exists nowhere else on the planet.


When New York legalized electric bicycles in 2020, the legal definition included a “Class 3” e-bike that can go 25 mph by use of the throttle. In virtually every other state (and under federal law), that vehicle is considered a motor vehicle because it can exceed 20 mph on motor power alone.  Forty three states now follow PeopleForBikes’ model three-class definitions and require a Class 3 e-bike to only provide pedal assistance, not direct motor power. What happened in New York City was that no major e-bike manufacturer was willing to make an e-bike that (1) wasn’t legal to sell or operate anywhere else and (2) was likely subject to federal motor vehicle safety regulations.

The result should have been foreseeable in 2020 but has now become painfully clear in hindsight. Thousands of cheap e-bikes with unsafe speed capability and low quality batteries were made by a few foreign companies and sold to a vulnerable population. The names of these companies are well known to authorities. These companies do not have to bother with quality control, safety compliance, or product liability insurance because they are largely beyond the reach of government regulators and our judicial system. These low-quality e-bikes and batteries were sold not through traditional bike shops, but through e-bike stores that popped up all over the city to cash in on the growing demand for food delivery.

New York City is now working hard to undo this mess and reduce fires, crashes, and deaths that have little to nothing to do with the high-quality e-bikes that are sold and safely used everywhere else in the country. A great first step is to end the legal aberration that is a “Class 3” e-bike and align New York’s electric bicycle law to the 20 mph federal limits on motor-powered speed of low-speed electric bicycles and other e-mobility devices that are adhered to elsewhere across the U.S. Slower, throttle-enable speeds and safe e-bikes sourced from reputable U.S. manufacturers can help address these issues and improve safety for all New Yorkers.

Congressional action to close the de minimis loophole that allows foreign sellers to sell unsafe devices and batteries direct to consumers (and avoid tariffs paid by domestic companies)

Adoption of federal safety standards for e-mobility devices that incorporate international consensus standards such as those passed by legislatures in New York, California and Minnesota

Accelerate the construction of safer infrastructure including protected mobility lanes and daylighted intersections which are proven to reduce crashes and save lives

Why New York City Faces a Perfect Storm of E-Mobility Risks

On December 11, the PeopleForBikes Coalition Board of Directors approved our 2024 Industry Community Grants, totaling $75,000 across 10 grants. The grants will help fund projects that support our focus on building infrastructure that makes communities across the U.S. great places to ride a bike. This year’s supported projects include urban and rural trail systems, a pump track and a skills trail, several projects that make it safer for children to bike to school, and infrastructure development in large metropolitan areas. 

2024 PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grants

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia — $10,000

Philadelphia, PA | Support for the Schuylkill Crossing: Connecting Communities and Opportunities project that will activate a set of bikeways that constitute an entirely off road bike and pedestrian connection from Southwest Philadelphia and South Philadelphia to Center City and beyond.

Richmond, CA | A collaboration with community groups and county agencies to support the North Richmond Bike Bus program, leading to safe routes to school and critical improvements to this long-time disadvantaged community.

Pittsburgh, PA | Resources for the development of children’s bike buses throughout the region that may be used as a national guide and lead to advocacy for safe routes to school in hundreds of communities nationwide.   

California Bicycle Coalition — $10,000 

Sacramento, CA | A critical guide to the development of “slow streets” infrastructure on neighborhood streets that represent key links in urban bikeway networks in every American city. 


Berkeley, CA | Materials and advocacy for a demonstration project of a slow street in West Berkeley. 

Houston, TX | Infrastructure, including signage, for the improvement of dozens of dangerous intersections where the 4-mile Columbia Tap Trail crosses roadways.

Lake Placid, NY | A critical match for other donations that will close the funding gap for an 8-mile trail linking rural communities in the High Peaks region in New York’s Adirondack Park.


Native American Advancement Foundation — $10,000

Tohono O’odham Nation, AZ | The addition of a much-needed pump track in a brand new and popular “Free as a Bird Skatepark” in this native community. 

Austin, TX | Eva Carrillo de Garcia Park will get a new Skills Trail connected to a disadvantaged neighborhood in East Austin and a 4-mile bike loop around the perimeter of the park.

McClintock High School Bike Club — $5,500 

Tempe, AZ | Bike bus advocacy for improved school access, including an off-road path reaching the school, neighborhood bike route enhancements, and a new highway overpass.

PeopleForBikes' 2024 Industry Community Grants Recipients

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 Network

Access Vision Zero Network's resource on preventing unsafe speeds.

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.

Policy

Building and Improving Access to Great Places to Bike

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

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