A Fond Farewell to our 2025 Federal Policy Fellow, Shelby
Every year, the League has the honor of hosting a Federal Policy Fellow. The year-long fellowship often includes assisting our lobbyist with research, deciphering legislation, writing action alerts, and working with state and local advocacy organizations, particularly in support of the League’s annual Lobby Day. It’s a key supporting role for all our work here at the League, and the job requires plenty of finesse, wit, and confidence — which always makes it hard to see a Fellow leave after a year of incredible work!
From 2024-2025, our Federal Policy Fellow was a remarkable young woman named Shelby Ottengheime. Throughout her year with us, Shelby worked part-time as a bike mechanic at a local REI co-op— giving her a dynamic experience and unique insights within the bike movement. Today is her last day at the League, and in a bittersweet celebration, we asked Shelby to reflect on her experience and share some parting thoughts with us.
As a part-time bike mechanic and part-time policy fellow, you had a foot in both worlds! What was that experience like for you?
Having a foot in both worlds (or should I say, on both pedals) has been an incredibly informative and encouraging experience. The two propel one another forward, where working in a shop is informative of the community, while working on federal policy helps detail the state of cycling overall.
Working in the policy world, I got to see the overarching view and impact of what cycling in America looks like, from the community level through our BFCs, to the larger level of lobbying where I would advocate for integral safety programs and laws to help ensure safe cycling for all. While in the shop, I got to directly help my surrounding community: help get people back on working bikes, back outside, and riding safely.
Occasionally, my shifts in the shop would be back-to-back with a Hill visit. I would one morning be in a dry-cleaned suit, and the next day I would be on the floor of a bike shop and effectively covered in grease. This dichotomy was more than just a hilarious image, but a truly special way to approach advocacy, where I was able to interact with all aspects of the cycling world. It was truly a special opportunity to be able to physically make a difference in my community by wrenching on some bikes, and then taking this local perspective and applying it to advocacy and policy overall. I hope to retain this duality of actively and physically making a difference, while also helping to move the needle in the marbled floors of the policy world.
Plenty of your time was spent in meetings on Capitol Hill. Which particular legislation or initiative did you enjoy advocating for the most? What felt the most impactful/important?
As a cyclist and a commuter who does not own a car, I rely on my bike to get me everywhere. As all cyclists know, biking is great; however, there is always one section on a ride that is a little sketchy: either the bike lane ends or we enter a particularly car-heavy street. These gaps in between cycling networks are concerning not only for the cyclists, but also for our community safety overall.
Many of the issues we advocate for relate to safer cycling infrastructure, whether it is preserving grants like Safe Streets For All, Transportation Alternatives, or Reconnecting Communities, but one of the primary pieces of legislation this year was the “Sarah Debbink Active Transportation Safety Act.” Sarah was an incredible woman who was tragically killed as she was riding home from her children’s elementary school. Sarah’s story moved me in many ways—as cyclists, we have all been riding and gotten buzzed a little too close by a truck. Cyclists know what it is like to be vulnerable on these roads and have those ‘close calls.’ We are lucky that they are only close calls, but what about next time? We need to make our roads safer so every individual, no matter how they choose to travel, can get home safely. Sarah’s death was tragic and preventable, so in every Hill meeting, I made it a point to share Sarah’s story.
Her bill, known as Sarah’s Law for short, addresses multiple issues surrounding active transportation, and includes having these “gaps in between cycling networks” and other bicycle and pedestrian safety projects added to the list of proven safety countermeasures that are eligible for full federal funding. By addressing these critical gaps, we can make our roads and communities safer. For more details regarding Sarah’s Law, please check out our website and consider adding your name and words of support to our call to action! Overall, our streets need to be safer for all road users, and it was a true honor to help advocate for and be a voice for the cycling movement.
Watch Shelby in action with “A Day in the Life of a Federal Policy Fellow” below!
What’s one lesson you learned from your time at the League that you’re excited to take with you?
Working in policy at the League was incredibly informative, especially in relation to how to work in a bipartisan manner. At its core, cycling is not a partisan issue: everyone deserves equal access to accessible outdoor spaces; clean air to breathe; positive community health outcomes; and safe streets to walk, roll, or drive on. Understanding this, as well as knowing how each of these factors affects a community’s mobility and safety, was key to pitching our legislative asks to members of Congress. I became comfortable in navigating these discussions with both sides of the aisle and garnering bipartisan support for our vital initiatives. Because at the end of the day, we all deserve to feel safe on our own streets — no matter where you live, whether it is in an urban, rural, or suburban environment, from Hawai’i to Alaska to Florida. Ultimately, I am quite thankful for the many lessons I learned at the League and will definitely take these skills with me toward my future advocacy endeavors.
Do you have any words of wisdom to share with future policy fellows on how to get the most out of this year-long fellowship?
I would encourage every future fellow to dive in deep! To expand their understanding of not only federal policy, but also the community and local side of the League’s work. They should participate in Bicycle Friendly Community reviews and get a glimpse at all of the wonderful communities across the U.S. that are striving to make their roads safer. I would encourage them to get familiar with the National Bike Summit and host a breakout session or lead a local ride! The Summit is such a special occasion where they can nerd out about all things bike with advocates from across the country and the world. From cranksets to Class IV bike lanes, there will be no dearth of cycling enthusiasm!
Additionally, it is so empowering to see the spirit of the community throughout the National Bike Summit — especially on Lobby Day, when advocates exchange their jorts and lycra for ties and suits. I might recommend bringing a change of clothes for our morning Congressional Bike Ride (that way you do not show up on the Hill with sweat stains and wrinkles), but the bike ride was perhaps one of my favorite moments from the Summit. Riding in a cloud of advocates that spans a block and a half is truly special. In those moments, you feel safe, like the roads were made for riding, giving us all a glimpse at the kind of future we are advocating for. Finally, I would tell them to enjoy their time with the incredible staff and community at the League: everyone is so kind and cares deeply about our mission. Ultimately, no matter what happens, just buckle your helmet and enjoy the ride!
Where are you headed next? How do you see bikes as fitting into your future journey?
I know that no matter where I go, my bike will be taking me there. Since moving to a city where I do not need a car, I want to avoid getting one for as long as possible. It is so freeing, and being able to ride to work as opposed to sitting in traffic is an incredible way to start and end the day.
What I am hoping to do next year is to go to graduate school! I have always had a love for learning, and even though I graduated from undergrad over two years ago, I have been taking community college classes for fun ever since. In particular, I have been interested in the ocean and our environment, and I would like to pursue a career that helps conserve such natural spaces. We have an extractive relationship with our environment, and I want to help flip this concept to encourage others to foster a more restorative mindset. I want to inspire others to view the natural world as a part of our community, places that are our responsibility to care for, and ensure that everyone has equitable access to enjoy these spaces.
Cycling has played a huge role in this endeavor, not only helping to reduce my carbon footprint but also connecting me to the natural world through beautiful trails or coastal rides. Additionally, my side hustle has always been working as a bike mechanic, so I will continue wrenching on bikes, helping to get more people outside, and connecting them to the natural world.
Ultimately, I am not exactly sure what next year will look like, but I hope you will find me studying outside and organizing group rides to help others connect to the natural world and the community surrounding them.
Take Care and Ride Safe,
Shelby