Posts by bikeleague
Bicycle-Friendly Suburbs: Better Biking Beyond the Urban Core
Growing up, cycling all over Dublin city center on the thousand-year-old narrow streets I never imagined another life, decades later, bicycling around the northern Virginia suburbs. This isn’t to say you won’t find me ferrying teenagers around in my minivan, but when I can I use my bike instead. It’s fast and it’s cheap and just seems like a nicer way to encounter the world. But nowadays when I bike, many aspects of how and where I ride differ greatly from back in my Dublin days — because of the suburban location.
Read MoreWhy the League?
If you ask why enough, you quickly get to the heart of an issue. Why does the League exist? We have a compelling mission, vision and belief statement that says we all win if everyone gets to enjoy the benefits and opportunities of bicycling. Why the League? There are other bike groups out there with similar goals; why should you support the League?
Read MoreMember Profile: Keith Holt
When Hamzat Sani, Alison Graves and I were establishing the League’s first Equity Advisory Committee back in 2012 there was one name that was at the top of all of our lists: Keith Holt. Long before equity became a buzz word in bike advocacy, Holt was a visionary voice for change. The Milwaukee-based advocate and southeast region director of the Wisconsin Bike Federation was among the first leaders to convene and speak on panels related to building an inclusive movement. He was among the first to be tasked, in Chicago, with targeted outreach around bicycling to traditionally underrepresented communities. And, through his progressive but constructive vision of greater diversity in bicycling, he has helped to spark and shepherd a national dialog on who is served by and who has power to impact local, state and national advocacy efforts.
Read More#WhyIRide: To Remain Connected to My Brother
This May, we’re asking the question, “With so many reasons to ride, what’s yours?” The beauty of the bicycle is that it means many things to many people, so we wanted to highlight some of those many reasons this National Bike Month. Today, we heard from Andrew Siegel, of Dover, Delaware, who rides because it keeps him connected to his brother. Here’s his story…
Read MoreUsing the Mayors’ Challenge as a Local Advocacy Tool
Let’s face it: Bike advocates have it tough. Winning our goal of safer streets is a game played in multiple arenas, where different teams must come together and share in the ultimate victory — or defeat. Sure, bicycling may be a simple solution to many social problems, but, as Darla Letourneau explains so well, the problems that keep people from riding are… complex.
Read More#BikeChat: Bike Shops for Everyone
During last week’s #BikeChat we dug into the newest Women Bike report, “Bike Shops for Everyone: Strategies for Making Bike Retail More Welcoming to Women.” Liz Cornish, former Women Bike Manager and now Executive Director of Bikemore in Baltimore, researched, analyzed and produced the report, with support from Specialized. We spoke with Liz about some of the more surprising findings and how shops can remain financially viable by being more inclusive.
Read MoreReport: Equity Scan in Master Plans
Last week, Advocacy Advance released a new resource, “Active Transportation Equity: A Scan of Existing Master Plans.” While the report is not a comprehensive list, it cites 38 examples of active transportation master plans that include definitions of equity, equity goals, and — in some cases — performance measures for equity. But why this equity resource? What’s its purpose?
Read MoreBike Month Link Round Up
National Bike Month is 20 days in, and we’ve seen such a great response online and in print. There have been numerous articles, TV pieces and radio spots from across the country covering the two-wheeled celebration this May. We’ve also seen great coverage of the Bicycle Friendly State ranking, which served as a great lead-out to the many great events advocates and organizers like yourselves hosted for National Bike To Work Week.
Read MoreReport: Bike Shops For Everyone
Bike shops as we know them are dying. From 2000 to 2013, the number of bicycle retailers in the United States decreased from 6,195 to 4,055. Why is it the concern of the League’s Women Bike program if they do? The League of American Bicyclists believes that independent bicycle dealers in providing access to bicycles, bicycle maintenance, bicycling information, and creating a community of people riding bikes are a critical component to building a bicycle-friendly America. We want them to succeed, which means providing resources to assist them in embracing an increasingly diverse and growing market.
Read More#WhyIRide: It Makes Me a Better Photographer
This May, we’re asking the question, “With so many reasons to ride, what’s yours?” The beauty of the bicycle is that it means many things to many people, so we wanted to highlight some of those many reasons this National Bike Month. Today, we heard from Robert Lype, of Fairbanks, Alaska, who rides because it helps him see the world from a different point of view. This, in turn, strengthens his abilities as a photographer. He will ride in any weather, unless it dips below the very reasonable temperature of -45 degrees…
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