Blog Post

In May of this year, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) invited Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard (R) to testify in front of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) on the importance of local control over the Transportation Alternatives Program — a program that funds bicycling and walking projects and other local priorities.

This story comes to us from Randy LeBlanc, who is quickly rising up the leaderboard in the National Bike Challenge. But it’s been a year of transformation for Randy, who was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in March. Here’s more from this Platinum-level rider. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in March of 2013 with a blood glucose reading of 392.

Lexington may be known as the Horse Capital of the World, but our scenic country roads and rolling hills also make our Kentucky city a great place for bicyclists. With nearly 750 members, the Bluegrass Cycling Club sponsors weekly rides around the Lexington area — but that’s not all. Bicycling is also alive and well at Transylvania University, nestled in the northern reaches of the city, thanks to two dynamic and energetic women: one a student, the other her teacher and mentor.

Today, Senators Corker (R-TN) and Murphy (D-CT) unveiled a bi-partisan agreement to raise the gas tax. The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is set to go bankrupt in mid to late August and Congress must find a solution over the next few weeks or the federal government will have to slow or stop payments to states on transportation projects. This could cost significant job loss during the high construction season, as well as a delay on much needed transportation improvments. HTF is primarily funded by fuel tax on gas and diesel tax

The National Bike Challenge is full of instant success stories because of its ability to help motivate people to give bicycling a try. We asked Benjamin Lindorf at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) a few questions about their participation in the Challenge. He had some very inspirational stories to share.

When Jennifer Kutzleb started playing bike polo in 2013, she was the only woman in her club. While the fast-paced game is rapidly gaining in popularity, Kutzleb discovered quickly that women are underrepresented in the “all-gender sport.” So, this spring, the Davis, Calif., resident hooked up with two other female players from the Golden State to form The Trixies — and their goal isn’t just to put points on the board, but to change who’s on the court.

As the federal funding landscape changes for active transportation funding, more and more states are turning to local public revenue sources to raise the local match or fully fund bicycling and walking projects. While it is still essential to maneuver the federal funding system – and Advocacy Advance has plenty of tools, resources, and workshops to help advocates and agency staff maximize eligible funding programs – we have heard from many advocates that they’d like a state version of our funding resources.

With $3,000 in mini-grants in 2014, the League will support new and growing programs to engage young women in bicycling, encourage more moms to ride and advance female leadership in the bike movement. Now in its second year, the League’s Women Bike Mini-Grant Program is advancing local efforts that are creating pathways for women of all background to embrace bicycling as riders, advocates and leaders.

This guest post comes to us from Brent Buice, executive director of Georgia Bikes! The Peach State has seen tremendous growth and success in just the first month of the 2014 Challenge. Here, Brent lays out the three factors contributing to that success — and shares an inspiring story. The National Bike Challenge is our favorite way to motivate Georgians to ride bikes. The fact that it’s free, easy and fun means the Challenge pretty much sells itself.

We have wrapped up our first month for the 2014 National Bike Challenge –- and what an incredible 31 days of riding it has been! We finished the month with 36,227 registered riders pedaling nearly 4.6 million miles. Together we pedaled to the moon and back –- 10 times! In a mere 28 days, we surpassed last year’s total of 34,500! We are losing weight, saving money and cleaning our environment together and it’s been amazing.