Blog Post
We asked the National Bike Challenge riders on Facebook a simple question: In five words or less, describe what riding a bike has done for your life. We were astounded by the hundreds of inspirational responses. From transportation to health to freedom, it’s clear bicycling means a lot of things to a lot of people — and that’s exactly what we’re hoping to foster with the Challenge.
The WTS (Women’s Transportation Seminar) annual conference brings together hundreds of women transportation professionals to network and share ideas. WTS has chapters all over the country and some abroad, and they place a big emphasis on early career mentorship.
We all have reasons why we ride. Some of us ride for transportation. Others ride for health. Many ride for multiple reasons. But here at the National Bike Challenge, there’s a bonus reason why we ride… Prizes.
In 2013, Jen Charrette suffered a loss that would shatter any parent — the tragic death of her two-year-old son. A longtime bicyclist, the Colorado mother found solace in cycling, pedaling through her grief and finding moments of peace in the saddle. As we mark National Women’s Health Week with posts about the wellness benefits of bicycling, Charrette shares how her bike has helped her heal.
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and her leadership colleagues on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee published their eagerly anticipated proposal for the next transportation bill — and the proposal gets a solid B+ rating from the League, offering the certainty of long term-funding that transportation agencies need to make much-needed infrastructure investments while making some small but important changes to make the programs run more efficiently and with greater transparency.
When Sheclismo adventure racer Crystal Day signed up for the National Bike Challenge, her enthusiasm must’ve been contagious. Her daughters, Baylie and Kiara, asked if they could help out Sheclismo in logging miles. Crystal posted this to Sheclismo’s Facebook group, and in short order, Sheena Christiansen’s daughters Ren and Nevaeh had signed up, too. “I feel like no one can judge my when I’m on my bike. I feel unstoppable!” says Ren, 12. Nevaeh, who is 10, says “I love riding my bike really fast down big hills!”
When we examine Policies and Programs as part of our annual Bicycle Friendly State ranking we are primarily looking at the policies that accommodate bicyclists and state staff time for bicycling-related programs. Examples of policies that accommodate bicyclists include complete streets policies, facility design guidelines, bicycle parking policies, and bridge and tunnel access policies.
The next round of federal TIGER grants may EXCLUDE walking and bicycling. This morning, the Transportation sub-committee of the powerful House Appropriations Committee debated proposed funding for the Department of Transportation in 2015 — and voted to disallow any funding for bike and pedestrian projects as part of TIGER grants.
More than 34,000 riders can’t be wrong: The 2013 National Bike Challenge succeeded in uniting Americans to pedal 19 million miles. Now, rider feedback and a reinvestment in the platform have helped propel an even more engaging, dynamic and user-friendly 2014 Challenge. Tomorrow, the League of American Bicyclists, in partnership with Kimberly-Clark’s SCOTT NATURALS brand, is excited to announce the kick-off of the 2014 National Bike Challenge.
We’re just a couple days out from the kick off of the new-and-improved 2014 National Bike Challenge! For months, we’ve been working diligently behind the scenes to create a better website that offers our users an intuitive, functional and inspiring experience. We truly appreciated riders’ understanding and constructive feedback as we phased in functionality and completed development.