Equity

As a person of color, I acknowledge the complexities that people who are marginalized experience because I too live with these experiences every day. I see the cultural diversity that exists within the bicycle movement and comprehend that all groups have different needs when it comes to education and empowerment. We must work together to see that we keep all diverse groups into consideration, so we can all continue moving forward in taking ownership of these safe, healthy, clean and bicycle-oriented linkages.

The Obama administration sent its vision for the next federal transportation bill to Congress today. Addressing equity, connectivity and local control, the bill takes promising steps toward the League’s four federal priorities for bicycling. Learn more on our webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday.

Perhaps the greatest power of bicycling is how we lose ourselves in the moment; how the pressures of daily life can wash away like a cool breeze through our helmets. But, as our work with Women Bike and Equity Initiative has made clear, despite that sense of freedom, we can’t disconnect bicycling from larger social realities. That’s why we were particularly honored to welcome Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, to the National Women’s Bicycling Forum this month.

Last January, an email from someone named Hamzat Sani landed in my inbox. The message invited me to join something called an “Equity Advisory Council” at the League of American Bicyclists. I’m a joiner, so I accepted, and made travel plans to attend an in-person meeting with the nine other council members the day before the National Bike Summit in March.

In his State of the Union address last week, President Obama emphasized American energy independence. He foretold a future with fair wages, where students can find opportunity, and more families can afford to buy their homes. Does this relate to bicycling? Yes, because we ride in shared public spaces that are part of larger built environments tied together through economic, social, and ecological systems.

Last Thursday, NPR ran a story about bike share accessibility issues. The reporter, Joel Rose, shared interviews with street users in DC’s Anacostia neighborhood, a bike advocate in New York City, and a researcher in Chicago. This struck me as odd because while bike equity is a nationwide problem, it’s something being addressed differently in each of those cities.

In response to the growing consensus among bicycle advocates that we need to develop better strategies to engage with communities of color, youth, and women, the League formed an Equity Advisory Council in February 2013. We are pleased to announce that we are looking to bring on a new member in early 2014.