National Bike Summit Begins!

Washington, D.C. – March 10, 2015 – The National Bike Summit begins today in Washington, D.C., bringing together hundreds of passionate bicycling leaders from communities across the country.

Hosted by the League of American Bicyclists, the Summit, running from today through March 12, is now in its 15th year. With another federal transportation bill looming, hundreds of bike advocates, industry leaders and cycling enthusiasts are gathering in Washington, D.C., to unite the voices of bicyclists on Capitol Hill. 

This year’s theme — Bikes+ — focuses on new ideas for exponential growth and building strong partnerships to get there. We’re zeroing in on how the bike movement can add value to other issues and find powerful champions in health, community development, the business sector and beyond.

 Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL) will be addressing the Summit by video, and the event will also feature top transportation, government and political leaders including:

• U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Victor Mendez
• Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
• Mick Cornett, Mayor of Oklahoma City
• R.T. Rybak, former Mayor of Minneapolis
• Meghan Sahli-Wells, Mayor of Culver City, California
• Dr. Aletha Maybank, Director of the NYC’s Department of Health, Center for Health Equity
• Maya Rockeymoore, President of Center for Global Policy Solutions

“In less than 100 days, the federal transportation law expires and the Highway Trust Fund will go broke — unless Congress acts,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “That’s where the National Bike Summit comes in. We’re uniting bicycle advocates from across the country, amplifying our voice for a more bicycle-friendly America on Capitol Hill.”

“We’ll be talking about how the bike is a solution to many problems and working with our partners in health, business, government, engineering, higher education and more,” Clarke said. “But, we’ll only see the benefit of that solution if our roads are safe to ride on — and that’s where Congress can help.”

The Summit begins today with the National Forum on Women & Bicycling, which will showcase the leadership and innovation of dozens of female leaders from across the nation. Speakers will include:

• Ren Barger, Tulsa Hub CEO, and Barbara Bannon, Tulsa Hub Board Immediate Past President and President of Human Resource Investments 
• Rue Mapp, CEO and Founder of Outdoor Afro
• Lisa Nutter, President of Philadelphia Academies, Inc., and First Lady of Philadelphia

The National Bike Summit and National Forum on Women & Bicycling will be held at the Renaissance Washington (999 9th Street NW, Washington, D.C.) on March 10 and 11, and moves to Capitol Hill on Thursday, March 12. See the full agenda here. 

If you can’t make it this year, check out #NBS15 and #womenbike to follow along!