Reports and Resources

Convincing decision makers to prioritize people who bike and walk requires two things: great stories and great data. Our reports offer important, easy to understand case studies for both.

As the premier resource for advocates and policy makers on how to make biking better, the League has produced scores of reports and fact sheets over the years to make the case for building a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.

In addition to our most recent reports, the League also hosts archives and resources created over the years through our work and that of our partners.

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Recent Reports

Reconnecting to the New Majority

In 2013, the League of American Bicyclists (League) and the Sierra Club published “The New Majority: Pedaling Towards Equity,” a report highlighting the changing demographics within the bicycling movement. Today, the League is releasing a new report, “Reconnecting to the New Majority,” to update our understanding of demographic trends in bicycling, identify areas of focus to ensure that all people — particularly Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) — have access to safe bicycling, and further progress actions that promote equity in bicycling.

Benchmarking Bike Networks

“Benchmarking Bike Networks” demonstrates the importance of safe bicycle infrastructure and connected bicycle networks in increasing the safety and accessibility of bicycling as a transportation and recreational option. The report’s findings demonstrate why communities around the United States should prioritize building the safest bicycle facilities for appropriate road contexts to connect more people and neighborhoods to more places. The League hopes this report will serve as a tool for communities, planners, state and local bike advocacy organizations, cycling clubs, and individuals who bike to be advocates for bike infrastructure and networks that will contribute to building a Bicycle Friendly America for Everyone.

Bicycling Benefits Business report cover

Bicycling Benefits Business

In 2009, the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking and Walking published “Bicycling Means Business”, a culmination of research studying the economic benefits of bicycle infrastructure. Today, the League is releasing an updated report, “Bicycling Benefits Business”, which reviews new research in the nearly 10 years that have passed since the original, and it remains true: communities that support bicycling as a means of transportation and recreation have outsized economic benefits by attracting residents and tourists alike.

Bicycling Benefits Business report cover

Recent Posts from our Research Team

FAQ: Every Bicyclist Counts

By bikeleague | June 4, 2014

Our Every Bicyclists Counts report has generated quite a lot of discussion since its release last month, which is good. That’s why we do these things! We’ve heard everything from heartfelt “thanks” for digging into a genuinely difficult topic to the despairing “what am I supposed to teach my students now.” Let me see if I can provide a little more commentary and context to address some of the more frequent questions we’ve been getting.

New Report: Every Bicyclist Counts

By bikeleague | May 21, 2014

A terrible string of fatal bike crashes in the Tampa area in late 2011 and early 2012 left the local bike community reeling. As they shared each awful tragedy with us, we too felt frustrated and powerless. We also realized how little we really knew about the circumstances of serious crashes between bikes and cars, and how woefully inadequate (and late) the available data was at the national level.

BFS: Infrastructure & Funding

By Ken McLeod | May 14, 2014

The Infrastructure & Funding category has long been one of the lower scoring categories that make up our Bicycle Friendly State rankings. In this category we ask tough questions about the infrastructure that is actually on the ground, the money from state and federal programs actually committed to bicycling and walking, and state goals and policies that affect funding and building decisions. When looking at long-term average spending on bicycling and walking as a percentage of all federal transportation funds, we see that less than 2% has been spent on bicycling and walking projects. It is not particularly surprising then that states tend to score low in this category.

New: Census Data on Bike Commuting

By Ken McLeod | May 8, 2014

Today the Census Bureau released its newest report on commuting in America, heralding a 60 percent increase in bike commuting in America over the past decade. We’ll be discussing this new report with Census Bureau staff via Google Hangout next Tuesday, May 13, at 12 p.m. Tune in here.

10 Tools to Make Your Bike Month Better!

By bikeleague | April 28, 2014

Whether you bike to work or school; ride to save money or time; pump those pedals to preserve your health or the environment; or simply to explore your community, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling – and encourage more folks to giving biking a try! Here are some important national dates for May this year

New Report: Lifting the Veil on Spending

By bikeleague | February 19, 2014

Each year, $37 billion is allocated to states for transportation projects. How much does your state plan to spend on bicycle and pedestrian facilities? The new Advocacy Advance report, Lifting the Veil on Bicycle and Pedestrian Spending, takes a look at a complex federal process – the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). STIPs, at their most basic, are budget documents that express how states plan to spend federal transportation funds for the next four years.