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.

Can't find a report you're searching for? Contact us.

Looking for more data? Visit our Benchmarking Report site dedicated to numbers

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

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.

Welcome, Bicycle Researchers!

By bikeleague | January 10, 2014

Next week will be the 93rd annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, which means many a bicycle scholar will be descending upon the nation’s capital. The League is teaming up with the Bicicultures Research Network to invite researchers to join us on Tuesday night. We’ll be at Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café in Dupont Circle from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Look for us in the mezzanine!

New Equity Report: Engaging Youth

By bikeleague | December 2, 2013

Devlynn Chen, a member of our Equity Advisory Council, worked with the League on an internship this summer to help us better understand what motivates youth to ride and how to engage them in advocacy. The result? A new report, authored by Chen, on “Engaging Youth in Bicycle Advocacy.”

New Report: Where We Ride

By Ken McLeod | November 18, 2013

In “Where we Ride: An Analysis of Bicycling in American Cities” we take a look at bicycle commuters throughout the nation, looking at broad trends (such as the three states that have had a more than 100% increase since 2005) and more particular analyses (such as top bike commuter rates in cities of various sizes).

ACS: Bike Commuting Continues to Rise

By Ken McLeod | September 25, 2013

UPDATED: We’ve updated our data list for the 70 largest U.S. cities, including share of bicycle commuters and percent change. Download it here. According to the ACS, in 2012 about .64% of commutes are made by bicycle, which represents an almost 10% increase from 2011. This is the largest year-on-year increase since 2007-2008, showing that people are choosing to use their bicycles for transportation not just in response to economic crisis, but because bicycles are leading the way to recovery.

Old Solutions from a Passing Generation: USDOT’s Proposed Strategic Plan Falls Short

By bikeleague | August 30, 2013

On Tuesday, August 27th the U.S. Department of Transportation released a draft strategic plan for public comment. The 94-page document lays out how the U.S. Department of Transportation proposes to manage our transportation system for the next five years — guiding the work of some 57,000 federal employees and heavily influencing some $205 billion of annual spending on highways in this country.