Policy and Advocacy

The Bike League works to make biking better

We are the voice of the nation’s 57 million bicyclists, promoting and protecting your right to ride

From the halls of Congress to the streets of your community, the Bike League is working to make your next ride safer and more convenient with fewer "Bike Lane Ends" signs and more protected places for you, your family, and your neighbors to ride.

Our advocacy efforts span the spectrum, from lobbying Congress for our fair share of funding to empowering state and local advocates with the tools to win campaigns for better bike policies in your town. Since 1880, we have been the hub of information that gets the wheels spinning in communities nationwide. At the federal, state and local level, our efforts unite the voices of people who bike.

Summer (Bike) Fun: Kids’ Bike Camp

July 28, 2015

Each summer, kids flock to the Community Cycling Center’s shop with their bikes, imaginations, and goals to expand their geographic and personal horizons. Our Bike Camp program teaches safety, group riding technique, right of way, and basic, hands-on maintenance skills. But the biggest lesson is the empowerment kids receive from a summer adventure on two wheels.

Read More →

Summer (Bike) Fun: Bike Prom

July 23, 2015

As a community, we wanted to make an approachable event that gave bike riders from all backgrounds a chance to get together and celebrate. As an organization, we wanted an unpretentious gala that incorporated a bike ride where anyone could participate in without breaking a sweat.

Read More →

Using the Mayors’ Challenge as a Local Advocacy Tool

May 26, 2015

Let’s face it: Bike advocates have it tough. Winning our goal of safer streets is a game played in multiple arenas, where different teams must come together and share in the ultimate victory — or defeat. Sure, bicycling may be a simple solution to many social problems, but, as Darla Letourneau explains so well, the problems that keep people from riding are… complex.

Read More →

Summit Big Idea: A Digital Advocacy Network

January 18, 2015

For Mychal Tetteh, the old adage proved true: Necessity is the mother of invention. Portland may be his hometown, but when he started as the Executive Director of the Community Cycling Center in 2013, he felt like he was working from a disjointed map, an incomplete playbook on how to make streets safer in his community. “As soon as I got the job, I wanted to know everything,” he recalled. “From a regional standpoint, I wanted more complete information. I wanted to know who all the stakeholders were, a categorical list of all the advocacy organizations and agencies and neighborhood institutions.” He quickly discovered he wasn’t alone.

Read More →