In the most bicycle-friendly cities in Europe, women ride their bikes for transportation in nearly equal proportions to men. In the Netherlands, women bike more than men. Unfortunately, that’s not true in the United States, where women account for just 28% of bike commuters according to the 2019 American Community Survey. Are American women different, with less tolerance for risk than their European counterparts? Or are American streets just that much more dangerous? 

Earlier this month,  the temporary city in the Black Rock desert of northern Nevada, built by participants of the annual Burning Man festival, provided an ideal experiment to show what could happen in an American city with a bicycle-centric transportation system. Over the course of a week, about 70,000 people coalesce in roughly three square miles, a population density similar to central Minneapolis. For years, its residents have found that bicycling is the best way to get around the city. 

According to traffic counts at this year’s festival, people on bikes made up 86% of traffic. (For those curious, about one-fifth of those were e-bikes or other electric devices like skateboards). Although there were plenty of cars (almost one per minute), they traveled slowly, barely over the 5 mph speed limit. Nobody was afraid of getting hit by a car, even though there was not a bike lane or a traffic control device in the entire city. 

With so many bikes and safe, but chaotic, interactions among bicyclists and between bicyclists and cars, the streets of this “American” city looked much like the streets of Amsterdam — albeit with a lot more sand and mud. 

And regarding gender? American women are no different than Dutch women, at least when it comes to transportation choice. In Black Rock City, ridership among women was roughly equal to or even greater than ridership among men. While attendees identifying as female only accounted for 42% of the population, they accounted for 45% of the bicycle riders. It was a revelation for many women. Qualitative surveys conducted by the Burning Man census team discovered that women mentioned “bicycles” about four times more than men in open-ended questions about what they remember as special from Burning Man. 

Another amazing impact of slow car traffic is that people hardly noticed them. Cars, including small electric “cars” such as golf carts, were essential to the functioning of the city. They included golf carts for people with disabilities, heavy machinery for servicing camps and latrines, and government pickup trucks and squad cars. When asked to estimate how many cars were sharing the roads with them as they biked, participants drastically underestimated the number of cars. Most were surprised that as many as 42 cars per hour traveled on the roads with them. 

Black Rock City shows the massive potential of centering bicycling in a city’s transportation system:

It provides unprecedented mobility for women, who will bike as much as men if the streets are safe. 

Nearly everyone (17 out of 20, in this case) will choose bicycling if it’s safe and the fastest way to get around town. 

Making the streets safe means protecting people from cars.

Limiting the number of cars and reducing speeds allows for an efficient transportation system without the need for lanes, signs, or signals. 

Black Rock City shows that Americans of all genders are happy to rely on bicycling if it’s safe. Yes, the temporary city in the desert has the advantage of being built from scratch, while permanent cities have centuries of habits and infrastructure to contend with. However, it’s built completely from scratch in a matter of weeks. It should not take us decades to rebuild our permanent cities to make them safe for bicycling.

These lessons from Black Rock City show the importance of the Great Bike Infrastructure Project, PeopleForBikes’ new program transforming communities across the United States with infrastructure that enables people of all ages and abilities to comfortably ride a bike for everyday trips. We need to permanently rebuild American cities to create gender equity, access for everyone, mobility convenience, and joy. Burning Man participants build a city of 70,000 in a few weeks. Let’s not take too long to rebuild American cities. 

Nevada’s Annual Experiment in a Temporary, (Nearly) Car-Free City

From recreational amenities like pump tracks and singletrack trail systems to on-street protected bike lanes and bike parking, we know that safe and accessible bike infrastructure is critical to helping people of all ages and abilities enjoy bicycling in their communities. With the goal of getting more projects over the finish line, PeopleForBikes is proud to announce the opening of our 2023 Industry Community Grant applications.

Our grants are intended to support infrastructure that improves a community’s City Ratings score by building connections in low-stress bikeway networks or by improving opportunities for close-to-home recreation. Grants should support the material costs of infrastructure construction or non-material costs directly related and necessary to getting infrastructure built. PeopleForBikes’ industry grants range from $5,000 to $10,000 and our priority is to support efforts where grants of that magnitude make a difference, especially in support of communities impacted by historic disinvestment. 

Previous awards supported the construction of a bike park in El Paso, TX; the conversion of a tennis court into a bike garden in Flint, MI; the organization of protected bikeways in Durham, NC; the building of trails in Gorham, NH, to connect a mountain bike network to the downtown area; and an advocacy campaign in Salem, OR, to create safe, direct, and protected bike infrastructure.

Investments that build or result in permanent physical infrastructure such as protected bike lanes, neighborhood greenways/bike boulevards, bike paths, pump tracks, bike parks, recreational trail systems, or public bike parking.

Investments in temporary physical infrastructure, such as “quick-build projects” that demonstrate potential infrastructural improvements that are intended to eventually result in permanent infrastructure.

Support for organizing efforts or cultural initiatives that build support for specific bike infrastructure projects. Such proposals must show how the support will result in permanent infrastructural improvements. 

Maintenance or operating costs, Cycling education programs, unless education is an element of an event designed to bring attention to an infrastructure project 

Bike recycling, repair, or earn-a-bike programs

Non-profit organizations, including organizations relying upon a fiscal sponsor for their nonprofit status 

Local or state government agencies or federal agencies working locally 

Small businesses, such as bicycle retailers and community-oriented businesses that serve disadvantaged communities

1. Submit a Letter of Interest by October 20, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Only applications submitted through the online form will be accepted. Applicants may revise their submission as many times as they like until the deadline. 

2. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by November 1, 2023. Finalists will be invited to submit a full application, also using an online form.

3. Final applications are due by November 20, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

4. Awards will be announced in early December 2023.

If you have any questions about the grant process, please email infrastructure@peopleforbikes.org. 


PeopleForBikes’ Industry Community Grants program is funded through employee pro purchases, which collect donations from individuals who work in the bike industry and take advantage of pro-pricing discounts on new bikes and equipment. Does your company offer industry pro deals or discounts for athletes, retail staff, and industry employees? Give your customers an opportunity to donate to PeopleForBikes at checkout. For details, visit peopleforbikes.org/giving or email Rod Judd, PeopleForBikes’ director of membership and industry engagement.

Thank you to these brands that currently participate:

Apply for a 2023 PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grant

Paul Van Dyk was born and raised in Long Beach, California, never living more than a mile outside of the city’s limits. When it came time to attend college — at California State University, Long Beach — he decided to study traffic engineering, driven by a longtime love of cars. Van Dyk was eventually hired on by the Long Beach Public Works Department, where he has worked as an engineer for more than a decade.

“After being tasked with the design of bike facilities, I started riding a bike to and from work and fell in love with the principles of living in a 15-minute city,” says Van Dyk, who was recently promoted to the position of city traffic engineer. “My work is now trying to expand that type of lifestyle to the entire city, so folks can bike or walk to a grocery store or school or the dentist or wherever around town.”

Van Dyk’s conversion from car to bike lover isn’t so surprising — Long Beach has the year-round sunny, warm weather California is known for and there are few things as joyful as riding a bike near the coast. As early as 2012, Van Dyk saw an opportunity to bring bike share to Long Beach to help make bicycling more accessible to visitors and locals alike. While it was still the early days of shared micromobility, the nearby city of Fullerton already had a bike share pilot and Van Dyk and his team took notes with their own system in mind. In 2016, in partnership with CycleHop, the city launched Long Beach Bike Share with 10 stations and 100 bikes. 

About a year and a half later, seeking more unilateral control over the program, the city took ownership of the operation of the bike share system. Since August 2017, the city has owned and operated the program with the assistance of Pedal Movement, a Long Beach-based operator that oversees maintenance and rebalancing services for the pedal-powered system. Under this operational model, Long Beach Bike Share has expanded considerably, refurbishing more than 500 bikes from now-defunct systems and more than doubling its fleet size and geographic reach. 

“The bike share system has been complimentary to our rollout of infrastructure — they leverage one another,” says Van Dyk. “If we're trying to promote our bike share hubs somewhere, we'd better make sure that we have a bike boulevard or protected bikeway that gets people to that ultimate destination.”

For example, the rollout of bike share at Cal State Long Beach wouldn't have been possible without protected bike lanes on the campus arterials and bike boulevard projects that move folks from downtown to campus safely. Since the city oversees bike share as a public service, its integration with safe places to ride just makes sense. It also means that as bike share has expanded outside of the more tourist-heavy parts of the city, infrastructure has too. 

When Long Beach Bike Share was first deployed, it was primarily concentrated mostly in the southern half of the city, an area that includes the downtown core, coastline, and access to the local light rail. In the last few years, however, city planners have shifted their focus to making bike share a primary commute option that equitably serves all community members. That means expanding the system’s footprint into the more underserved area of North Long Beach and Central Long Beach.

“Having now deployed throughout the city, we are analyzing the gaps in our network in order to better serve disadvantaged communities,” says Van Dyk, explaining that in places without sufficient sidewalks, that might mean adding in-street docking stations. “In the past, we’ve been limited to places with park space, so we’re moving now towards an in-street paradigm which gives us more flexibility.”

As a way to complement the system expansion and grow use among low-income residents, the city recently launched Bike Share For All. The program, which is funded through the Long Beach Recovery Act, provides qualifying applicants with $5/year memberships, which include up to three hours of ride time each day (a standard annual membership costs $15/month or $120/year and includes 90 minutes of daily ride time). 

To qualify, applicants must provide proof of enrollment in one of 16 various local, state, or federal assistance programs, which include food assistance, state financial aid for students, and veterans benefits. Interested community members can sign up online or in person and are able to pay in cash. Members without smartphones can also receive a tap card to unlock bikes, available upon request during the application process.

As part of a larger effort to break down barriers to use, Long Beach Bike Share has removed out-of-hub parking fees for mid-trip stops. For example, if you check out a bike from a hub, go to the grocery store, and then return the bike to a hub at the end, you won’t be charged. Additionally, Bike Share for All members will receive a warning call before they’re ever fined.

“Our libraries don't collect fines and we really wanted to adopt a more user-friendly model for bike share, similar to a library,” says Van Dyk. “I really consider these bikes to be a public amenity, almost like a book we want people to lend back and forth.”

Inspired by low-income bike share programs in Philadelphia and New York City, Long Beach’s main concern when designing Bike Share For All was to make sure the cost was affordable and that everyone could use it. While marketing materials are already available in the city’s four most common languages — English, Spanish, Khmer, and Tagalog — Van Dyk says that the plan is to conduct more targeted community outreach around Bike Share For All in the upcoming year. 

“We plan to build relationships in the year to come, partnering with local community organizations that connect us to those who would benefit the most,” says Van Dyk, adding that a collaborative advocacy environment is also crucial when it comes to implementing bike infrastructure. “We also have a youth climate core intern on staff and he'll be deployed as a Bike Share For All ambassador this summer, performing some in-person engagement throughout the city.”

Long Beach city staff has found that whenever they do conduct community outreach, people consistently ask for the same thing: More protected bike lanes. The city has responded with an ambitious Bicycle Master Plan, which by 2040 will bring an all-ages and abilities network to every Long Beach neighborhood. Once completed, Long Beach will be one of the safest bicycling cities in America, with protected bike facilities on every single one of its arterial streets.

The challenge thus far has been balancing that vision with other priorities, including rail and pedestrian amenities. This year, the city is taking yet another step in the right direction by creating its own Street Design Guide for engineers. The goal of the design guide is to connect all relevant departments around a shared vision that ties into the city’s Bike Master Plan, Vision Zero work, and sustainability commitments. So every time a road is repaved, planners will have to account for a variety of considerations from what species of trees to include to where a bike share hub will go. 

“We’re equipping our staff, whether they’re engineers, planners, or interns, to have a street design guide that lays out all of these considerations,” says Van Dyk, adding that engineers especially need a toolbook to draw from. “We’re overhauling our project implementation to put people first and create more opportunities for 15-minute lifestyles.”

Long Beach’s City Ratings score hovers in the 30s, a ways off from a score of 50, the benchmark for safe, convenient places to bike. Still, the city is committed to making bicycling safe, convenient, and accessible for all. Crucially, there’s also political will amongst Long Beach’s electeds, including a city council that wants to see 30% bicycle mode share by 2040 and Vision Zero in a decade. At the national level, Rep. Robert Garcia, a California Democrat and the former mayor of Long Beach, introduced a bill that would eliminate parking minimums, a crucial step in creating better cities for bicycling. 

Currently, Long Beach offers more than 150 miles of bike paths, bicycle boulevards, and separated bike lanes, about 50% of the 300 miles the Bike Master Plan calls for. While there’s a lot of work ahead, the city is well-positioned to see it through. Indispensable to meeting its goal is Long Beach Bike Share, which will not only make bicycling an option for casual cyclists or those with limited means but will help spread the gospel of bicycling by making it ubiquitous on city streets.

“Over the past few decades, it's been easy to be in a bubble, whether it's inside of your personal vehicle or in a social media space — bikes are such a great antidote to that,” says Van Dyk. “Bicycles humanize a city and make it a place of community, where you can turn your head and greet a person, engaging with the city at that tactile level. That's something that we just really want to share with people.” 

Bike Share Boosts Long Beach's Bikeability for All

In late July, PeopleForBikes unveiled our newest groundbreaking initiative: The Great Bike Infrastructure Project. This ambitious program will transform communities by advancing pro-bike policies and thousands of bike infrastructure projects in all 50 states, making biking safer and more accessible for everyone.

In the coming months, we’ll take a deeper dive into the specific projects and policies included in the Great Bike Infrastructure Project. For now, read on for a high-level overview of the program. 

At the heart of this new program is a national database featuring an interactive map and list of more than 1,000 bicycle infrastructure projects across the United States. The tool tracks crucial information including each project’s status, state and local advocacy organizations supporting the project, and links to learn more. This first-of-its-kind, easily accessible resource will help people learn about projects in their communities — like bike trails, shared-use paths, protected bike lanes, bike parks, and more — and help ensure they get funded and built. 

Local advocacy efforts are often required to advance these projects, and we encourage you to check out the projects in your area and contact the linked state and local advocacy organizations to learn how you can support getting those projects across the finish line. If you’d like to add a project to our database or correct the details of an existing project, please visit our FAQ page. 

Legislative Strategies for Bike Infrastructure

As part of the Great Bike Infrastructure Project, PeopleForBikes also created a Legislative Guide to assist policymakers and advocates in expanding bike infrastructure for transportation and recreation. As we work to make the U.S. the best place in the world to ride a bike, this comprehensive guide outlines the four most effective legislative approaches to accelerate the construction of safe and connected places to ride. 

The guide includes legislative examples from a variety of communities and states, with tips on adjusting policies to suit your own community’s needs. To help advance these policies in your community, we also included links to existing legislative language to use when crafting your own bills. 

While there is now an unprecedented amount of federal funding available for bike infrastructure, state and local funding are vital to propel more projects forward and provide the 20-50% local match required for most federal grants. Our guide offers examples of more than a dozen different state and local funding mechanisms for bike infrastructure ranging from Tax Increment Financing districts to sales tax revenue and everything in between.

One of the key strategies for advancing bike infrastructure is the implementation of Complete Streets mandates. Complete Streets ensure that all road users, including people walking, rolling, biking, and using transit, have safe and accessible ways to get where they want to go. Our guide provides examples of legislation that include strong and specific requirements for creating Complete Streets, limited exceptions, and clear roles and responsibilities to make Complete Streets mandates effective.

Advance Bike Infrastructure Through Climate Legislation

Our guide emphasizes how state and local climate legislation can facilitate the construction of bike projects. Including bike infrastructure in climate legislation can help reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately contributing to serious environmental and fiscal benefits for communities. Our guide highlights examples of climate legislation in Minnesota, Washington, Rhode Island, and Hawaii, with specific examples of the most effective pieces.

Making streets safer for people riding bikes is paramount to encouraging biking as a mode of transportation and recreation. The guide highlights several strategies for local communities and states to achieve safer streets by reducing traffic speeds, banning right turns on red, and adopting modern design standards. 

PeopleForBikes invites bike industry members, advocates, policymakers, and everyday riders to join us in creating more liveable communities by helping advance pro-bike legislation and bike infrastructure right in your backyard. Together, we can build a vibrant, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.

For more information about PeopleForBikes’ Great Bike Infrastructure Project, visit infrastructure.peopleforbikes.org.

Introducing the Great Bike Infrastructure Project

We’re just halfway through 2023 and there are already notable legislative achievements for bicycles from every corner of the country. States have made commendable strides in promoting safety for vulnerable road users, investing in sustainable infrastructure, combating climate change, and expanding access to outdoor recreation opportunities.

New Laws to Improve Safety for Bicyclists and Pedestrians

Arizona: Advocates successfully opposed Senate Bill 1313,Senate Bill 1312, and Senate Bill 1314, which collectively threatened to remove bike-related requirements from city plans and hinder the tracking of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and climate reduction goals. These victories ensure that Arizona can continue promoting multi-modal transportation and climate-conscious urban planning, preserving essential tools for sustainable communities.

Maryland: The passage of House Bill 70, known as the Safe Access for All (SAFE) Roads Act of 2023, will improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. The legislation requires the Maryland Department of Transportation to prioritize incremental safety improvements for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects, ensuring timely implementation even if the projects themselves take more than 12 months to complete.

Minnesota: Embracing the "Idaho Stop" concept, Minnesota is now the latest state to legalize a more practical approach for bicyclists at stop signs. This change allows bicyclists to proceed without a full stop if there are no vehicles nearby, provided they slow down and are prepared to stop if necessary. 

Illinois: House Bill 2131 will create a statewide task force to chart a pathway toward eliminating traffic deaths. Additionally, Senate Bill 2278 will address a shortcoming in Illinois law by allowing cities and towns to protect their residents by building safer intersections.

Missouri: Senate Bill 398 includes the "Siddens Bening Hands Free Law" which will prohibit texting and the use of other electronic devices while driving. 

New Infrastructure Planning for Active Transportation Laws

New York: Assembly Bill 602 addresses the responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects. This legislation ensures effective planning and coordination between the state transportation commissioner and affected municipalities by estimating costs associated with various infrastructure projects, including highways, roads, streets, bicycle paths, and pedestrian paths.

Washington: Senate Bill 5452 authorizes the use of impact fee revenue to fund improvements to bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This new law enables communities to utilize fees charged to developers for the enhancement of bike infrastructure to support multimodal commuting and create a more sustainable transportation system.

Virginia: House Bill 1510 authorizes localities to grant tax incentives or provide regulatory flexibility to encourage the preservation, restoration, or development of urban green space including greenways.  

New Climate Action and Emissions Reduction Laws

Minnesota: The Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impact Assessment bill sets forth requirements for state agencies to track and minimize greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with statewide reduction goals. The legislation mandates the evaluation of emissions impact for transportation plans and roadway expansion projects, offering mitigation measures such as expanding transit services or constructing new bike lanes.

Washington: The passage of House Bill 1181 mandates medium and large cities to consider climate change in their comprehensive plans. This legislation encourages the development of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled, prioritizing the creation of connected bike networks and implementing bike-friendly zoning codes for sustainable transportation alternatives.

New Recreation and Trail Connectivity Laws

Colorado: Senate Bill 059 provides funding to local governments for improved access to state-owned outdoor recreational areas. This appropriation will help build infrastructure that grows recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.

Florida: Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill allocating $200 million to connect hiking and biking trails to a planned statewide wildlife corridor. This investment expands Florida's Greenways and Trails System and the SUN Trail Network, aiming to link 18 million acres of land from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle.

New Electric Bicycle Access and Regulations


PeopleForBikes' model electric bicycle legislation has gained widespread acceptance, with 41 states adopting the three-class system as a framework for regulation. In 2023, New Mexico, Nebraska, and West Virginia clarified their e-bike laws, defining the three classes of electric bicycles and aligning regulations with those for traditional bicycles. These legislative advancements simplify the rules for retailers, riders, and decision-makers while encouraging the use of e-bikes as a sustainable transportation option. Additionally, the West Virginia e-bike bill allows for Class 1 and 2 on non-motorized, natural surface trails where traditional bicycles are allowed.

Taken as a whole, these legislative achievements demonstrate an increasing nationwide emphasis on bicycles as a tool to advance safety, sustainable infrastructure, climate action, and accessible recreation. By enacting laws that protect vulnerable road users, support active transportation, reduce emissions, and expand access to the outdoors, states are paving the way for a more resilient, healthy, and enjoyable future. 

Legislative Bike Triumphs: A 2023 Mid-Year Review

For the first time since our City Ratings program launched seven years ago, Minneapolis, Minnesota, tops the list of the best large U.S. cities for bicycling with a score of 68. In 2022, the city’s score hovered in the 30s, and its leap to number one speaks to a number of notable changes. 

First, Minneapolis’ data received a massive update — while that’s not the most exciting reason, it’s essential. Our scoring system is informed using data from OpenStreetMap, which is essentially the Wikipedia of street maps, meaning anyone can edit it. If a city’s data in OpenStreetMap doesn’t adequately reflect the breadth and/or quality of the city’s on-the-ground infrastructure, then its corresponding City Ratings score will be lower. Thanks to updates to its OpenStreetMap data, Minneapolis saw its score rise.

That being said, the midwestern city, home to a population of about 425,336 people, has also made huge strides in building out the safe, connected bicycle infrastructure that demands OpenStreetMap updates — and defines the world’s best places to ride. 

“What's really unique about Minneapolis — what's different than many of the other notable cities for bicycling in North America — is that the backbone of our network is probably one of the best urban trail networks in the country,” says Luke Hanson, a senior transportation planner for the city. “Minneapolis' status as one of the top cities for bicycling is both a combination of strategic multimodal investments that include that kind of urban trail network, as well as deliberate complimentary policy guidance over time. Those pieces go hand in hand to create our current bike network.”

A key component of Minneapolis’ cycling urban trail network is the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, a continuous, 51-mile loop of off-street bike trails that traverses the entire city. For more than 100 years, the byway has been a recreational and transportation resource for people biking, walking, and rolling — a historical network that the city has been able to build off of over time with strategic and complimentary investments primarily along former rail corridors. That includes the Midtown Greenway, the Cedar Lake Trail, the Hiawatha LRT Trail, and the Dinkytown Greenway, which are all repurposed, grade-separated trails that avoid conflicts with motor vehicles and connect some of the most important destinations in the city. 

“All of this has been augmented by a series of initially painted buffered bicycle boulevard facilities throughout the city that provided network-level connectivity,” says Hanson. “More recently, many of these facilities have been improved by transitioning them from traditional unprotected bike lanes to protected facilities in a variety of different design types, utilizing things like protected intersection design and other tools we have available to us.”

Hanson is quick to point to the various policies that have helped Minneapolis develop one of the country’s most robust bicycle networks: its 2011 Bicycle Master Plan, 2013 Climate Action Plan, and 2015 Protected Bikeway Update to the Bicycle Master Plan. The 2015 plan outlined a long-term objective of creating 174 miles of protected bike lanes as part of the city's bike network. In 2019, the city also conducted a neighborhood greenway study to look at ways to transition traditional bike boulevards to make them more comfortable, safer, and more appealing to a wider group of people. Finally, the city’s 2020 Transportation Action Plan provides policy guidance to continue implementing protected and safe bike facilities throughout the city.

Minneapolis currently boasts 21 miles of on-street protected bike lanes and 106 miles of off-street sidewalk and trail miles. By 2030, the goal is to have 141 miles of newer, upgraded all ages and ability bikeways throughout the city, along with a micromobility mode share of 10% (the Climate Action Plan outlines a long-term goal of raising the bicycle commute mode share to 15%). Unfortunately, the loss of the city’s Nice Ride bike share system earlier this year complicates that vision (and is arguably a huge oversight on the part of the city).

“[Mass mode shift] is still a goal and it’s important to work towards that even with the challenge of not having a reliable bike share system,” says Hanson. “What we're trying to establish is a complimentary transportation network where people have options beyond just driving and single occupancy vehicles. In addition to transit, we're thinking through walking, biking, rolling, and other methods to make sure people have transportation options and choices to help us get to those mode shift goals. Marketing is important but we’re reinforcing that with infrastructure.”

Other complementary policies, such as redesigning intersections and reducing speeds, play an equally important role. In 2020, Minneapolis and its twin city St. Paul lowered their default speed limits, switching from 30 to 20 mph on residential streets and 25 mph for larger, arterial, city-owned streets. Lowering speed limits aligns with Minneapolis’ Vision Zero work by reducing the likelihood of crashes and the likelihood of a crash leading to serious injuries or death. Since lower speeds are critically important in places where people are walking, rolling, and biking — which is most locations in Minneapolis — they correspond with higher City Ratings scores.

“Lowering speed limits is a tool but we're also using street design to compliment those lower posted speed limits,” says Hanson. “Traffic calming measures such as raised crossings, speed humps, speed cushions, medians, and narrowing roadways are equally important. Even if they’re not explicitly a bike project per se, they make it safer and more comfortable for people to bike.”

Other things Minneapolis is doing well include leveraging federal grants to fund projects, taking advantage of street resurfacing projects to upgrade infrastructure, and creating a brand new Street Design Guide. According to Hanson, in addition to providing guidance on what an all ages and abilities bikeway should look like, the guide also includes guidance on when to install them (the short answer: on any major throughway undergoing reconstruction). Notably, the city also eliminated parking minimums and made the choice to transition away from single-family housing, choices that contribute to better cities for cycling (it also helps that Minnesota is progressive when it comes to its state transportation policy).

“It's not as simple as the silo of transportation infrastructure — these things build upon one another to make a functional, practical system for people to rely on and use,” says Hanson. “It’s important to acknowledge that there are a lot of additional projects that aren’t bike-specific that work to make biking safer and more comfortable.”

Having worked on bike projects for more than a decade, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Hanson himself is a regular cyclist, relying on his bike for most trips. He credits the local bike culture as a major contributing factor to what makes Minneapolis such a great place to bike. On any given week, there are dozens of social rides throughout the city, including non-drop rides, family-friendly outings, and meet-ups for identity-specific groups. There are organizations that empower people to be comfortable on their bikes through all four seasons, as well as Grease Rag and other groups that provide inclusive environments for bicycle education.

Hanson also credits local advocacy groups and community-based organizations with helping create a safer, more comfortable, and more equitable environment for bicycling. 

“We've found a lot of value in partnering with established community groups and organizations to perform better, more meaningful project engagement,” says Hanson. “Doing so allows us as city staff to better build relationships with residents through trusted community members. Meaningful relationships are a really, really important resource for us.”

In recent years, Minneapolis has also been the site of racial unrest and the need to connect with and prioritize the needs of historically underserved communities has been pushed to the forefront. The city recently created a Racial Equity Framework for Transportation, which acknowledges that certain populations and geographies in the city have borne the brunt of displacement, pollution, and a slew of other outcomes directly tied to an inequitable transportation system. Importantly, this framework can help city planners be strategic and prioritize transportation investments in those same communities.

Hand in hand with those investments is a tangible plan for lowering barriers to bicycling through youth education. Currently, Minneapolis Public Schools are rolling out universal bike education for fourth and fifth graders in two-thirds of the city’s public schools, with plans for it to eventually be district-wide. After all, an all ages and abilities bike network only benefits youth that know how to ride.

“In the last few years, I think we’ve made some really meaningful progress,” says Hanson. “And I also appreciate that there’s always ongoing work to do.”

How Minneapolis Became a Top U.S. Bike City

When it comes to great places for bicycling along Colorado’s Front Range, Boulder and Fort Collins are often touted for their long histories as bike-forward cities. However, thanks to recent population shifts bringing more people to surrounding suburbs, a new wave of Colorado cycling cities is emerging.

“In recent years, there have been lots of folks from Boulder and Fort Collins who found Longmont as a place to raise their kids,” says Phil Greenwald, transportation planning manager for the City of Longmont, which is situated a half hour northwest of Boulder. 

With a population of roughly 100,000 people, 10,000 of which moved within the last decade, the two Front Range cities are now similarly sized. With the added population came a need to plan for growth, and in 2016, the city adopted “Envision Longmont” — a comprehensive multimodal plan outlining strategic guidance and direction for the city over the next 10 to 20 years.

“The multi-modal plan fully lays out our vision for bicycling,” says Greenwald. “There is a heavy focus on more dollars for active transportation and making long-planned projects a reality.”

Because growth inevitably means construction, one of Longmont’s major initiatives is prioritizing the improvement of roadways for all.

“With lots of street improvement projects, we’re giving people a chance to relook at how we use roads,” says Greenwald. “Whenever we have a resurfacing project, we think about how we can improve that street for bicycling. Even with existing bike lanes, we think about how we can improve.”

Recent examples include removing street parking along Longmont’s Mountain View Avenue to add a buffer for bike lanes to increase safety. Another project removed a lane of traffic along 9th Avenue, a major arterial through town, to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

New development is also a major target for increasing bikeability, with street design standards for the city mandating that new road construction needs to recognize the needs of all road users. If a new road is designated as a collector street (one that moves traffic from local streets to arterial roads) or larger, it needs to include a buffered bike lane. The land development code also requires a certain percentage of bike parking available compared to vehicle parking for all new commercial and apartment buildings.

Plus, the city’s dedication to improvement doesn’t just stop at road development. In 2014, Longmont eliminated parking minimum requirements, an effort that is known to help reduce urban sprawl and reduce reliance on personal vehicles. In 2019, the Longmont City Council also declared a climate emergency, doubling down on the city’s efforts to get people out of cars as a key component of combating climate change. Earlier this year, the council passed a resolution to make Longmont a Vision Zero community with the goal of eliminating fatalities on their roadways.  

According to Ben Ortiz, leaning on the support of community members has also had a tremendous impact on the direction of the city’s work. “We have a bicycle issues committee made up of dedicated residents who give great input on how to improve biking,” says Ortiz, transportation planner for the city. “We also have a traffic mitigation program that has been around for 20 years. The program allows neighborhoods that feel that speed limits are too fast to initiate a process to facilitate slower streets.”

Looking ahead, both Ortiz and Greenwald have high hopes for the future of biking in Longmont. Greenwald is pushing Boulder County to create a separated bikeway along Highway 119, the diagonal artery between Boulder and Longmont. While he admits most people won’t bike the entire route, it’s more about making connections in the middle, so residents can access homes and businesses in the smaller communities of Niwot and Gunbarrel that often get overlooked. He also hopes to reincorporate a bike share program back into the city that is complementary to the existing B-Cycle program in nearby Boulder, allowing folks to all use the same app and easily access bike share no matter where they go.

For the first time this year, Longmont ranked #10 for medium-sized U.S. cities in PeopleForBikes’ 2023 City Ratings, an annual program that evaluates and identifies the best places for bicycling. While this accomplishment may seem out of reach, it’s worth noting that in 2022 Longmont was ranked #88 among medium-sized U.S. cities. By prioritizing bicycling and making consistent, intentional investments, any city can do what Longmont has.

“Look at your land development code and street design standards,” says Ortiz. “For new streets, incorporate bike facilities and sidewalks. Make sure you have bike parking as a function of new development, and if you can get rid of minimum parking requirements, do it.”

“Whenever you look at a new project, incorporate the needs of the bike community,” reiterates Greenwald. “Not every project has to be expensive, either. Find the low-hanging fruit and how you can make small improvements. When you open up places where people feel safe, people will ride.”

Longmont’s Multifaceted Approach to Better Bicycling

As big cities across the U.S. continue to grow in size with inner-city congestion, many folks are looking to ditch the increasing crowds in favor of more up-and-coming locales. The following cities are great places to look to settle down because they are not only hubs of population growth, new employment and great culture, they also encourage an active and healthy lifestyle and back it up with investments in active transportation infrastructure!

Salt Lake City, Utah, has pretty much anything a millennial looking to settle down could want. It is affordable and quite LGBTQ+ friendly, it’s surrounded by one of the best natural playgrounds you could ask for, parks are abundant, home values are looking to grow in coming years and the city has started work on a 220-mile bike network. Known as the “Crossroads of the West,” Salt Lake City was founded in 1847 and is now home to nearly 190,000 people.

Currently, 50% of arterial streets and 56% of collector streets in town have some type of bike lane or bikeway. Since the city’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan passed in 2015, SLC has begun work on expanding this infrastructure to include 220 miles of bikeway and numerous facilities throughout the city.

Veering off paved paradise and into the sandy, desert dunes, there are mountain bike trails and bike parks galore! Visit the Bonneville Shoreline Trail for some fast and fun descents or hop on the Wasatch Crest trail for some 360-degree high alpine views. Salt Lake City is a growing gem of the Intermountain West. Unparalleled access to nature, expanding infrastructure, an active downtown and great culture make this mid-size town a great place to live and ride!

Missoula, Montana, also known as “The Garden City,” was founded in 1864 and is home to 74,822 people, making it the second-largest city in Montana. Missoula is located in the Northern Rockies of Montana, surrounded by seven wilderness areas and at the confluence of three rivers, making backyard views exceptional to say the least. Missoula is currently growing at a rate of 0.83% annually and to handle the growing need for transportation, the Missoula Bicycle Facilities Master Plan was adopted in 2017. Currently, there are more than 50 miles of shared-use paths and 37 miles of on-street bike lanes in town, with the new master plan aiming to expand infrastructure to 101 miles of shared-use paths, nearly 90 miles of on-street bike lanes and 31 miles of neighborhood greenways.

Transportation isn’t the only growing need, but thankfully Missoula is in the perfect place for a growing culture of recreation! MTB Missoula is a local organization that envisions a Missoula “where mountain bikers are the most thoughtful, informed and engaged group of users on the trail.” The organization helped build Missoula’s first public, bike-specific trails and manages more than 100 miles of local and backcountry singletrack. The most well-known are the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Marshall Mountain. The Rattlesnake National Recreation Area is what most people think of when mountain biking in Missoula comes to mind. It is a wild, smooth singletrack area directly north of downtown, offering great rides for all skill levels. Marshall Mountain caters to the more extreme riders, boasting a bunch of fast descents on an old ski hill — bumpy rides that are sure to get your adrenaline pumping. Missoula is the place to go if you are seeking your next mountain biking mecca!

Although it doesn’t quite make the “small-town” list with a population of 300,000, Saint Paul, Minnesota, certainly has the small-town feel. The city’s energetic community, historic interest, cultural landmarks and time-honored traditions make Saint Paul the historical and cultural heart of Minnesota. The beauty of this city isn’t just downtown — Saint Paul is home to more shoreline on the Mississippi River than any other city, offering up beautiful waterfront views wherever you go.

There are 207 miles of bicycle-friendly paths and roadways that connect the twin city. In 2015, the most recent Bicycle Plan of Saint Paul was adopted, which recommended an additional 140 miles throughout the current network to create more cohesive routes. If the accessibility wasn’t enough to get you excited, the Saint Paul Classic will! A community-driven race that offers routes for all skill levels, the Saint Paul Classic also includes extremely scenic rest stops to highlight the charm of the city along the way. The event attracts nearly 2,500 riders and hundreds of fans every year. For those seeking more adventure, there are opportunities to race down fun descents at Battlecreek Park, Lebanon Hills Mountain Bike Park or Salem Hills Park. Saint Paul has something for everyone, so as the town says, “Grab a helmet and get spinning!”

Lawrence, Kansas, is known for having one of the most beautiful downtowns in America with a vibrant art and live music scene. But this quirky little town has more to be excited about… Bikes and waffles! Kansas has a very rich cycling history and is the home state of many notable riders — Lawrence is home to the Kansas Cycling Association. While lots of people see Kansas as a perpetually flat state, many of them will think “we’re not in Kansas anymore,” when confronted with the rolling hills that surround Lawrence.

Lawrence plays host to one of the most unique cycling races in the United States, the Belgian Waffle Ride. This 111.11 kilometer race crosses undulating gravel, trails, grass, mud, dirt and a couple patches of asphalt, also including a much-needed Belgian snack available at kilometer 58. 4,000 cyclists flock to Lawrence every year to compete in this unique race! Cruising on the pavement is a favorite pastime of Lawrence locals — coming into town you are sure to see smiling cyclists enjoying the 66 miles of bike paths this quirky town has to offer!

Bellingham, Washington, home to 90,821 residents, is known as the “City of Subdued Excitement” because the appeal of the city lies in its quieter attractions that do not attract hordes of tourists. In-town attractions include mountain and waterfront views, gigantic murals and a vibrant downtown. Slightly out of town, in the surrounding Whatcom County, lies abundant nature and accessible outdoor adventure from the Salish Sea to Mt. Baker and the North Cascades National Park.

Bellingham is growing at a staggering rate of 1.93% annually and has felt the effects of a growing population on this previously small town. In an effort to alleviate transportation concerns, the City of Bellingham passed a Bike and Pedestrian Master plan in 2014 to bring 130 miles of bikeway to the city, bringing the total amount of bikeways in Bellingham to 170 miles connecting downtown and high-traffic areas. This project has been supported by the Tour De Whatcom race, which offers three race categories — 22, 44 or 105 miles — and draws nearly 1,000 bike enthusiasts to Bellingham annually. This town is not only drawing road race fans, it is known as the best place to mountain bike in Washington. Its prize park is Galbraith Mountain, a world-class destination within riding distance of the city. The expansion of Bellingham leaves the city and cyclists racing to keep up with the growing number of attractions, literally and figuratively!

Located just outside of the Iowa state capital of Des Moines, Ankey is a mid-size suburb that is currently growing at a staggering annual rate of 2.94% because it is considered one of the best places to live in Iowa. Ankeny offers a hometown feel with first-class amenities. The nearly 80 miles of bikeways connect the city’s 40 parks, water sports opportunities and downtown. Part of the network is the High Trestle Trail which is 25 miles long and offers great views of the valley. This trail in particular attracts more than 250,000 visitors each year and spurred the City of Ankeny’s 2019 Bicycle Tourism Plan, which plans to expand bicycle facilities and paths across town. Outside of the city, you can bike your way over to Des Moines to explore the State Capitol Building, explore the events at the Iowa State Fairgrounds or support the local farmers at the Downtown Farmers Market. Ankeny is not the most mainstream destination for biking, just one more reason we ranked it as one of the best!

Even great biking cities need to constantly improve to ensure they remain at the forefront of creating better communities for bicycling. Just ask Munich, Germany, which, even with a City Ratings score of 83, strives to make its city even better for bicycling with the 2022 announcement of a new plan for six cycling expressways and a bicycle ring road to be completed by 2025. 

City Ratings scores and the creation of great places for biking are positively impacted by plans that embody PeopleForBikes' SPRINT framework: reducing speeds, constructing protected bike lanes, reallocating road space, improving intersections, establishing comprehensive networks of safe cycling routes, and using trusted data to inform decision-making. These strategies help communities enhance bike infrastructure and make riding better for everyone.

With that in mind, we explored our top-rated U.S. cities for 2023 to find the most exceptional bike plans. Each of these communities sets an inspiring example for others to follow, demonstrating the transformative power of well-crafted bike plans in building vibrant, bike-friendly communities that get more people riding more often.

Rated as the top large U.S. city in our City Ratings program for 2023, Minneapolis has developed one of the country’s most robust bicycle networks thanks in part to its 2011 Bicycle Master Plan, 2013 Climate Action Plan, 2020 Transportation Action Plan, and 2015 Protected Bikeway Update to the Bicycle Master Plan. The 2015 plan outlined a long-term objective of creating 174 miles of protected bike lanes as part of the city's bike network. To help implement these plans, Minneapolis’ Street Design Guide was created to steer the design of road reconstructions and retrofits.

In 1967, Davis constructed a bike lane on 8th Street, making it the first U.S. city with a designated bike lane. Today, Davis is PeopleForBikes’ highest-rated medium-sized city, with more than 100 miles of bike lanes and paths. The city has bike plans dating back to 1977 available on its website, offering a glimpse into how thinking about bike infrastructure has changed over the decades. Davis’ most recent plan, its 2014 Beyond Platinum Bicycle Action Plan, outlines strategies to help Davis continue leading the way in creating a safe and attractive bicycling community to meet climate adaptation goals and accommodate a growing population.

San Francisco's Vision Zero Action Plan and Quick Build Program is part of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's efforts to prioritize safety and sustainable transportation. In recent years, it’s gained significant traction, building upon the city’s transit-first policy, which voters approved in the 1970s. The program’s success lies in its iterative design process, which uses streamlined delivery to produce quick results, project evaluations to determine what’s working in regard to safety outcomes, and the willingness to redesign projects if needed. 

As it approaches its tenth anniversary, the program has showcased notable achievements for people riding bikes, including increasing bike volumes by up to 75%, reducing vehicle-bike interactions at bike signals by 93%, reducing vehicular speeds, and decreasing the percentage of vehicles blocking bike lanes by 90%.  All of this has helped land San Francisco our number two spot among large U.S. cities in this year’s City Ratings program.

In 2021, Seattle updated its Bicycle Master Plan to guide the city’s work over the next four years, listing specific infrastructure projects to be completed within that time frame. Through regular updates to the plan, Seattle has been able to adjust project lists and provide progress reports to the City Council and the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board on the implementation status of the overall master plan — something that is required by City Council Resolution in Seattle. 

The Bicycle Master Plan works in conjunction with the city's Vision Zero Plan and Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Analysis, which help prioritize bicycle infrastructure based on safety considerations, as well as the Seattle Trails Upgrade Plan, which helps guide trail connectivity and maintenance projects. Together, these four plans have helped the city lower speed limits to 25 mph for more than 90% of its arterial streets and, as of November 2022, build out 32 miles of protected bike lanes and trails, as well as nearly 60 miles of neighborhood greenways. All of this work has helped Seattle increase its Bicycle Network Analysis score — which directly informs City Ratings results — from 47 in 2018 to 62 in 2023. 

From 2000 to 2009, Philadelphia saw a 151% increase in bicycle commuting, making it the fastest-growing mode of transportation in the city. In 2012, when Philadelphia released its updated Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, the city had already used its 2000 version of the plan to create more than 230 miles of bike lanes and other on-road bicycle facilities to keep up with growing demand. In 2013, the city also released its Trail Master Plan, which has since been updated annually. 

While the 2012 plan focused on improving network connectivity by filling gaps in the network, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia wanted more, challenging the city to construct 30 miles of protected bike lanes. That idea gained traction in 2018 when the Kenney Administration integrated it into Connect: Philadelphia's Strategic Transportation Plan. 

Key components of these plans (and the city’s Vision Zero Plan) helped increase Philadelphia’s Bicycle Network Analysis score from 43 in 2018 to 57 in 2023. They include the creation of neighborhood slow zones, an impressive regional trail network, and new protected bike lanes on JFK Boulevard, Market Street, Race Street, Torresdale Avenue, and Parkside Avenue.

In 2019, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller made a commitment to Vision Zero, joining more than 40 other U.S. communities in an effort to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. That commitment has clearly paid off for the city’s bike network: While it’s not a top-rated city (yet), Albuquerque's Bicycle Network Analysis score jumped from just 13 in 2019 to 29 in 2023. 

Released in 2021, Albuquerque’s Vison Zero Action Plan incorporates clear themes and corresponding action items, designating lead agencies and organizations responsible for implementing each. Importantly, the plan overlays a vulnerable communities index map with the high fatal and injury network map to address safety concerns to improve equity. 

From 1997 to 2007, Teton County and the Town of Jackson constructed more than 25 miles of paved shared-use paths. Since the completion of the Pathways Master Plan in 2007, that mileage has grown exponentially, landing Jackson in the number six overall spot in our U.S. City Ratings program with a score of 79. With 70 miles of paved pathways and 152 miles of trails, the pathway system now links the community to even more riding opportunities in nearby Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park. 

Beyond identifying priority infrastructure investments to improve and expand the Pathways system, the Master Plan lays out clear recommendations for needed policy changes, team structures, and finances to complete the plan’s vision and maintain the Pathways network, ensuring the system is set up for long-term success. The 2015 Community Streets Plan complements the Pathways Master Plan by providing a street design manual that governs the development of public infrastructure projects, ensuring that bikeways are developed under set standards and in line with the master plan. 

In 2021, Hoboken released its Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to achieve Vision Zero in five years by implementing immediate improvements for safer streets. The plan helped the city identify high-crash corridors and intersections and recommend specific measures to reduce crashes and their impact, many of which the city has moved quickly to implement, including protected bike lanes, curb extensions, high-visibility crosswalks, and a citywide 20-mile-per-hour speed limit. 

Hoboken’s 2010 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan also helped put the city on the right track to becoming what is now one of the best medium-sized cities in the U.S. for biking, with a City Ratings score of 62. Even more importantly, Hoboken has achieved something most advocates in other U.S. cities can only dream of: no traffic fatalities for four consecutive years.

Cambridge achieved one of the most significant increases in our City Ratings program, soaring from 31 in 2018 to an impressive 58 in 2023. Improvements in Cambridge have been propelled forward through the 2020 Cambridge Bicycle Plan, the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan, and the implementation of separated bike lanes as mandated by the Cambridge Cycling Safety Ordinance. Perhaps most influential, the Cycling Safety Ordinance requires the city to build almost its entire citywide network of protected bike lanes by 2026.

How Great Bike Plans Transform Communities

As American diplomats, Sarah Debbink Langenkamp and Daniel Langenkamp lived and worked all over the world promoting democracy and protecting vital U.S. political, security, and economic interests. In their last posting together, the couple served in Ukraine, helping to combat corruption, supply the country with the equipment and resources it needed to combat Russia’s invasion, and ensure the world understood the enormous stakes at play as the horrific war unfolded.

It was just days after the family arrived in the Washington, D.C., area after being evacuated for their safety that Sarah was killed — here in the United States — by a truck driver while riding her bike from an open-house at her children’s new elementary school. 

“Sarah fled a war zone only to die on the streets near our nation’s capital,” says Dan Langenkamp. “There is simply no reason in the world why deciding to ride a bike in the United States should be a life or death decision. We have to do better.”

You can read more about Sarah’s life and legacy in this article penned by her husband Dan.

Support the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act

Stories like Sarah’s are unfortunately not uncommon — deaths on American roadways only continue to grow, hitting a 16-year high in 2021. Even more, preventable deaths of Black Americans on our roadways increased 23% in 2020, and a recent study shows that pedestrian deaths are more than twice as high in historically redlined neighborhoods, highlighting layers of inequity within this national crisis.

In the United States, we’ve proven that systems designed for speed as opposed to individual mobility and connected communities lead to frequent deaths in high numbers. Still, active transportation infrastructure that supports biking and walking, which benefits every road user by reducing traffic and emissions, has historically only received about 2% of overall federal transportation funding.

Since Sarah’s death, Dan Langenkamp poured his grief into advocating for safer streets. Recognizing that the tragedy of his wife’s death was far more common than we should ever accept as normal, he started a personal and political crusade to ensure more American families don’t have to experience the same shocking loss as his own family. 

Partnering with PeopleForBikes, the Washington Area Bicycling Association, the League of American Bicyclists, Families for Safe Streets, the Truck Safety Coalition, and Trek Bicycles, Langenkamp organized a memorial bike ride that retraced the route Sarah rode the day she died and continued on to the U.S. Capitol, where riders held Washington’s largest-ever cycling advocacy event demanding funding for safer streets and improved trucking regulations. 

The ride did not just honor Sarah. It was also dedicated to the estimated 43,000 other loved ones killed while navigating our flawed and dangerous transportation system.

In the wake of this call to action, Congressional Bike Caucus Founder and Co-Chair Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) and the Langenkamps’ representative, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), introduced and named a new safety bill in Sarah Langenkamp’s honor. The bipartisan Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act (H.R. 1668) will encourage state and local governments to fully leverage federal funding for complete biking and walking plans and networks, helping fill a critical gap in the current process for these projects. 

“My constituent Sarah Langenkamp was a devoted mother, wife, daughter, and friend whose memory not only calls us to emulate her passionate and patriotic service to our country but inspires us to move swiftly on cyclist and pedestrian safety,” says Congressman Raskin. “Our legislation recognizes the urgency of this moment by helping local governments build safer transportation networks and save lives.” 

Dan and son stand behind their representative, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), at the Ride for Your Life. (Photo credit: Brian Rimm)

Specifically, the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act would:

Unlock Highway Safety Improvement Program funding for projects that connect two pieces of safe cycling infrastructure.

Allow local governments to identify active transportation projects eligible for Highway Safety Improvement Program funding.

Allow bicycle and pedestrian safety projects to be fully federally funded, ensuring all communities can take advantage of these new eligibilities and encouraging communities to undertake more bicyclist and pedestrian safety projects.

“We have a responsibility to make our streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians,” says Congressman Blumenauer. “Sarah’s work took her to dangerous places around the world. Biking home in our nation’s capitol should not have been one of them.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law offers American cities and states more resources than ever to invest in a safe, connected, and active future, with nearly $50 billion eligible for these kinds of projects in the next several years. PeopleForBikes is proud to stand with the Langenkamps in support of the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act. We believe it will ensure these new resources are as accessible as possible to communities committed to a future with safe and abundant opportunities to bike and walk. 

PeopleForBikes is working to make America the best place to ride a bike in the world because we believe in the power of the bike to connect communities, fight climate change, improve public health, and so much more. To reap these benefits at scale, we need safe, connected mobility networks designed for the most vulnerable road users. We know that a lack of safe infrastructure is the number one motivator against bicycling for individuals across the U.S. 

Our work boils down to three pillars: advancing good policy, building more safe and connected infrastructure, and growing participation. The policy promotes, funds, and designs the safe infrastructure networks that help increase participation, building more support for good policy. 

We’ve never been alone in this effort, and the movement for safe streets only continues to grow. Notably, the Sierra Club, a legacy environmental organization, is one of our partners in endorsing the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act (along with the Safe Routes Partnership, Families for Safe Streets, the National League of Cities, the Truck Safety Coalition, and the League of American Bicyclists). 

“All too often, we hear of family members not making it home from walking or biking in cities across the country. As a mother who bikes to work and to pick up their toddler from daycare in Washington D.C., I know firsthand the risk and fear inherent in navigating the city’s roads when you’re not in a car,” says Katherine García, Sierra Club Clean Transportation for All director. “We are losing too many loved ones to policy failure. The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act will help to change this devastating reality by investing in safer, more complete route networks. And ultimately by funding much-needed infrastructure, more people will feel empowered to bike.”

We encourage you to take action today by asking your representative to cosponsor the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act. With your help, we can lay a strong foundation of support in Congress that will help move this bill through the legislative process. 

A Diplomat’s Tragic Death Sparks a New Safety Bill

Last month, with the Palm Springs desert in full bloom and snow atop San Jacinto, the region's highest peak, hundreds of passionate trail managers, advocates, and experts gathered for the 2023 California Trails and Greenways Conference. With more than 30 educational sessions and workshops over three days, the conference focused on the role of trails in connecting people to the land and one another. In attendance were members of the trail stewardship community as well as land managers, researchers, conservationists, mountain bike organizations, active transportation advocates, and regional, state, and federal officials. 

PeopleForBikes and partners from WRA Environmental Consultants and California State Parks presented a session on "How to Plan for and Manage eMTB Use." During the session, Matthew Richmond from WRA presented findings from current research and studies on eMTB environmental impacts, including trail tread and wildlife studies. Maria Mowry, district superintendent with California State Parks, joined our team in presenting the results from two eMTB pilot studies in California and Vermont on the use of Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs on natural surface singletrack trails. 

Another conference highlight was a first-of-its-kind workshop led by Matthew Anzalone, executive director of the California Mountain Biking Coalition (CAMTB). “CAMTB recognized a gap in the conference content intended to educate and activate conference attendees, specifically trails and greenways practitioners, in the legislative process,” he said. “[Conference attendees] are a vested audience so it's both important to inspire them to take action and to provide the necessary tools and resources to support those efforts.” His interactive, long-format workshop provided a great forum to do just that.

The following are nine high-level takeaways from this year’s conference, with an emphasis on how trails can be a multifunctional asset to communities nationwide:

California, along with the rest of the world, is facing several challenges as we work to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change and manage infrastructure of all scales. Trails, which have become increasingly critical for recreation, health, and transportation, are often built along waterways and coastlines, prone to flooding as well as sea level rise and “extreme” rain events. Others are located in areas inclined to wildfire and extreme heat. However, trail corridors can also be part of the climate solution, managing stormwater, providing access for firefighters, and helping communities reduce greenhouse gas emissions by shifting more trips to walking, biking, and electric-assist devices.

In the age of the climate crisis, planning and designing resilient trails to mitigate climate change will be key. Planners from across California came together to speak about how trails are providing critical infrastructure in building communities that can better adapt and be more resilient to future hazards. 

Case studies where trails are incorporating multi-benefit strategies for addressing more frequent and more extreme heat events, ecosystem health, drought, food shortages, and community connectivity included: a Level of Comfort tool developed for the Los Angeles River Path, which uses climate change-related risks to path users to help inform design solutions to provide protection from extreme heat events; a community orchard, wildlife bridge, and native habitat restoration for the Park to Playa Trail; and the conservation and restoration of urban open spaces at the Taylor Yard near downtown Los Angeles and hilltops in Northeast Los Angeles.


Trails offer many benefits to their surrounding communities, providing access to recreation and active transportation, serving as emergency access routes, helping connect folks to transit, and making up key arteries in urban and rural centers. The trail community needs to find more compelling ways to share the story behind the benefits of trails with communities, policymakers, and funders. 

Along with more than 200 countries across the world, California has committed to conserving 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030 through its 30x30 Initiative. This commitment is a critical strategy to prevent habitat loss and expand access to nature and all its benefits. Access and protection of lands for recreation and trails will contribute to this goal. 

The outdoor recreation community sees great potential in the 30x30 Initiative  implementation to not only protect biodiversity and advance climate protections, but also to support outdoor recreation, the outdoor recreation economy, and equitable access to the outdoors. Working lands, recreation lands, open spaces, dedicated conservation areas, and marine protected areas — including federal, state, private, and local lands — all count toward reaching the 2030 goal.

Trails aren’t just for recreation. They connect our communities, help transport people, contribute to a healthy lifestyle, and combat climate change by giving people another transportation option instead of driving. As a community, we should be thinking of trails as part of active transportation planning, not just paved streets and highways. 

One case, the San Lorenzo Creekway Master Plan, highlights how cities and communities can build equitable active transportation solutions. The plan would take an existing maintenance road alongside the concrete channel creek path and expand its use. Once completed, the San Lorenzo Creekway will provide up to 10+ miles of primarily pedestrian, bicycle, and roller multi-use path for both healthy living and active transportation benefits. 

Trails and outdoor recreation opportunities can transform small and rural communities. As Greg Williams, executive director of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship noted in his presentation, recreation tourism benefits economically disadvantaged communities in California’s Plumas, Sierra, Butte, Lassen, and Nevada Counties. Trails as economic development tools can shift the focus from extractive industries while providing stability and environmental benefits, such as fire recovery and prevention efforts. Trails can also help create a learning landscape for outdoor and environmental education programs that can employ youth and other community members.

Trails and greenways are an important asset to every community and they should be supported by every policymaker, regardless of party affiliation. During CAMTB’s “State and Federal Legislative Round-Up and Strategy” session, the focus was on recreation and trail-specific legislation that can help communities with important active transportation infrastructure, economic development, and healthy lifestyles. 

The group, which included attendees from the California Outdoor Recreation Partnership, Outdoor Alliance, IMBA, CalTrans, and local land trust staff, discussed several bills: The California Recreational Trails and Greenways Act (AB 411), which would establish a competitive $12 million fund for recreational natural surface trail investments, and the California Scenic Bikeways Act (AB 1212), which would establish a scenic bikeway network in California that prioritizes rural and significant areas for economic development. 

8. Trails Can Foster More Equity + Inclusion

Community trail efforts are increasingly focusing on providing equitable access to trails, which can create substantial benefits for public health and quality of life. Unfortunately, in many areas, access to trails is inequitably distributed and can be less abundant in lower-income neighborhoods with a larger share of minority residents, which can be exacerbated by a history of segregation in public places and a lack of racial and ethnic representation in trail and conservation organizations.

 The benefit of parks and trails is greatest for those who live closest to these resources, and a disparity in access can have significant health, social, and economic implications, while also exacerbating environmental justice concerns in communities. However, more cities and towns are improving access by incorporating trails and pathways as part of their planning, development, and revitalization standards—moving beyond trails as a recreational amenity and incorporating trails as critical contributors to goals in public health, climate resilience, and transportation.

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