Bicycles & Infrastructure
Table of Contents
Introduction
Bikes have provided independence and freedom to humans ever since they were fist invented. Now they can continue to promotes equality and accessibility, even for those with disabilities (visible and invisible), while helping our communities drastically reduce our greenhouse emissions.
Accessibility & Safety
Safe, accessible walking and bicycling infrastructure makes communities safer for everyone, especially for people with disabilities.
People with freedom of mobility can work and care for themselves. Ability to move around provides additional opportunities for communities to grow and take care of themselves. This might include gaining access to work opportunities, education, and local medical resources. Strong community connections have been shown as a key elements to saving lives during heatwaves, floods, and other climate-related dangers. In other words isolated communities experiencing more preventable deaths than communities where people of all ages and abilities can easily visit one another or public resources like pools or community centers.
Walkable and bike-friendly infrastructure slows down traffic which results in less death or injury for people inside or outside of motorized vehicles. People in wheelchairs or guardians with push chairs can safely use protected bike lanes. Those who can't use standard bicycles or walk, may find tricycles or electric bikes provide the support needed to help them travel safely and efficiently.
More Space for People Instead of Death Machines
"The first thing to recognize is that there actually is a lot of wasted space on the streets that cars don’t (or at least shouldn’t) use. What’s more, it would be fairly inexpensive — both fiscally and politically — to start handing over more of this space to pedestrians." - https://whyy.org/articles/how-to-squeeze-more-pedestrian-space-out-of-phillys-narrow-streets/
Bike-Friendly Infrastructure Gives Us Safer Communities
Some motorists see cyclists as nuisances, not realizing how much danger their own vehicles pose to everyone else on the road and the community. Studies have found that bikes, especially in conjunction with safety improvements such as protected bike lanes actually increase public safety. Protected bike lanes and bike-friendly paths can be used by wheelchair and push-chair users, meaning accessibility and safety is improved. Dangerous air pollution and traffic-related run off is reduced. Potential customers travel at slower speeds which boosts local economies, and since regular riders have more spending money than car-owners, they statistically spend more than drivers). More eyes and ears on community roads which come with increased walking/biking has been shown to reduce crime rates, while the explosion of car-use has been linked with increased crime rates, deaths, and inequality.
Despite a growing understanding of how beneficial increase bike usage is for society and reducing emissions, one survey found that 52% globally say cycling in their area is too dangerous a further 62% of those surveyed also "say new road and infrastructure in their area should prioritize bicycles over automobiles". - A Survey of 28 Countries Found that Only 12% of Adults Commute by Bike
Resources
Community
32:50 minute video shows examples of how activism has created safer streets around the world. DW explores how word choice or reframing conversations can change people's perceptions about shifting to sustainable urban designs.
8:20 minute video shows and talks about the reasons bike lanes fail or succeed. It ends with a list of winning qualities that will improve the successfulness of your next bike lane project.
Leading Bike-Friendly Cities/Towns "Find out how well the bike network in your community connects people with the places they want to go"
The Benefits of Street-Scale Features for Walking & Biking (PDF) "This analysis provides background information and supportive data for planners, transportation professionals, advocates, and policy makers working to encourage community design that promotes active transportation. Through this report, individuals working locally will be able to highlight the co-benefits of street-scale interventions that support walking and biking."
NACTO: Urban Street Design Guide "A blueprint for designing 21st century streets, the Guide unveils the toolbox and the tactics cities use to make streets safer, more livable, and more economically vibrant. The Guide outlines both a clear vision for complete streets and a basic road map for how to bring them to fruition."
Women & Bikes
History
Bikes not only helped women get out of long, restrictive clothing, but also gave many their first opportunities at independence, equality, and more. Women found ways to use bikes to tear down racial barriers and gain voting rights. Despite the "moral panic" caused when women started to wear trousers, we can still see evidence today of the many ways bikes improved society and the wellbeing of women worldwide.
Clothing
Victorian Convertible Cycle Wear Sewing Patterns This is for all the nerds, historians, and costumers! Our ancestors had to get creative when their fashion and bikes collided. Check out a few of their clever designs, or consider using one of these patterns the next time you go to an event. Going by bike can help reduce your impact while enjoying cultural/historical events, as well as demonstrating how bikes can be safely ridden even with costumes. These designs could also be modified or applied to modern clothing. Consider upcycling or buying natural fabrics to keep your impact low.
Current Day
Safety & Independence for Women
Around the world trans/nonbinary people, girls, and women still face statistically high rates of assault including rape, kidnapping, but having access to a bike has been shown to reduce the risk of these assaults. When equipped with bikes, women can more easily bypass criminals, shorten our travel times, and save energy, while walking to work or school puts us at much greater risk of facing anything from mild bullying to serious crimes.
Despite this, women are one of the demographics least likely to be found riding bikes, despite the massive benefits bike riding provides to both us and our communities. The success of a community's bike infrastructure can often be seen in the number of women willing to ride bikes. Safety concerns, generally due to fast and dangerous traffic is often the primary reason cited for unwillingness to ride.
The Gender Gap
Bike advocacy should focus on education about the benefits of riding, as well as reducing dangers to female riders. When mothers, grandmas, and other women in our communities start to ride, entire families are much more likely to realize it is a fun, safe way to travel, then want to join in!
One way to accomplish this, is to ensure that walkability or likeability audits and planning committees are diverse and include women. That studies or surveys get input from female participants. Organizations that provide aid designed to get more people riding need to ensure girls get at least equal benefit as boys and men, to avoid creating further gender inequality.
Accessibility
The article 'A rolling walking stick': why do so many disabled people cycle in Cambridge? explains that "Riding a bike may be easier than walking for two-thirds of disabled cyclists, but they often remain invisible to society. Many don’t realize that more than a quarter of disabled commutes in this university city are made by bike"
Disability-Friendly Infrastructure Protects Everyone
Information like this is important to understand while advocating for or planning the expansion and improvement of car-free infrastructure. Able-bodied cyclists might have the ability to dismount and lift their bike on or off a curb, around a badly placed utility post, over a ditch, or other common barriers, but not everyone in the community can enjoy such luxuries. When we design and plan, we need to assume that disabled, very young, or inexperienced users can be seriously harmed or killed by poorly planned infrastructure.
Resources for Riders with Disabilities
Click the Disability & Cycling button to learn more. We are developing a directory of accessibility devices such as bikes, trikes, recumbents and more plus the useful gadgets that help anyone ride.
Click the Grants for Bikes & Trikes button to learn about grants and programs that donate these types of equipment and other mobility aids.
Safe to School Cycling
Safe Cycle Routes
Europe
UK
50 Family-Friendly Cycle Routes "Cycling with young children is often easier and safer on traffic-free or very quiet routes. Cycling UK's Victoria Hazael picks 50 cycling routes across the UK that are suitable for all the family. Most have a place to stop for food and drink."
Projects
Recycled Tires as Bike Lane Barriers - Broad Ave. Demonstration Project | $10,000
"The Binghampton Development Corporation (BDC), in partnership with the City of Memphis, will use this grant to pilot a 1.2-mile demonstration project using upcycled car tires as bike lane barriers. If successful, the BDC will help launch an employee-owned business to produce the barriers as part of its new Business Hub." Click to read about the other great projects funded by People of Bikes- https://www.peopleforbikes.org/news/peopleforbikes-spring-2021-bike-industry-community-grants-recipients
Mobilize Frontline Health Workers - "We are working to mobilize rural frontline health workers. Every CA$197 donated provides a life-changing bicycle."
Recycled Tires as Bike Lane Barriers - Broad Ave. Demonstration Project | $10,000 "The Binghampton Development Corporation (BDC), in partnership with the City of Memphis, will use this grant to pilot a 1.2-mile demonstration project using upcycled car tires as bike lane barriers. If successful, the BDC will help launch an employee-owned business to produce the barriers as part of its new Business Hub." Click to read about the other great projects funded by People of Bikes
Laws & Safety Education
If you can't find what you need in this section, see also the Legal Activism section which also has links to laws and safety rules by location.
Resources for Bike Advocacy & Local Activism
Advocacy Academy A video Series dedicated to sharing information gathered from around the world, to provide advocates and leaders with better understandings of how to build a more bike-friendly world.
The Bicycle in Southern Africa Goes into the current bike infrastructure situation and prospects for improvement in southern Africa. Scroll to the bottom for diagrams of the 4 classification types of bicycle path designs in how they relate to pedestrian and motorized vehicle traffic.
City Ratings for Bike-Friendly Cities scores include safety, awareness, network connectivity and maps to show stress-levels associated with biking in different city areas.
How to: Convert schools to cycling "Cycling to school has many benefits, yet some schools are discouraging it. In this guide we aim to help you do something about it"
How to do a Bike Audit in your community "A bike audit is a great tool to identify barriers that may make it difficult for people of all ages and abilities to bike. A bike audit is a great way to not only identify observations about physical conditions and feelings of comfort and safety, but also provide a different mindset and view of bicycling for participants who don’t or infrequently ride."
Model Laws "The League’s legal affairs committee — made up of bicycle lawyers from across the [USA] — is working to create model legislation that can be used to improve bicyclists’ safety and comfort in your community."
Urban Bikeway Design Guide provided by NACTO Cities for Cycling program is intended for US communities, and has some updates planned.
Not sure where to start? Click the button beneath to find out if there is a bike advocacy group in your area. If not, the international section includes some organizations
Local Activism
Local activism can include a range of things from participating in a bike club, volunteering to escort young riders to and from school, teaching new riders how to cycle safely, or even participating in local safety audits and civic meetings for planning or upgrading local facilities.
Click the button to find learn about international, national, and community scale advocacy groups.
Oceana
Australia
Let’s Keep Moving: Letter to Your Councilor "To help you walk, ride, scoot or skip and stay safe post-coronavirus, contact your Council and ask them to do more." by We Ride! Australia
Legal Activism
Click the Bike Advocacy Groups button to see if any of your local bike organizations is working on any new policies, petitions, or other level 4 activities.
You can also click the next button to learn more about contacting your representatives about your transit- and safety-related concerns.
European Bike Laws
European Commission: Mobility & Transport - Road Safety: Cyclists "Cyclists' share of total road deaths in the EU is 8% and on a slowly rising trend. The EU works in various areas to make cycling safer."
UK
GovUK Collection: Cycling and walking "Cycling and walking investment, grant funding, research and infrastructure case studies."
Electric bikes and UK law: what you need to know "Do you need a licence to ride an electric bike? What's the maximum permissable power output for an ebike? Read on to find out more..."
An updated guide to cycle lighting regulations "Want to know the law when it comes to cycling in the dark?"
USA
The League of American Bicyclists: Modal Legislation "The League’s legal affairs committee — made up of bicycle lawyers from across the country — is working to create model legislation that can be used to improve bicyclists’ safety and comfort in your community.
Model legislation builds off of the best practices seen in current state legislation and looks to the future for improvements to existing laws. Each model law found on this page is a starting point for advocacy efforts, legislative negotiation, and future enforcement. As we work to create a Bicycle Friendly America℠ these models can guide states in the right direction."
Texas
BikeTexas: Advocacy "represents you before our federal and state legislatures. We meet with the offices of our Senators and Congressional Representatives twice in March, participate in the League of American Bicyclists National Bike Summit, and the International Mountain Bike Association 24 Hours of IMBA. Typically on our BikeTexas Cyclists in Suits day dozens of advocates visit all 181 state legislators’ offices in Austin. BikeTexas testifies before several Texas Senate and House Committees and our members and volunteers place thousands of calls to the offices of legislators advocating important bicycling bills. Thanks to these efforts the voice of Texas cyclists are resounding in the ears of our legislators."
Organizations
The following are not specifically bike advocacy groups, but include safe biking infrastructure and planning as well as other types of safe transportation options. Otherwise search the Bike Advocacy Groups page.
International
TUMI "supports transport projects all around the world and enables policy makers to transform urban mobility. TUMI is based on three pilars: innovation, knowledge, investment. We support innovative pilot projects around the whole world. We share knowledge with planners about modern mobility concepts, in workshops and conferences. We invest in construction and modernisation of sustainable urban infrastructure."
North America
USA
North Carolina
BikeWalk NC "envisions a state where anyone can choose to bicycle, roll, run, and walk as practical, healthy, safe and active transportation." "Our Mission is to lead, support, and inspire advocacy and educational efforts throughout North Carolina for an environment that fairly, safely, and equitably serves bicyclists, pedestrians, and others using active mobility and human-powered transportation."
Maps
North America
USA
Texas
Brazos Cyclists: Routes "We’re collecting routes! Do you have a favorite route to share? Map it using RideWithGPS.com or MapMyRide.com and share it with us!
Here’s a super-cool, hand-drawn map of good bicycling roads in Bryan and College Station, from our friends over at Bike979. It prints best on an 11×17″ piece of paper. Bike979 Map"Laurel’s BCS Bike Map (interactive map and photos of bike racks in the Bryan & College Station area) "... Laurel, took it upon herself the immense task of cataloging the bicycle racks across twin cities over the past year. She took such care as to even include the photos, to show what these racks look like in real life, along with the time of last confirmation. Shown below is the resulting interactive map." Click the link and scroll down to see the map, or to submit a new bike rack.
Grants & Funding
North America
USA
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program "provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, this two-phase program provides $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants."
PeopleForBikes: Community Grants "accepts grant applications from non-profit organizations with a focus on bicycling, active transportation or community development; from city or county agencies or departments and from state or federal agencies working locally. PeopleForBikes only funds projects in the United States. Requests can support a specific project or program and we also support awarding funds for general operating costs."
Oceana
Australia
Western Australia
The Sustainability Grants Program (in the City of Cockburn) "offers funding for projects related to six sustainability themes. Open to small businesses, schools, not-for-profits, and collective households, successful applicants can receive up to $4,000 for their project."
Bike-Powered Businesses
Click the Composting Service button to search for composting services. Most that are currently listed are bike-powered, but we intend to have all bike-powered services marked with an icon to help make searching for them easier.
Europe
UK
Hereford Pedicabs "Award winning pedal powered infrastructure solutions. We do all sorts of stuff by bike. Parcel Delivery, Trade Waste Recycling, Inner City Advertising and Pedicab Hire."
Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme helps repair any type of cycle including tandems, recumbents, trikes, and even manual wheelchairs.
