{"id":124,"date":"2022-09-23T16:53:28","date_gmt":"2022-09-23T20:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikeleague.wpengine.com\/?page_id=124"},"modified":"2023-10-13T16:19:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T20:19:23","slug":"what-we-do","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bikeleague.org\/about\/what-we-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What We Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\tHome<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n\n\t

The League has been protecting your rights to safe and enjoyable bicycling since 1880.<\/h3>\n\t

What started as a movement by “Wheelmen” to get the first roads paved so people on bikes could more safely and easily traverse their communities continues today as the League of American Bicyclists, an organization dedicated to building a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.<\/p>\n

Through our federal advocacy in Washington, DC, to our policy recommendations used by advocates at the state and local level, to our premier education programs, the League helps build better places for people to bike and empowers changemakers to make biking better in their communities.<\/p>\n\t

Bicycling is good for people, our communities, our country, and our world.<\/h3>\n\t

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to bike for transportation, good health, and the pure joy and freedom it brings. Over the last 100 years, our communities and transportation system have been developed and designed primarily for automobiles, which has prioritized vehicle road space and speed over people’s safety and ability to get around without a car.<\/p>\n

In communities all across our country, people who bike have been treated as if they don’t belong on our streets. For children and parents, riding a bike to school seems impossible. Too often, bikes are viewed as toys or a niche activity for select groups rather than how bikes should be seen: as an essential tool in building a better life for everyone.<\/p>\n

We think bicycling should be commonplace – an everyday part of life. To do that, we’re making biking an easier option for more people, because when more people bike, more people benefit, even those who don’t bike. Removing barriers to bicycling must be a national priority.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tOur Key Programs\n\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t

Better Biking in Your Neighborhood<\/h5>

Bicycle Friendly America\u2120<\/h3>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Bicycle\n\t\t\t\t

The BFA\u2120 program provides a roadmap for improving conditions for bicycling in communities and states, and by businesses and universities.<\/p>\nLearn More<\/a>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

Empowering Through Education<\/h5>

Smart Cycling<\/h3>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Smart\n\t\t\t\t

The League empowers people through education to be safer and feel more comfortable and confident to bike more by offering resources and certifications.<\/p>\nLearn More<\/a>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

Showcasing Bike Joy<\/h5>

Promoting Bicycling<\/h3>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Promoting\n\t\t\t\t

The League celebrates and promotes the benefits of bicycling with campaigns like National Bike Month and the ‘Drive Less, Bike More’ Challenge.<\/p>\nLearn More<\/a>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

Advocacy<\/h5>

Making Biking Better<\/h3>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Cycling\n\t\t\t\t

Through local, state and federal advocacy, and the National Bike Summit, the League is helping create a safer built environment for everyone that increases bicycling.\u00a0<\/p>\nLearn More<\/a>\t\t\t\n

\n\t\tStrategic Plan\n\t<\/h2>\n\t

Learn more about the League’s approach to change in our strategic plan.<\/p>\n

As a national organization, it is our responsibility to represent and serve all people who bicycle in the United States. To be effective in this, we must thoughtfully engage and collaborate with people and organizations who are not adequately represented within our organization and the larger bicycling movement.<\/p>\n

The League and the bicycling movement have contributed to the divisions in our communities, have overtly excluded people of color in the past, haven’t done enough to welcome people of color to participate, and haven’t taken action to address the structural racism in the built environment, bicycling-related policies, and bicycling programming.<\/p>\n

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are fundamental to the League and the bicycling movement’s success. This means more than simply being open to new ideas, people, and groups. This means active engagement, listening, learning, and deep collaboration with others towards our shared goals.<\/p>\n\t