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intro

first things first
stirrings of change

coming together

getting things done



It's already beginning. All across the country people are making great strides towards creating communities that are more bicycle-friendly and therefore, more livable. Their successes can give other communities the confidence to change.

The city of Chicago has joined forces with the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation to teach motorists and bicyclists to better share city streets. Along with an ad campaign to show motorists how to share the road, they'll send bicycling ambassadors out to the streets to speak face-to-face with members of the public.
Last June, commuters in Eugene, Oregon were encouraged to bike or walk to work on one of the city's three designated "People Powered Fridays". Many participated and helped to promote "pedaling, pedestrians, and perseverance."
The Urban Rangers, a Washington, D.C. group, and their "Recycle-A-Bicycle" Program are on a roll. The program allows area young people to learn the basics of bike repair from a professional mechanic. In addition to learning bike care and repair, the group also spends an hour every time they meet cleaning up the local park. When the summer ends and a child has completed the program they'll earn a brand new bike. Others receive the "recycled" bikes that the children worked on.
Philadelphia, PA will become the largest school district in the country with an in-school bicycle education program...thanks to the hard work of the Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley. Children will learn bicycle safety and proper bike use as part of the health curriculum. There will also be after-school bike clubs, as well as bikes, helmets, locks and fun bike safety guides for the children.
 
 

And this is only part of the story. All over the country bicyclists are mobilizing. They're joining forces to reclaim their streets and communities. They're finding out who's making decisions regarding traffic in their hometowns and how they can be a part of the policy and planning process. They're lobbying city officials for traffic calming, more bike lanes, improved transit. And, most importantly, they're bicycling.

Inspired by these success stories? Ready to make your community more bicycle-friendly? Read on to find out about the different ways you can find strength in numbers and coalitions, how to organize an effective outreach campaign so you can get your ideas across—and generate walkable solutions.