Take Action
Make your voice count for better bike travel.
Laws, policies, and plans that support bike travel and safety can be a powerful starting point for meaningful change. The best way to change laws and policies is through collective action, so we work to empower you and our Adventure Cycling community of 50,000+ to speak up.
Together with national and state partner advocacy organizations, we are advocating for laws, policies, and plans that will improve bike travel safety, infrastructure and amenities.
How can you be most effective when taking action? Here are five tips.
Current Actions
Ask Congress to Fund Better Bike Services on Amtrak
To improve bike services so that you can take your bike on or off any Amtrak route and station, we need Congress to invest in replacing Amtrak’s outdated, 50-year-old equipment with modern train sets. Now is the time for easy, connected, and accessible train and bike transportation networks – write your member of Congress today!
Sign The Petition to Grow the USBRS in Your State
Each state has complete control over where – and whether – they designate a U.S. Bicycle Route. Which is why it’s important that they hear from you! We will share this petition with your state department of transportation to show that you want them to develop and officially designate U.S. Bicycle Routes.
Tell Congress to Fund Biking and Walking
We all want safe and connected biking and walking infrastructure, and COVID-19 has proven that it is more necessary than ever. We need you to tell your members of Congress to fund biking and walking in the next wave of stimulus funding and reauthorization of the federal transportation bill.
Rumble Strips: Tell Agencies No Compromises on Bicycle Safety
Rumble strips are often installed on rural roads and highways that make up major bicycle travel routes with no regard to bicycle safety. Many agencies assume that bicyclists don’t ride these roads and that rumble strips don’t adversely affect bicycle safety. They need to hear from you!
Ask Congress to Fund Safe Streets for Vulnerable Users
The Safe Streets Act would ensure that state and local transportation agencies dedicate certain funds under the highway safety improvement program to areas with vulnerable user fatality rates over 1.5 fatalities per 100,000 people. The bill defines a "vulnerable user" as a pedestrian, bicyclist, disabled individual, or an individual using a mobility device, e.g., a wheelchair or walker.
Other Laws and Policies We Support
If you know of any bicycle-related bills in your state that need larger support or opposition, please contact us at advocacy@adventurecycling.org. We can work with you to set up an action and spread the word in the bike travel community.
Safe Passing Laws: Not an “Accident”
Establishing a defined minimum safe passing distance, whether three, four, or five feet, is important to hold motorists accountable when they pass bicyclists too closely or hit them. Passing the law is the first step – then it is up to each state to educate motorists and ensure consistent enforcement of the law.
Distracted Driving Laws: No More Excuses
Most distracted driving laws ban texting while driving, but more states are now expanding their laws to any hand-held cell phone use, with exceptions for emergencies and law enforcement. We’re working with the League of American Bicyclists to take action on distracted driving, with a focus on helping to pass state laws that ban hand-held phone use.
Complete Streets: Designing for Everyone
Complete Streets are designed and maintained to be safe for people of all ages, abilities, and transportation modes – especially vulnerable road users like bicyclists. Complete Streets policies are adopted by cities and states to formalize and integrate this concept into planning and engineering processes.
Main photo by Liz Walton