February 25, 2021 - (Washington, DC) With more people biking and more Americans than ever before supporting increased investment in biking and walking infrastructure, the League of American Bicyclists’ will bring together nearly 1,000 attendees at its 22nd annual National Bike Summit with a shared goal to make bicycling safer, easier, and more accessible to more people. This year’s theme is “Bikes: Our Vehicle for Change”.
The Summit will take place entirely online from February 28 – March 3, 2021, offering people across the globe the opportunity to participate in the movement to build a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.
Just like previous Summits, #BikeSummit21 will conclude its programming with a Lobby Day on March 3, where hundreds of advocates for better biking will meet with their representatives in Congress and ask lawmakers to support transformative investments in transportation.
Media may request access to the National Bike Summit by emailing communications@bikeleague.orgcommunications@bikeleague.org for instructions.
Plenary speakers at the 2021 National Bike Summit include:
• Representative Peter DeFazio, Chairman, House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
• Senator Tom Carper, Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
• Charles T. Brown, MPA, researcher and thought leader
• Representative Earl Blumenauer, Co-Chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus
• Representative Adriano Espaillat, Sponsor of HR 463, the Transportation Alternatives Enhancements Act
Panel sessions include:
• “Slow Streets and Quick Builds: Infrastructure in the Age of COVID” featuring speakers from Oakland, California, and Cambridge, Massachusetts
• “Empowering More Women to Bicycle for Everyday Transportation through Women Specific Bike Events” where attendees can learn from women who have organized and led successful events
• “Self-Enforcing Streets and Slower Speeds” which will look at ways to design roads and public spaces that are safe for all people and reduce armed enforcement
• “Making Cars That Don’t Kill”, a discussion on the many ways we could reshape the automotive industry to design cars that are safer for everyone on the road
• “Data & Counting Tools to Keep the Bike Boom Going” including insights on bike ridership during the pandemic and what the future holds
Representatives from the Federal Highway Administration will present information and research on their bicycling programs.
Multiple opportunities to hear about how making biking better in communities has improved the public health of people living in those communities
“Reaching & Teaching Motorists the ‘Share the Road’ Message” featuring three approaches to reaching and teaching motorists the message of Sharing the Road
Other programming highlights:
• Virtual rides around Delft in the Netherlands with Chris and Melissa Bruntlett, with Modacity, and around Washington, DC, with Jeff Miller, the DC Cycling Concierge
• Access to the Bicycle Film Festival, and the world premiere of “Together We Cycle”
• Workshop for bike clubs sponsored by SRAM on how to get even more people riding in 2021, with post-pandemic guidance from USA Cycling’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Roshon
• Sessions for state and local advocacy groups sponsored by PeopleForBikes on how to keep our momentum moving towards a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone
•Wednesday sessions for non-Lobby Day participants, including targeted programming for college and university representatives and local government officials
The full agenda and registration may be accessed at here (bikeleague.org/summit). Registration for the Summit is open throughout the conference. Thanks to the Summit sponsors, scholarships have been made available to participants.
Youth under the age of 21 years old are particularly encouraged to register for the National Bike Summit: registration is free for people under 21 years old. In partnership with the League, the National Youth Bike Council is hosting youth-directed programming at the National Bike Summit. For more information, visit the League’s blog.
Read all our updates on the Summit on our website and find posts about previous editions.
Join the conversation with the Summit hashtag #BikeSummit21.
About the League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists was founded in the 1880s by Americans who saw bicycling as critical to our nation’s future. These early advocates organized and petitioned Congress to pave the first roads in America to increase the accessibility and safety of bicycling. Today, 140 years later, the League continues to promote building a more Bicycle Friendly America for Everyone through advocacy, education, and the promotion of bicycling and its many benefits. We see bicycling as a simple solution for so many of the crises our country is facing, from racial justice to economic recovery to public health to climate change. Learn more at www.bikeleague.org.
