Bike Policy & Funding

Efforts to increase bicycling usually hit this issue at some point along their path to success. Leaders of organization who expect their effort to last look to policy changes and increasing funding that goes towards bicycle improvements and programs. But policy changes and funding increases are not won easily. That’s why we at One Street recommend taking on proven models that will cause the greatest improvements. Some of these include:

• Complete streets policies; see www.completestreets.org
• Safe routes to schools policies, funding and programs; www.saferoutesinfo.org and www.saferoutespartnership.org
• Bicycle and pedestrian retrofit policies for existing streets; see Boulder, Colorado’s excellent example: http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=355&Itemid=1624
• Bicycle mode share and safety target policies; Copenhagen has set a goal that 50% of all trips in the city will be by bicycle by the year 2015. Read more: http://www.vejpark.kk.dk/VejPark/byenstrafik/cyklernesby/bicycleaccount2006.aspx

These are just some of the great examples and of course we’ll add more. But in order to win any bike policy or increased funding for bicycle initiatives, you’ve got to follow a comprehensive campaign plan. Make sure to visit our Campaign Planning page before launching your effort. Find the link to the left.

You can also research current laws in your country and countries you’d like to aspire to. Here are two particularly good web sites for such research:

• www.legislationline.org
• www.icnl.org

And if you feel like your officials will never change their priorities away from serving cars to serving people, take a few minutes to watch this video from Bogotá, Columbia that is sure to inspire you and your officials to make it happen:

• www.streetfilms.org/archives/lessons-from-bogota/