Commit to bicycling for transportation in 2026!! The I Can Bike There campaign educates the public and encourage them to use their bikes for everyday trips and explore new routes, while celebrating those who already use their bicycle as a practical, sustainable mode. 👉👉 icanbikethere.org

It’s nearly time to kiss 2025 goodbye. Before 2026 rolls in, it’s worth recapping a busy, impactful, and sometimes challenging year 👏🏿👏🏽👏🏻 Our yearly wrap-up for some highlights of Ride Illinois’ advocacy, education, and awareness efforts.

Advocacy orgs across the US, including Ride Illinois, are voicing strong concern about a reduction in funding for infrastructure for walking, biking, and active transportation. A letter to Congress aims to ensure that our collective message to protect and improve these programs is heard!

All right, Chicago Sustainable Transportation Nation, let's beat the drum on this issue! Active Trans: "Tell Chicago lawmakers: Don’t cut funding for safe streets." 🚶‍♀️ 🧑‍🦽 🚲 🚌 🥁 @atalliance.bsky.social @betterstreetschicago.org @bikegridnow.org @ctaction.org @daniellaspata.bsky.social @stevevance.net

A new book by author Christopher Sweet represents our shared heritage as Illinois cyclists – a heritage that is deeper and richer than anyone knew! 👉 ‘A History of Bicycling in Illinois’ is available from @illinoispress.bsky.social. Code F25UIP saves 30% 👈 www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p0...

Sharing a recent post that offers valid perspective and debunks common beliefs about the school drop-off and pick-up line. “The car line is a truly soul-sucking way to begin and end your day" freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/fear-is-th...

Spreading some Thanksgiving joy to all. May your day be full of joy, family, food, and football! 😊🏠🦃🏈 And if time allows or if you can get to your holiday gathering by bike, a trip on your bicycle is always worthwhile 😉

For a century people being endangered on our roads have been told they are the problem. This from 1927.

An amazing story and an incredible woman!

Join Ride Illinois on 12/4 at 7pm for a timely, informative webinar that breaks down everything you need to know this season - from the differences between e-bikes and e-motos to safety tips to the confusing patchwork of local ordinances. Bring questions for Q&A! 🔗 Register here: bit.ly/44gKGWz

Bucking the trend of declining fatalities in other wealthy countries, U.S. crash deaths have spiked to more than 40,000 per year, along with tens of thousands of catastrophic injuries. Speed is a factor in nearly 30% of these crashes. 👉 Please watch and share this important film! powertripfilm.com

Snag your copy of @carterlavin.bsky.social's new book at islandpress.org/books/if-you...

Illinois is #11 on the Bicycle Friendly State ranking and is currently home to: ✴️ 14 Bicycle Friendly Communities ✴️ 25 Bicycle Friendly Businesses ✴️ 11 Bicycle Friendly Universities 👉 Tag or share this post with a community, business, or university that should apply. bikeleague.org/bfa/

"Children have been robbed of childhood by cars"

Sharing a concerning recent quote from Rep Sam Graves, Chair of the House committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, regarding the Transportation Reauthorization bill 😧🗣️ @bikeleague.org is hosting a webinar on Thursday on this topic. Register at bikeleague-org.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

‼️ As the holidays approach, devices with electric motors - including e-motos - are the wish lists of many children and teens. This message is to all parents, grandparents, fun uncles, and others who are buying gifts – DO NOT purchase an e-moto for a child or teen ‼️🚫

Unbelievably tragic piece about all the crossing guards injured or killed on the job in the US. One school district in South Carolina has had 4(!) crossing guards hit or killed on the job. These are people trying to fix the problems caused caused by traffic engineers, and are dying doing it.

Starting the morning on a positive note by reading a bit of the newly-released ‘Life After Cars’ from @thewaroncars.bsky.social and some tasty coffee from Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters - a Bicycle Friendly Business and Ride Illinois Corporate Member 😊 How’s your Friday looking?

"Unlike the vacuum cleaner, the radio, or the bicycle, which retain their use value when everyone has one, the car... is only desirable and useful insofar as the masses don’t have one."

London is proud to host Japan's Grand Sumo Tournament this week - it's fantastic to see the the teams using our cycling infrastructure to get around.

The new book 'If You Want to Win, You’ve Got to Fight: A Guide to Effective Transportation Advocacy' (by carterlavin.bsky.social) provides a roadmap for transforming passion into political power to win transit, bike, and street safety changes for your community islandpress.org/books/if-you...

Our BikeSafetyQuiz Mini-Grant program reached a record number of students in Illinois schools in the 2024-2025 school year: 72,744. Over 344,000 quiz sessions have been completed through the BSQ Mini-Grant program since it launched in 2018 🤩 Learn more at rideillinois.org/safety/bsqgr...

Proud to announce the release of our 2025 Legislative Scorecard. This comprehensive report highlights four years of advocacy (2021–2025), providing a clear record of how Illinois legislators voted on key bills that impact bicycle safety and infrastructure. rideillinois.org/advocacy/leg...

Ride Illinois members received a printed copy of our fall newsletter, Upshift. A digital version is available for lapsed members, and future members, and the public. Dive in to learn more about Ride Illinois and our efforts to make Illinois better through biking! rideillinois.org/newsletters/

Ride Illinois served as a panelist for the Summit on E-Bike/E-Scooter/E-Moto Ordinances hosted by the Northwest Municipal Conference. Ride Illinois has identified the need to clearly differentiate between legal classes of e-bikes and e-motos as a top priority. www.dailyherald.com/20250922/new...

Sharing an article from @peopleforbikes.bsky.social that aligns with the concerns that Ride Illinois has been expressing this year regarding e-motos. Widely varying, overly-restrictive local ordinances are only adding to the problem and the public's confusion. www.peopleforbikes.org/news/the-e-b...

Equiticity's recent "Claiming Our Space" event highlighted the importance of mobility justice issues, and how much the attendees value the nonprofit's crucial advocacy work. @equiticity.bsky.social @peopleforbikes.bsky.social @rideillinois.bsky.social @transitcenter.bsky.social

The new batch of Bike Law Wallet Cards includes the updated Definition of a Bicycle. Ride Illinois advocated for the updated definition with assistance from partner orgs, our members, and others. We appreciate all who voiced support for SB2285 👏🏿👏🏽👏🏻 Request form: rideillinois.org/safety/reque...

Cars 1.35 million!

Sadly, a 76-year old man riding his bicycle was struck and killed by the driver of an SUV on Friday night in Milmine. This case is being investigated by Illinois State Police, the Piatt County Sheriff’s Department and the Piatt County Coroner’s Office. www.wcia.com/news/piatt-c...

The bike bus programs globally are living proof that environmental awareness, public health, and community-building can all be achieved simultaneously. They represent a commitment to cultivating a more sustainable and healthier future for the children ❤️🤟 momentummag.com/how-to-start...

‘Twas a productive weekend as we collaborated with Kindle Point Inc. on a photo shoot to enhance BikeSafetyQuiz content and images 📸😎 Many thanks to Ride Riverside, Cycle Brookfield, and Maywood Rolling Wheels Club for sharing part of their weekend with us as the subject in hundreds of photos ☺️🤗

Sharing info and an invitation to attend some meaningful events, hosted by our friends at @equiticity.bsky.social, on September 12-13. Ride Illinois will be attending the Friday evening session to hear from and learn from several impressive, accomplished individuals. www.equiticity.org/second

The recording of our recent e-bike/e-moto webinar is available on Ride Illinois' YouTube channel (and also our Guidance for Municipalities page). Thanks to all who attended and added to the timely discussion. The beat goes on... youtu.be/p3vgTzXLi9Q?...

“Bikes will rule the road this Sunday on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.” — NBC Chicago 🚴‍♂️ Get ready for #BikeTheDrive! Watch our Executive Director Amy Rynell share tips for the big day. 🔗 www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/b...

Have you seen our billboards promoting BikeSafetyQuiz and encouraging motorists to drive safely near people on bicycles. The ads have been running on Clear Channel digital billboards in NE Illinois 👉👉 Everyone deserves to reach their destination safely, regardless of the mode they choose!

Saturday was a lovely day! @rideillinois attended two community events to chat about the importance of nonprofit bike advocacy and to share resources and swag. There was LOTS of interest in the bike-friendly bills that - due to our advocacy efforts - were recently signed into law by the governor

On Friday, August 22 at noon, @rideillinois.bsky.social and @atalliance.bsky.social will host an online discussion on municipal e-bike and “e-moto” ordinances. Register at bit.ly/e-motos to join Friday’s webinar.

"From 2010 to 2020... total road deaths rose 18% in the US but declined 22% in Canada. That finding is even more jarring when considering that Canada’s population grew faster during the decade." Via @davidzipper.bsky.social

Electric cargo bikes are car replacers. It’s so great to see how many families can get to soccer practice this way (enabled by Minneapolis’ protected bike infrastructure).

Sharing the latest article in our effort to distinguish between legal classes of e-bikes (class 1, 2, and 3) and e-motos – the working term for devices with greater than a 750 watt motor capable of going more than 20mph without pedaling. www.axios.com/local/chicag...

SB2285 was signed into law as Public Act 104-0141. Trike riders now have the same legal protections as riders of two-wheel bicycles in Illinois! Thanks to all who followed through on our Action Alerts and contacted their elected officials to support this bill. ilga.gov/legislation/...

Dave Simmons, Exec Dir for @rideillinois.bsky.social, was terrific on Chicago Today offering tips on how people on bikes and drivers can share the road better. It is about the people, not the things!

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Appreciate the opportunity to chat on today’s episode of Reset on @wbez.org. Municipal ordinances vary widely from one town to the next. The focus should be on e-motos - devices that have motors >750W and can go faster than 20mph without pedaling - not legal e-bikes www.wbez.org/reset-with-s...

By now, we’ve all seen the headlines. Cities are cracking down on e-bikes. Lawmakers are holding emergency hearings. Parents are demanding bans. “Something must be done,” they cry at local city council meetings before driving back home in 5,000 lb SUVs. electrek.co/2025/07/20/i...

Ride Illinois appreciates the opportunity to chat with @fox32chicago.bsky.social about e-bikes, OCEVs, and the flurry of local ordinances that have been passed in several Chicagoland communities. www.fox32chicago.com/video/1676208

Cars are such an inefficient way to get around within a city.

Good job sensationalizing the issue while ignoring the real problem – dangerous driving 🤦 abc7chicago.com/post/elk-gro...