Conversations around equity took a forefront at this year’s summit

In its second virtual year, the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit was inspirational, informative, and the largest attended Summit ever! With over 1,000 registrants, the Summit drew folks from all over the county and world. There were virtual tours of the Netherlands and DC along with many sessions that covered topics from education and advocacy, to engagement, membership, and business relations. Below is a list of our top 5 take-aways from the 2021 National Bike Summit! 

1. Equity in the mobility world has a long way to go, but there are many things that we can do to help make the changes

Thought leader and researcher, Charles T. Brown, one of the keynote speakers, gave a very informative and matter-of-fact presentation titled Arrested Mobility – Exploring Impacts of Over-policing on BIPOC. He spoke to various practical and common sense equity strategies and how to put them into action. This presentation stood out amongst the others because of the urgency of bringing the equity discussion to all areas of the mobility advocacy world.

2. Enforcement is no longer part of the League’s 5 E’s

On the first day of the summit, the League presented on their decision to remove enforcement as a section of criteria that they use to evaluate their Bicycle Friendly Community program. The session, titled Taking Enforcement out of the 5 E’s Town Hall, dives into their reasoning and overdue evaluation criteria adjustments. Their explanation is well worth the listen and really puts design at the forefront of creating safe streets.

3. Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirms that grassroots advocacy is key for the bicycle movement

As an exciting keynote address for the finish of the 2021 National Bike Summit, we were joined by US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who spoke about the future of mobility. He also stated the importance of people pushing decision makers, from the bottom up, to help usher in change. It is a good listen and exciting to hear from the new Transportation Secretary.

4. Lobby Day Meetings Are Important and Relevant

One of the Bike Summit’s main goals is to support and provide information for advocates so that they can talk to their representatives in an organized and informed way. Bike Pittsburgh staff and board were grateful to have meetings with the offices of Senators Toomey and Casey, as well as Representative Doyle. 

We lobbied for complete streets, more funding, and better local control over projects. Lobby Day is always a highlight of the Bike Summit. 

5. A Virtual Summit Is Still as Inspiring as In-person Gatherings

One might think that yet another virtual event means tired and overplayed antics. However, the Bike Summit was anything but that with its interactive platform, lower price point, and concurrent sessions. The lower price point and online platform gave the opportunity for more folks to participate. The Whova platform was also a great tool that gave participants many ways to engage with other attendees, speakers, and sessions. Overall, this platform made it possible for the Summit to continue to inspire advocates about the future for people who bike.

BECOME AN ADVOCATE

JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD’S BIKE/PED COMMITTEE

Want to get more involved with making Pittsburgh better for biking and walking? Become a bike/ped advocate. There are over 20 neighborhood bike/ped committees across the City and surrounding municipalities. You can find a complete list of them here. You can always start your own committee too! Email anna@bikepgh.org for more information.