It’s been a big year for BikePGH

This year marked our 20th Anniversary AND we were able to host our first full events season since 2019. With the support of members, donors, and our community, we accomplished so much to help improve our streets. Here’s an overview of the year’s accomplishments that demonstrate how we work every day to create a safer and more accessible city without needing to rely on a car.

2022 Highlights include:

Advocacy

• BikePGH released the Pittsburgh Bicycling and Walking Snapshot report, showing 2022 trends of the progress and shortcomings of getting around on a bike or a sidewalk. This was used to help the new Mayor’s Transition Team for Infrastructure and Environment.
• BikePGH served on the Mayor’s Transition Team for Infrastructure and Environment, and all of our recommendations in terms of policy change and infrastructure investments made it into the final document.
• In a partnership with DOMI, we installed over 400 bike racks across the city, spanning neighborhoods from Beechview to Homewood, and everywhere in between.
• We worked with City Council, who unanimously passed legislation to make 15 mph the default speed limit on City of Pittsburgh park roads.
• A new type of bike lane design – protected intersections – were installed with the Allegheny Circle two-way conversion project in the Northside. These may be the first in the state of Pennsylvania.
• We produced a video showing how local businesses support Safe Trips in the Strip, a campaign to bring safer bicycling connections to and through the neighborhood.
• The City installed another 7.5 miles of on-street bike lanes and neighborways, bringing the total number of miles to 113.
• Additional noteworthy infrastructure highlights include: The city’s first advisory bike lanes (South Side Trail), S Aiken bike lanes, Phase 1 of the Stanton Ave Complete Streets project, Morningside traffic calming, Phase 1 construction of the Ellsworth Ave Neighborway, contraflow bike lane and intersection improvements installed on Bartlett St in Squirrel Hill, and the Melwood contraflow bike lane.
• Two big projects that we’ve long been pushing for the inclusion of bike infrastructure have begun construction. The Penn Circle Conversion will include protected bike lanes and intersections, and the Bus Rapid Transit project will include protected bike lanes from the Cathedral of Learning to Downtown Pittsburgh.
• An ongoing advocacy effort includes encouraging community conversations to improve Forbes Ave and Fern Hollow Bridge infrastructure.

Education

• Held a series of Walk, Roll, and Stroll events with Open Up to build community, encourage mindfulness, and build awareness of pedestrian safety issues.
• Hosted a winter virtual bike gathering bringing together area leaders in bike education and community events. 
• Hosted our first League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Seminar since 2017 and certified 12 new LCIs from the Pittsburgh area and beyond.
• Held four free Know Your Bike basic bike mechanics classes at Free Ride which taught 33 attendees how to perform basic repairs, adjustments, and flat fixes on their own bikes.  
• Presented the first ever “Biking Through the Ages” webinar, co-presented with AARP, which highlighted the benefits and need-to-knows of biking after retirement.
• Trained staff from Environmental Charter School, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Venture Outdoors on safe biking with kids. 
• Provided professional development sessions for all Pittsburgh Public School Health and Phys Ed teachers to highlight the value of bike education in schools.
• Created a new education inquiry form to match people with classes and private lessons with instructors.
• Held four Confident City Cycling classes which taught safe riding skills to 35 attendees. 
• We gave away over 500 front and rear light sets to people in need during our four Operation Illumination events thanks to the generous support of Edgar Snyder and Associates. 
• BikePGH gave away 260 free helmets at Operation Illumination, Open Streets Kids Hub, and through community partners. Helmets at Operation Illumination were provided with generous support from Edgar Snyder and Associates. 
• Open Streets Kids Hubs brought learn-to-ride lessons and fun bike activities to hundreds of families throughout the summer. 
• Led bike rides for over a hundred students in conjunction with Pittsburgh Public Schools, Environmental Charter School, City Charter High School, and Venture Outdoors.
• Worked with Pittsburgh DOMI’s Safe Routes to School program to audit the walking environment around schools and to host two bike trains in conjunction with the Wheel Mill that led over 50 students, parents, and volunteers to school for Bike to School Day. 

Events

• BikePGH returned to a full season of events and programming for the first time since 2019! 
• Our year-round WMNBikePGH programming for women and non-binary, transgender, and genderqueer folks kicked off early this year with the Winter Yoga Series: 8 weeks of free yoga in partnership with Open Up Pittsburgh, designed specifically for biking bodies! We hosted 8 rides and workshops to build community and help to break down gendered barriers of a cis-male-dominated cycling culture. 
• Bike Anywhere Week started with a WMNBikePGH group ride to Millie’s ice cream. Mid-week we hosted an Operation Illumination light and helmet giveaway at Obama Academy as well as an Advocacy bike ride through the Strip District to check out new and upcoming infrastructure improvements. Next, a business member happy hour event brought together local business owners, employees, and others for an evening of networking and discussion around how to make their businesses more bike-friendly. The week concluded with the return of Bike to Work Day Commuter Cafes in Schenley Park, Market Square, and a new location in South Side Works – giving out coffee and fresh Square One Cafe biscuits to anyone arriving via bike.
• We brought back OpenStreetsPGH back strong with 2 fan favorite routes (Downtown to Lawrenceville and the East End Loop) and an edited version of the Downtown/South Side route (shortened by the BRT system construction in Uptown). In total, the three OpenStreetsPGH events brought 50,000+ people out to the streets to safely experience the city via foot, wheelchair, bike, rollerblades, etc with family, kids, and pets.  
• Our annual PedalPGH fundraiser ride returned as a fully in-person event this year! BikePGH provided rest stops across the city, and participants chose to tackle one of four different routes ranging from 10 – 62 miles. This year over 2800 riders raised more than $240,000 to make Pittsburgh streets safer for all. 
• The now-annual Bike to Campus Week was held once again in partnership with our partners at the local universities. Pitt and CMU hosted individual events on their campuses, showcasing bike-focused offerings to students and faculty. BikePGH supported each campus’s events by attending both mobility fairs, hosting two simultaneous Operation Illuminations (one at each campus), hosting a free Confident City Cycling Class, and supporting another class. 
• Our seconde Women and Non-Binary Camping Trip invited participants to ride 26 miles with us from Golden Triangle Bicycle to Dravo’s Landing and camp out overnight along the GAP trail before riding the 26 miles back to Downtown PGH. Over 20 folks attended this event, with many joining us for their first bike camping experience ever – but certainly not their last!
• We were thrilled to host our 20th Anniversary Party to celebrate two decades of our bike and pedestrian advocacy in Pittsburgh. Returning back to our BikeFest roots, this evening at the Pittsburgh Opera house was a time to reconnect, dance, and look back at how far the city has come since BikePGH was formed in 2002. Hundreds joined us to celebrate. Guests even enjoyed a special 20th Anniversary Ale created in our honor by East End, Trace Brewing, Allegheny City Brewing, and Two Frays Brewery.
• Our 9th Annual Women and Non-Binary Bike Summit was held in person for the first time in two years – bringing together nearly 75 attendees to break barriers and empower each other in their cycling journeys. The day kicked off with a Keynote speech from Marley Blonsky, a fat adventure cyclist, a presentation by two of Pittsburgh’s Critical Mass organizers, and a community gear swap, followed by a “choose your adventure” style afternoon. Participants chose between active workshops building their hard skills or classroom style sessions to learn from experts in the field.

Membership and Community

• Our Business Network has grown to include over 60 businesses in 2022!
• At our 20th Anniversary Party we connected and reconnected with local, national, and international businesses. We put together 5 raffle baskets containing donated items priced at over $6,000, bringing in additional funds for our mission and spreading some bike love to guests.
• 🏆 We recognized the following Business Members who went above and beyond to help us create a safer, more accessible place for all Pittsburghers:
  • New Business Member of the Year – Dashcam for Your Bike
  • Business Member of the Year – Edgar Snyder & Associates
  • Organization of the Year – Black Girls Do Bike
  • Small Business Champion – JOINT AWARD! – East End Brewing, Trace Brewing, Allegheny City Brewing, Two Frays Brewery
  • Bike Industry Member of the Year – The Wheel Mill

• We attended 23 community events in 11 neighborhoods throughout Pittsburgh, distributing hundreds of copies of our official Pittsburgh Bike Map, and engaging many more people in our work.
• Over 100 volunteers supported BikePGH, OpenStreetsPGH, and PedalPGH, helping with important tasks that ensure our community events are safe and successful.
• Our event racks provided free bike parking to 11 community events, including iconic summer music festivals such as Pittonkatonk, Millvale Music Festival, and Deutschtown Music Fest.
• We provided a bike valet for the Three Rivers Arts Festival and the WYEP Summer Music Festival.
• We donated several bags of BikePGH merchandise to 7 local nonprofits in support of their fundraising efforts.
• Over 450 people became members of BikePGH for a total of over 2200 active members!

Please help us continue to transform our streets

With your financial support, we can continue to make a difference in 2023. Support safe streets with a gift of any size and have your donation doubled.

P.S. We need to raise $50,000 by December 31st! Support safe streets with a gift now so we can double your donation and reach our goal.