How to Support Cycling Infrastructure in Your City
Written by: Rémy Rossi | April 22, 2025 | Time to read 5 min
Cities across the US are becoming more and more bike-friendly thanks to the hard work of local groups and grassroots organizing. Here are a few actions you can take to support cycling infrastructure in your town.
More about the Author: Remy Rossi
Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.
I’ve worked for bicycle shops and advocacy groups fighting for better infrastructure, but you don’t have to be as much of a nerd as me to support cycling in your city. Simple actions like showing up to city council meetings or group bike rides can have a huge impact, and you’ll probably make some cool friends, too. Whether you’re annoyed by roads riddled with potholes or want a safer bike route for your kids, here’s how you can work the system.
Attend those meetings
Maybe you remember this phrase from the Broadway musical Hamilton, but it’s important to “be in the room where it happens” if you want to make change. And city council meetings and those elected officials present are key ingredients to passing bike laws in your area. General city council meetings with open forums give residents the opportunity to voice concerns about bike safety and infrastructure. And there may be more specific meetings organized solely for the purpose of discussing a certain proposed bike lane or city policy affecting cyclists.
Even in big cities, these meetings can often be small, so your attendance can make a real difference, indicating that there are residents that care about the issue. Bring friends, family, or other cyclists and show up in big numbers! You don’t necessarily have to talk or make a speech— the visual effect of a large number of supporters can be an effective tactic to push policy. These rooms are where a lot of the decisions happen and you’ll be able to stay better up to date with upcoming meetings or referendums, too. But get there early— the bike parking in the surrounding areas fills up fast.
Local bicycle advocacy groups
Get connected with bicycle advocacy groups in your local area. These groups know the goings-on of everything cycling related in town, including any upcoming infrastructure projects, including proposing new ones. For example, I worked for the Boston Cyclists’ Union that fought for a better, more equitable bike network across the greater Boston area. We attended legislative hearings, lobbied politicians, collaborated with researchers, and hosted bike events in communities all across Boston. A great way to support bike advocacy in your city is to donate to or volunteer with these non-profit groups.
There are also state organizations that organize e-Bike incentive programs to help income-qualified residents buy new or used e-Bikes. These voucher programs are often inundated with high demand, showing the state that there’s huge interest in cycling and e-Bikes in the state. Upway is an approved retail partner for e-Bike incentives in Minnesota and California, featuring excellent models like a Class 3 e-Bike or electric mountain bike!
For more information, the League of American Bicycles and PeopleForBikes are great places to find out about cycling infrastructure, relevant policy, and ways to take action.
There are also state organizations that organize e-Bike incentive programs to help income-qualified residents buy new or used e-Bikes. These voucher programs are often inundated with high demand, showing the state that there’s huge interest in cycling and e-Bikes in the state. Upway is an approved retail partner for e-Bike incentives in Minnesota and California, featuring excellent models like a Class 3 e-Bike or electric mountain bike!
For more information, the League of American Bicycles and PeopleForBikes are great places to find out about cycling infrastructure, relevant policy, and ways to take action.
Organized bike events & rides
Many cities have organized bike rides and cycling events that bring together the two-wheeled community. These might be “slow rolls”, “critical mass rides”, “bike & brew” events or any other big gatherings for cyclists. Events like these show the rest of the city that cyclists are out here en masse and form a part of the urban landscape and require quality, safe infrastructure.
The Critical Mass movement started back in the 1990s in San Francisco and is now present in over 300 cities around the world. These monthly rides are a kind of political protest on bikes— a huge gathering of cyclists taking over the streets to gain visibility and support bike-friendly cities. Plus, these rides are just plain fun. Boston’s version is called “Boston Bike Party” and always has plenty of music, fun costumes, and party stops. The Chicago Critical Mass consistently boasts hundreds of participants, too.
Ride your bike!
As the saying goes, “Be the change you want to see”. Riding your bike sets a great example and shows your local community that there are cyclists here too, sharing the road and using bike paths. There are often urban planning studies that count the number of cyclists or pedestrians on certain stretches— and if there aren't many cyclists, the city is less likely to invest in infrastructure in that area.
Swap your car commute with a city e-Bike or transport your kids to school with an electric cargo bike! Every outing on your bicycle or e-Bike can be considered an act of protest against less eco-friendly forms of transport and car-centric cities.
Swap your car commute with a city e-Bike or transport your kids to school with an electric cargo bike! Every outing on your bicycle or e-Bike can be considered an act of protest against less eco-friendly forms of transport and car-centric cities.
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Key Takeaways
- Show Up to Be Heard: Attending city council meetings—especially those focused on bike policy—can significantly influence decisions around cycling infrastructure.
- Get Involved with Local Advocacy: Local and state bicycle advocacy groups are essential for pushing forward new infrastructure and programs like e-Bike incentives.
- Ride and Be Seen: Simply riding your bike—especially during organized events like Critical Mass—demonstrates demand for bike-friendly infrastructure. The more visible and vocal the cycling community, the more cities are compelled to invest in safer, more accessible routes.
