Making your community better for biking starts with you! Whether you have five minutes or an entire afternoon, PeopleForBikes developed some simple steps you can take to improve biking in your backyard. 

If you have five minutes:

1. Sign up for PeopleForBikes' newsletter to be the first to know when you can take action for better biking in your community, like sending an email to your state representative when pro-bike legislation or funding is up for a vote.

1. Become a PeopleForBikes Foundation member to support our work.

If you have an hour:

Reach out to your local elected officials via email.

1. Find out your City Ratings score.

1. Find your mayor or city councilor’s email. If you aren’t sure who your local elected officials are or how to email them, click here. 

1. Send an email introducing yourself and explaining why better biking matters to you. Here is an example to help you get started:
   

Hello, my name is [name], and I live in [neighborhood]. I’d love to talk to you about opportunities to make our community safer and more accessible for people who ride bikes. 

[Insert a personal anecdote here. You can mention your favorite local place to ride, a particular street that could be better for biking, or how you want safer routes for your kids to bike to school or the park. You can also explain why you are passionate about this work — public or personal health, sustainability, road safety, active transportation options, etc.]

According to PeopleForBikes, our City Ratings score, which measures the quality of our low-stress bike network, is [#]. I think we can do better, and I would like to share PeopleForBikes’ Effective Legislative Strategies for Better Biking, which explains how communities like ours can become better places to ride a bike for people of all ages and abilities. 

If you have an afternoon:

After you make a connection, keep the conversation going by inviting your elected official on a bike ride or walk around your community to show them where you ride, where you wish you could ride, and where improvements can be made. 

Still want to do more? 

Check out PeopleForBikes’ Own Your Backyard campaign for more ideas and tips, including how to connect with and support local groups already working to improve biking in your community. 

Thanks for helping make our world a better place through bikes!