The Fight to Save America's Bike Lanes Is Happening Right Now

The bill that funds America's bike lanes, trails, Safe Routes to School programmes, and pedestrian infrastructure expires on September 30, 2026. Congress is currently writing its replacement — and right now, the cycling industry and its allies are making the loudest noise they've made in years to ensure the new version doesn't gut the funding streams that built 42,500 miles of trails and thousands of local cycling projects since 1991.

More than 1,100 organisations have signed a joint letter to leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The signatories read like a who's who of the bike industry and advocacy world: Shimano, SRAM, Trek, DT Swiss, Brompton Bicycle Inc., Cane Creek Cycling Components, TIME Bicycles, and Lauf Cycles, alongside national advocacy and outdoor organisations. The message is direct — dedicated infrastructure funding for bikes and pedestrians is at serious risk and must be protected.

What's Actually at Stake

The Transportation Alternatives (TA) program is the specific funding mechanism under threat. Since 1991, TA has delivered roughly $17 billion in funding, supporting more than 42,500 miles of multi-use trails and thousands of local cycling and pedestrian projects nationwide. To put that in context: TA accounts for only about 2–3% of federal surface transportation funding under the current infrastructure law. This is not a dominant line item in the federal budget. But it's the line item that builds the infrastructure everyday riders depend on.

Current federal investment in active transportation contributes more than $34 billion annually to the US economy, according to research cited in the industry coalition's letter. TA funding is already oversubscribed — grant applications have historically exceeded available funds by roughly four to one. If the programme is weakened in the next transportation bill, the gap between demand and supply widens further, and shovel-ready projects die waiting for money that never comes.

The Safety Numbers Are Hard to Ignore

The coalition frames this as a safety crisis as much as an infrastructure one. US cycling fatalities have been at a multi-decade high in recent years. The most recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows that 1,105 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in 2022 alone — roughly 21 cyclist fatalities per week nationwide. The coalition's letter puts the pedestrian toll even more starkly: twenty people die while walking every single day in the United States.

Protected bike lanes reduce injuries not just for cyclists but for pedestrians and drivers too. The data from cities that have built them consistently shows this. The argument is not ideological — it's geometric. Separating vulnerable road users from fast-moving vehicles with physical infrastructure, not paint, saves lives across all categories of road users.

The Industry's Moment to Be Heard

What makes this campaign notable is the breadth of industry involvement. Bike brands do not routinely show up in joint letters to Congressional committees. The fact that major component manufacturers, framebuilders, and accessory brands have united with advocacy organisations signals that the industry understands the stakes clearly: if the infrastructure erodes, participation erodes with it. Every mile of protected trail and bike lane is a customer acquisition channel for the cycling market. Every unsafe road is a reason someone doesn't start riding.

The coalition is urging lawmakers to maintain and enhance TA funding, preserve bike project eligibility across federal grant programmes, and continue safety initiatives focused on vulnerable road users. Organisers have also launched a public campaign urging individual riders and industry stakeholders to contact their members of Congress directly.

What's Happening Globally

The stakes feel higher when you consider what's happening elsewhere. The European Commission published a Cycling Counts study on World Bicycle Day (June 3) that identified more than 900,000 kilometres of cycling paths and lanes across the EU — providing the first comparable EU-wide baseline for monitoring the network. Almost 24% of EU residents cycle at least once per week. From 2026, €87 billion will be available through the EU Social Climate Fund for targeted purchase subsidies, cycling infrastructure projects, and bike-sharing schemes.

In Africa, cities from Johannesburg to Addis Ababa are investing in dedicated cycling infrastructure following the endorsement of the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility — a continent-wide blueprint co-led by UNEP, UN-Habitat, and the World Health Organization.

The United States is not falling behind by accident. It's a policy choice being made right now.

What This Means for Your Riding

If you ride in the United States, this is your infrastructure. The trails you use, the protected lanes that make your commute survivable, the Safe Routes that let kids cycle to school — all of it flows from the funding streams currently being negotiated. The coalition has made it easy to act: contact your representatives directly, before the window closes. Lawmakers need to hear from actual cyclists, not just industry lobbyists. The next 60–90 days are the window that matters.