National Bike Summit launches in Washington, DC

One of our regional leaders for the North American region, Yasmine Al Moghrabi, attended the 23rd Annual National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. earlier last month. The summit featured in-person workshops, mobile discussion groups, opportunities to ride, and networking events for different advocates from around the country who share the same goal of creating a bicycle-friendly America. 

The Summit was a hybrid event that had virtual and in-person activities. All the Summit sessions, panels, plenaries, and keynote speeches were streamed online for all attendees and cycling advocates. 

The sessions included a “Lobby Day” where they were given the opportunity to meet with their representatives in Congress. Virtual attendees were also able to ask their questions online, representing the cycling and mobility issues they would see in their district or state.

The Summit not only provided its participants with the opportunity to champion their advocacy in a space that elevated their causes, but they were also able to enjoy different activities that emphasized the physical and mental cycling benefits.

“One of my favorite parts of the simulation was during the “Your Brain on Bikes” workshop where I was able to use a non-invasive portable electroencephalogram or EEG Device which detected live brain activities while I was riding a stationary bike,” - Yasmine Al Moghrab

Yasmine also got to work with other advocates to create an experiment that would answer some key questions about cycling. For their intervention, Yasmine’s group focused on how our brain responds to riding around different types of road infrastructure and how it relates to a person’s general well-being. 

The participants of the Summit were also given the opportunity to join a walking audit using the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Walk Audit Toolkit as a way to understand the perspective of vulnerable road users when looking at different street details, overall looking to improve the road safety situation for everyone. 

The Summit was led by the League of American Bicyclists.

“With big wins on funding bike infrastructure, it’s a critical moment for the movement to build safer roads, encourage lower speeds, and engage diverse and inclusive partners for a revolution to make biking better for everyone,” - The League of American Bicyclists