Bike Houston: Getting more people engaged and excited about cycling in Houston

We are making our city bike-friendly by improving street design, educating all road users, and enhancing the enforcement of laws that save lives.

The Problem

Bicycles are on the rise in cities across the United States. The National Household Travel Survey showed that the number of trips made by bicycle in the U.S. more than doubled from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009. This is good news because biking exerts virtually no carbon emissions. A movement towards more cycling leads to healthier city air and a smaller carbon footprint. Cycling is also, itself, a self-promoting activity. As more people start cycling to work, it encourages others to do the same. In 2015, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy poised a hypothetical scenario. They envisioned a future where 14 percent of travel in world cities were limited to cyclists. The result: a 11% drop in carbon emissions from urban centers. To encourage more cycling in urban centers, cities must do more to promoting regulatory legislation and proper infrastructure to protect the safety and well-being of the cyclists.

The Solution

Bike Houston is preparing to transform the city of Houston by creating safer pathways for cyclists and bring more awareness to the safety hazards many cyclists face on a daily basis. Bike Houston does this by partnering with the city government and other local nonprofit organizations. Bike Houston is working to expand access to high-quality bike lanes and trails throughout the city.