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Greetings
Hello {{First Name}},
Happy Bike Month! We hope you’re enjoying the warmer weather and finding time to get out and bike, walk, and roll in your community this spring. Nothing beats sunshine, fresh air, and connecting with your community ☀️
As we celebrate biking this month, we want to invite you to be a part of Ride Illinois' mission. Join the organization that is making Illinois better through biking – become a member today! Your support helps power our education, awareness, and advocacy efforts - all year long.
Keep reading below to learn more about what we’ve been up to recently and what’s to come. If you’re able, please make a donation to support and help Ride Illinois continue our advocacy, education, and awareness work! Every contribution makes a difference and we’re grateful to have you as a part of this movement.
Ride Illinois earned a 2026 Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency – the fourth year in a row we've received this distinct recognition 👏
Ride Illinois shares financial information with Candid so current and future members know that their donations are used wisely. Visit our Candid profile to learn more.
Ride Illinois continues to work closely with our lobbyist, elected officials, and partners on priority legislation.
SB 3336 passed the full House and is headed back to the Senate for minor amendments. This important legislation clearly differentiates between legal classes of e-bikes (1, 2, and 3) and e-motos. A license, registration, and insurance will be required to operate high-speed devices on Illinois roads. Also, the bill results in consistent rules applicable to e-bikes, e-motos, and micromobility devices across the state.
HB 4948 passed the full Illinois Senate with a vote of 49-9. The bill is now headed to Governor Pritzker’s desk. This 'Stop Super Speeders' legislation will increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users by requiring Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) devices be installed in the vehicles of repeat and extreme speeders.
👉 Stay tuned to Ride Illinois email and social media for relevant updates, requests to submit witness slips, and to complete Action Alerts!
Education & Safety
Bike, Walk, Micromobility Curriculum for Illinois Schools
Ride Illinois is a key member of a working group that is charged with developing curriculum for use in Illinois schools. This important initiative aims to teach students safety skills related to walking, biking, and micromobility. Ride Illinois is pleased to partner with the Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois State Board of Education, and Illinois High School and College Drivers Ed Association on this effort!
A pilot program will launch with select schools in fall 2026, with wider participation from Illinois schools in spring 2027.
League Cycling Advocate (LCA) Workshop in September
Ride Illinois has partnered with League of American Bicyclists to offer a League Cycling Advocate (LCA) workshop on September 17. The workshop is geared toward emerging leaders, advocates newly entering the bike movement, and anyone else interested in gaining League certification as a bike advocate. The workshop is open to anyone, but space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Register by August 14.
Environment & Awareness
The Illinois Bicycle Calendar
Ride Illinois NEW and FREEIllinois Bicycle Calendar includes over 100 bike-related events all around Illinois, including:
👉 Want to add a ride or event to the calendar? It’s so easy! Complete the brief form on the Illinois Bicycle Calendar page to share the details.
Check out the calendar, spread the word, and add those events 👏🏿👏🏽👏🏻
Get to Know: Decatur Bicycle Club
The Decatur Bicycle Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cycling for fun, exercise, and transportation in Decatur, Illinois. They are a group of bicyclists who enjoy riding together and supporting central Illinois cycling through community, outreach, group rides, transportation advocacy, and their annual Amish Country Bicycle Tour.
Infrastructure
Project Spotlight: Final Segment of the Great Western Trail
The Great Western Trail follows 19 miles of former Chicago Great Western Railway corridor from LeRoy Oaks Forest Preserve in St. Charles to Sycamore Forest Preserve. The Sycamore Park District is in the final phase of extending the trail into Sycamore. Strong local partnerships and regional coordination have ensured meaningful results for the community.
Article: The Highway Trust Fund is a Ponzi Scheme!
Our partners at League of American Bicyclists recently penned an article that dug into the history of the Highway Trust Fund – and the bleak future of the country's bank account for transportation projects. Declining growth in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), a stagnant gas tax, and increased fuel economy have led to near insolvency. It's past time for decision makers in D.C. to direct more attention and funding to projects that support and encourage walking, biking, micromobility, and transit.
Community
Biking and Walking in the Car-centric Suburbs
Ride Illinois recently participated in a panel discussion entitled "DuPage Transportation Panel: How Do You Get There Without a Car?". In a relatively wealthy suburban county where transportation is car-dependent, even modest financial hardship can create severe mobility barriers. Some relevant points that were shared during the panel discussion indicate that there's work to do to in order to elevate walking, biking, and mircomobility in DuPage County.
👉 36% of Americans over the age of 10 do not or cannot rely on a personal vehicle to meet their daily travel needs 👉 On average, Americans spend 16-20% of their household income on transportation 👉 82% of trips in DuPage County are via private automobile
Book Recommendation: City Limits
The full title of the book is City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways. It's an eye-opening investigation into how our ever-expanding urban highways accelerated inequality and fractured communities—and a call for a more just, sustainable path forward. With propulsive storytelling and ground-level reporting, City Limits exposes the enormous social and environmental costs wrought by our allegiance to a life of increasing speed and dispersion, and brings to light the people who are fighting for a more sustainable, connected future.
💡What bike-related books or podcasts do you recommend? From epic adventures to practical advice, to the benefits of biking, there are plenty of options! Send your suggestions to info@rideIllinois.org.
Generosity
Affiliated Clubs & Community Organizations
This month, we'd like to recognize Lincoln Prairie Trails Conservancy for their generous support of Ride Illinois. We appreciate the support from the bike clubs local orgs that are doing good work in their community!
👉 Click here to learn about generous clubs and community orgs.
Corporate Members
Our Corporate Members play a vital role in our work and we genuinely appreciate their financial support. If you’re a business owner – or work for a company that shares our values – there's no time like the present to become a Ride Illinois Corporate Member.
Corporate Membership is a great fit for businesses of all sizes, and we’d love to add to the growing list of civic-minded business that support us.
Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP)
The application window for ITEP Cycle 17 includes $157M in funding is available with a maximum of $5M per project. Project applications must be submitted through the ITEP application portal which opens on August 1, 2026 and ends October 5, 2026.
Illinois Bicycle Calendar
🗓 Our handy online calendar includes organized or charity rides, advocacy events, education courses, races, community slow rolls, and other bike-related happenings.
Want to add your ride or event to the Illinois Bicycle Calendar? It’s so easy! Visit the Illinois Bicycle Calendar and click the yellow button on right side of the screen to complete our brief form.
Below are a few rides and events that we think you'll appreciate:
During a trip to Effingham, we stopped by Bike & Hike to chat with owner, Robby Sams (L) and connected with Deloitte staff at their Well-Being Fair (R).
