Happy February! 

This month’s NYBC newsletter is packed with ways NYBC is making change - and how you can be part of it, and have fun doing it!

From helping your community apply for AARP funds for a Bike Audit (deadline March 4!), to weighing in on NYBC’s position on common-sense e-bike legislation, to speaking up for 3’ Defined Safe Passing in Cortland or Albany County (Public hearing 7 pm this Tues. 2/24 unless rescheduled for snow!) - there are real opportunities to shape what happens next in New York. 

You might also be interested in encouraging local law enforcement to reach out to NYBC for training on cycling and e-bikes. Or letting the Thruway know about safety issues where ramps create risks for cyclists where they interact with trails or surface streets.

And don’t forget the fun and camaraderie: Join us in the Hudson Valley (March 11 - Mid Hudson Bicycle Club Dinner) or in the Adirondacks (April 29 - Adirondack Cycling Advocates E-bikes in your Community event). Both will be great ways to meet other cyclists and hear about key policies impacting the cycling community!

Wherever you live, I hope you’ll plan to be in Albany on May 13 for our next Safe Streets Day of Action, and consider joining us at the National Bike Summit in DC March 24-26.

And most importantly, please save June 1 for the NYBC Big Wheels Ride & Dine in Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown, kicking off the Walk, Bike & Roll NY Conference which starts the following day in the same location!

More details below!

• 3’ Defined Safe Passing County Laws:
  Albany County Public Hearing 2/24, Cortland County Petition Open
• Common Sense E-Mobility Regulations - Feedback Welcome!
• Bike Audit funding available from AARP - Apply by March 4
• March 11 Mid Hudson Bicycle Club Dinner - non-members welcome!
• Dangerous Thruway Crossings? Speak up by mid-March!
• March 24-26 - National Bike Summit
• May 13 NYS Safe Streets Coalition Day of Action
• June 1 Big Wheels Ride & Dine and June 2 & 3 Walk, Bike & Roll, NY 
• Schedule Filling Fast for NYBC Law Enforcement Trainings!

Forty states and DC require drivers to give cyclists at least 3 feet when passing. Unfortunately, New York is not one of them! NY requires only a "safe distance" when passing a cyclist - a vague standard that leaves too much to interpretation and offers no protection for pedestrians at all. NYBC is fighting to get better language at the state level. Meanwhile, Suffolk, Monroe & Ulster Counties have passed this life-saving legislation locally. Efforts are underway in two additional counties:

E-mobility policy is at a turning point in New York. New Jersey recently passed a controversial law requiring licensing and registration for all e-bikes - even low-speed, pedal-assist. Other states have, or are considering e-mobility legislation, and bills of various kinds have been introduced in the NYS legislature already.

NYBC Executive Director Anne Savage testified at the NYS Transportation Committee Public Hearing on Electric Bicycles in January, along with other leaders including several members of the NYS Safe Streets Coalition. We appreciate the Committee’s careful consideration and pro-active approach!

In our testimony, NYBC made three points: First, legal, low-speed e-bikes are affordable transportation and accessible recreation for New Yorkers. Second, “e-motos” (illegal devices that may look like e-bikes but are heavier and faster) are already illegal, and third, there are common sense ways to increase safety. Read our testimony here or listen to the hearing - Anne starts at 2:29.

NYBC is developing a position statement on common-sense e-mobility regulations, and we welcome your input at nybc@nybc.net subject “E-Mobility Position”.

We also welcome the opportunity to join your club or organization virtually or in person to discuss e-mobility. We will be doing just that with Adirondack Cycling Advocates on Wed April 29 - save the date! Reach out to us to schedule something for your local organization at nybc@nybc.net.

Have a vision for safer streets? The AARP Bike Audit/Capacity-Building Microgrant (up to $2,500) supports efforts to create safer, more bikeable communities, with support from the League of American Bicyclists! Applications due March 4, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Many organization are eligible including 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations, government entities, and other organizations on a case-by-case basis

Read more about AARP Bike Audit Capacity-Building Microgrants plus their Flagship (up to $15K) and Demonstration (up to $25K) opportunities at AARP.org/CommunityChallenge

NYBC Executive Director Anne Savage will speak at the Mid-Hudson Bicycle Club 60th Anniversary Winter Dinner - Wed, March 11, 6:00 pm in Hyde Park. We will enjoy an evening of camaraderie and discuss how 2026 is shaping up for cyclists across New York State. With e-bike use skyrocketing, active transportation reshaping how people move, and critical policies in play at local, state, and federal levels, this is a pivotal moment for cycling!
RSVP by March 1 - $50 per person - Non-members welcome!

Do you feel safe when crossing a Thruway entrance or exit ramp on foot or on two wheels? If not, now is the time to speak up! The NYS Thruway Authority is gathering public input for a Safety Action Plan. They need to hear from people who walk and bike! Please share locations where Thruway ramps create problematic interactions with trails, bike lanes, or surface streets. If you also are a driver - as most cyclists are - tell them your driving concerns, too!

Drop a pin and add a brief comment on the interactive map here. 

NYBC is coordinating the NYS delegation at the 2026 National Bike Summit. It’s a critical year as Congress pursues Surface Transportation Reauthorization which will set the framework for transportation funding for the next five years. The summit is full of engaging sessions and opportunities to make new connections with cyclists from across the country, as well as mobile workshops to explore DCs cycling infrastructure.

Register here (New this year, there are more affordable “lobby day only” registration opportunities!)

Save the Date for May 13! May is a critical time in Albany. The NYS Budget has been adopted, and legislators shift their focus to policy. We need cyclists and safe streets advocates from across the state to join NYBC and the NYS Safe Streets Coalition in Albany to advocate for our long-standing priorities: Stop Super Speeders, 3’ Defined Safe Passing, Stop as Yield, and Complete Streets. More information here, registration opens soon

Our January Day of Action was hugely successful. Special shout out to Anthony Morra of Blue Tulip Bicycle (newly located on Albany’s Lark Street). We needed help at the last minute, and Anthony stepped up! If you need anything bicycle-related while you are in Albany, please show him some love!

We are so excited to see the NYS Safe Streets Coalition initiative "Stop Super Speeders" in the Executive Budget and are optimistic that it will end up in the final budget - by preventing the most reckless speeders from accelerating beyond 5 miles above the speed limit, Stop Super Speeders keeps everyone safer! 

NYBC also joined other safe streets advocates in support of strong local control and careful data collection in for-hire Autonomous Vehicle pilots (read our position here). We were pleased that the Governor and elected leaders are moving slowly and carefully when considering potential AV pilots, and those will likely not be part of the budget this year.

Save the Dates! Join us for the “NYBC Big Wheels Ride & Dine” on Monday, June 1, 2026 in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow - a featured kick off event the night before the Walk, Bike & Roll, NY Conference. Registration for the Ride & Dine and for the Conference will open on March 16.

Come ride with the people shaping the walk, bike, and roll movement, and stay for food, drink, and good conversation! Expect plenty of chances to meet leaders, organizers, and changemakers.

Think less panel, more social ride: great conversation, great company, zero pressure, and real connections that last. Riders will include Paul Steely White (Parks & Trails NY), NYBC Executive Director Anne Savage, and many more folks making change across the Walk, Bike, and Roll community. 

If you're attending the conference the next day, you'll hit the ground feeling energized, connected, and ready to Walk, Bike, and Roll! 

Safer streets start with shared understanding between officers and the people who bike, e-bike, or roll. NYBC’s Law Enforcement Training gives officers practical guidance on NYS traffic laws, micromobility safety, and real-world scenarios - helping keep your community safe. NYBC’s law enforcement training programs are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. Talk to your local police or sheriff’s department and encourage them to request a session at safety@nybc.net. Spots are filling fast! Learn more:NYBC Law Enforcement Training.

nybc@nybc.net | www.nybc.net

Copyright (C) 2025 NEW YORK BICYLING COALITION
All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is: PO BOX 8868 ALBANY, NY 12208
Don't want to receive thse emails anymore? unsubscribe here
Someone forwarded this to you and you want to receive it directly? subscribe here