Fair Chance

This briefing document analyzes the phenomenon of "motonormativity"—a pervasive, shared bias that prevents societies from judging motorized transport with the same objective and moral standards applied to other activities. The underlying research establishes that motonormativity is not merely an individual preference but is deeply rooted in a social-ecological framework composed of nested environm...

A comprehensive analysis of 72 million Citi Bike trips in New York City between 2013 and 2024 reveals that protected bike lanes are the only infrastructure type that demonstrates a direct causal link to increased bikeshare ridership. While correlational data shows growth across all lane types, rigorous statistical modeling indicates that painted lanes and "sharrows" provide no statistically signif...

The global cycling landscape in June 2026 is defined by a convergence of elite competitive drama, significant infrastructure investment, and controversial regulatory shifts. In professional road racing, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné) serves as a volatile final test for the upcoming Tour de France, marked by a high-stakes General Classification (GC) battle and hi...

This briefing document synthesizes research conducted by LSE Cities and the RAC Foundation comparing transport patterns in "typical mobility cities" across England and Germany. Unlike traditional research focusing on exceptional "cycling cities," this study examines mid-sized urban areas (50,000–1,000,000 residents) whose travel behaviors represent national averages.

National Bike Month, observed annually in May, has evolved from a mid-century youth safety initiative into a global movement centered on health, environmental sustainability, and urban transportation. As of 2026, the event encompasses a full month of activities, including National Ride a Bike Day and Bike to Work Week. While the United States accounts for a significant population of occasional cyc...

This executive summary accompanies a comprehensive podcast episode examining National Bike to Work Month, a movement that has shaped American cycling culture for seven decades. The episode traces the initiative's remarkable transformation from a 1950s children's safety campaign orchestrated by bicycle manufacturers to today's global movement championing health, environmental sustainability, and ur...

The cycling industry in 2026 is undergoing a fundamental shift from ad hoc recreational solutions to a regulated, professionalized transportation sector. This "maturation" is driven by standardized safety requirements, aggressive infrastructure mandates, and a move toward equitable, regionalized public transit integration. As the industry evolves, stakeholders are prioritizing long-term planning a...

Cycling is a cornerstone of European transport policies aimed at improving public health, reducing congestion, and achieving climate goals. However, a landmark report from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) reveals a widening "safety gap": while deaths among motor vehicle occupants have fallen significantly, cyclist fatalities have remained largely stagnant over the last decade.

The 2026 National Bike Summit, organized by the League of American Bicyclists, serves as a critical junction for federal advocacy, particularly as Congress prepares for the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill. This briefing outlines the strategic approach for constituent lobbying and the core legislative priorities aimed at enhancing bicycling safety and infrastructure funding.

The evolution of the bicycle represents two centuries of iterative engineering, shifting from crude wooden "running machines" to highly optimized carbon fiber and electric vehicles. This briefing document synthesizes the technological milestones, material transitions, and key figures that have defined the industry since 1817.

The global transportation landscape is undergoing a significant structural realignment, driven by the migration of high-performance automotive engineering into the micromobility sector and the pursuit of supply chain independence in electric vehicle (EV) propulsion. Central to this transition is ALSO Inc. , a technology startup spun off from Rivian Automotive in March 2025. ALSO has rapidly achiev...

The Active Cities project, a collaborative initiative involving eight European municipalities and several knowledge partners, provides a roadmap for transforming urban environments from car-centric spaces to human-scale areas that prioritize walking and cycling. Conducted between 2022 and 2025 and co-funded by the Interreg North Sea programme, the project demonstrates that strategic street interve...

As of March 2026, the global bicycling sector is undergoing a fundamental shift from ad hoc, experimental solutions toward a framework of rigorous standardization, long-term urban planning, and comprehensive regulation. This transition is characterized by four primary developments: the implementation of sophisticated safety hardware requirements, a massive expansion of protected physical infrastru...

The European mobility startup ecosystem in 2025 transitioned from a period of volatile, "growth-at-all-costs" expansion into a phase of structural maturity and healthy normalization. While Venture Capital (VC) funding reached a post-2018 low of $4.8 billion (a 27% year-on-year decline), this figure masks a more complex reality: total private investment, when including alternative financing instrum...

Starting in April 2026, the City of Santa Monica, California, will launch a pioneering initiative to automate the detection of bike lane violations using artificial intelligence. By equipping seven municipal parking enforcement vehicles with Hayden AI scanning technology, Santa Monica becomes the first city in the United States to move beyond bus-mounted enforcement to a dedicated parking fleet. T...

The global micromobility sector is entering a phase of mature growth characterized by significant capital raises, strategic institutional partnerships, and a shift toward specialized, high-utilization hardware. Recent market activity reflects a transition from experimental startups to a stable industry focused on profitability and infrastructure.

The provided sources offer a multidimensional view of how major sporting events, particularly the Super Bowl, and evolving urban mobility patterns impact public safety, consumer behavior, and cultural norms. A critical finding across multiple studies is the significant spike in car accidents following high-profile games—accidents that are frequently attributed to a combination of alcohol consumpti...

As of early 2026, reports indicate the federal government is investigating justifications to dismantle key bicycle infrastructure within Washington, D.C. Documents and interviews suggest the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is analyzing congestion patterns on major corridors to support a "reallocation" of lane space back to motorized vehicles. This initiative, supported by statements from Tra...

The transition toward sustainable urban mobility is not merely a technical challenge but a fundamental reimagining of public space. This briefing synthesizes insights from a 2,000-kilometer investigation across five European countries, analyzing cities that have successfully reduced car dependency in favor of livable, human-centric environments. The primary findings indicate that the "transport tr...

The year 2025 marked a significant paradigm shift in U.S. urban planning, characterized by a move away from temporary "paint and flex-post" solutions toward permanent, protected, and people-centered street designs. According to PeopleForBikes, the most successful projects of the year integrated physical separation with placemaking elements, such as public art, transit connectivity, and green infra...

A nationwide survey reveals a significant, untapped demand for car-free living among American car owners. Nearly one in five car-owning adults (17.6%) in urban and suburban areas express a definite interest in a car-free lifestyle, and an additional 40% are open to the possibility. This latent demand suggests that if supportive infrastructure and housing were available, the share of car-free house...

This is the season finale where we take a look back in cycling history and deep dive on one important topic. In this episode it is all about Mark Gorton. This document provides a comprehensive synthesis of the career, legal battles, business ventures, and civic and political activism of Mark Gorton. A technologist and entrepreneur, Gorton's influence spans the disruption of the digital media indus...

The world is becoming increasingly urbanized. According to data shared by the United Nations (UN), “more than half of the global population now live in urban areas.” This is up from “one-third in 1950 and is projected to increase to around two-thirds in 2050”. Cities must adapt to accommodate change to sustain these developments and successfully manage urban growth. But where to start? Urbanizatio...

The UK government has just announced multi-year funding for active travel in England outside London, worth £626m. Active Travel England, the agency responsible for allocation of active travel funds in England, says this is enough for 500 miles of new cycling and walking routes.

The electric bike revolution is in full swing, transforming how we commute, exercise, and explore. Sales have surged, with purchases in the United States jumping from 437,000 in 2020 to 1.1 million in 2022. But beyond the simple joy of a pedal-assisted ride, what hidden complexities do new riders often overlook? As this transformative technology becomes more common, it’s critical to understand tha...