NYBC Joins BikeADK as Advocacy and Education Partner
DYK, New York has a statewide organization dedicated bicycling advocacy and education? Since 1990 the New York Bicycle Coalition (NYBC) has united, inspired, and supported the New York cycling community with a cohesive voice for people who ride bikes across the state.
Bike Adirondacks is fortunate to have NYBC join us as our Bicycling Advocacy and Education Partner. In addition to being present at BikeADK events starting in 2025, they'll also provide a monthly brain nugget to help us build stronger bicycling and pedestrian friendly communities across New York State. Scroll down to read the first one.
Slower is Safer: Saving lives with one simple, inexpensive change.
Did you know that a car traveling at 30 mph is about 70 percent more likely to kill a pedestrian than one driven at 25 mph? Did you know that changes to speed limits have been shown to reduce the number of speeders - even if there is no enforcement, and even if there are no changes to road design? So why do so many of New York’s neighborhood streets have 30 mph speed limits?
The reason is simple. Until 2022, under state law, communities did not have the authority to reduce their speed below 30 mph. But now, in many case, they do! Since 2022, cities, and villages and “suburban” towns can reduce area speed limits to 25 mph.
So, if you live or ride your bike in a city, village, or “suburban” town, that community has the authority to change the speed limit to help you stay safe. Many communities already have - from small villages to large cities — including the cities of Albany, Hudson, Kingston, and White Plains, the towns of East Greenbush and Brighton, the villages of Greenport and Lewiston, and many more. And there are more are on the way including several small village and cities and the City of Rochester, who committed to 25 mph as part of Roc Vision Zero which aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries in the City of Rochester!
Whether you are riding for transportation, taking a long ride for exercise, or just trying to get from your house to the trailhead safely, drivers at 25 mph are safer for you, and for everyone else on the roads.
The most effective advocate for this change is you! If it’s a change you’d like to see, you’ll want to talk to members of your local Village Board or City Council. To prepare for that conversation, start by reading the NYS Safe Streets Coalition 25 mph FAQ. That will give you the information you need to understand what’s involved – key takeaway: it’s easy and inexpensive! You may also want to gather other like minded folks to think about the best strategy for engaging with your local community leaders. Our Strive for 25 page contains a handy reference of all cities, towns and villages that have made the change and exactly how they did it. That can be very helpful when talking to your local elected officials.
You can also contact Anne Savage, NYBC Executive Director at nybc@nybc.net so that we can help you get started. We’re also happy to talk with you about the options if your community is a town without local control over the speed limit.
The New York Bicycling Coalition is the only statewide organization focused primarily on cycling. Our unique role is to unite, inspire, and support the New York cycling community and to provide a cohesive voice for people who ride bikes across New York State. We work closely with the New York Safe Streets Coalition to advocate for safe streets for everyone in New York.
