USA Cycling and the League of American Bicyclists have announced a new partnership to further develop the sport of cycling by ‘working together to create a nation where everyone recognizes and enjoys the many benefits and opportunities of bicycling.’
As the National Governing Body for the sport of cycling in the United States, USA Cycling, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has offered its support to the League to help promote and enhance advocacy efforts and programs.
“The League plays a critical role in America in advocating for and promoting cycling, so we are thrilled to work with them,” said Derek Bouchard-Hall, USA Cycling’s President & Chief Executive Officer. “In fact, the League has a very long legacy in advocating for cyclists — our entire sport owes them a debt of gratitude for their important work dating back to the 1800s when the bicycle was first becoming popular.”
The League, based in Washington, D.C., is a ‘leader in the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for Everyone’. For more than 135 years, the League adds that it has been dedicated to protecting the rights of bicyclists and working to make bicycling is safe, comfortable, and open to all.
“We are very proud to partner with USA Cycling to help promote the sport of cycling,” said Bill Nesper, Executive Director of the League. “We have shared interests and objectives, and our work strongly supports each other’s missions.”
Initial actions within the partnership will include the encouragement of each organization’s membership programs to build a greater base of support for bicycling throughout the US and working together to amplify campaigns and grow programs focused on advocating for cycling safety and cyclists’ rights. For instance, USA Cycling will seek to engage its community in the League’s efforts to promote bicyclists’ interests at the local, state and national level, while the League will help USA Cycling communicate to the League’s membership ‘the joy and excitement of participating in competitive cycling events of all types’.
A longer-term goal of the League and USA Cycling is to significantly expand the bicycling movement by engaging more individuals in advocacy and competitive cycling, increasing the exposure, access and appeal to bicycling at the local and national levels.
