This is report on the 2018 National Bike Summit by Elias Flores, who participating in the gathering in early March. My apologies for the delay in posting his report. -Aaron Skabelund
“The National Bike Summit sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists was fascinating. The summit took place in Washington D.C., which is surprisingly bicycle and pedestrian friendly. The capital’s investments in bike-share, bike lanes, and a trail system are paying off. Not only does the district have the second-highest percentage of bike commuters among major U.S. cities, it was awarded gold status as one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country. 
The summit featured presentations and workshops about how to make communities more bicycle friendly. I had the opportunity to participate in a mobile workshop on how a large regional university–the University of Maryland in College Park–partnered with city and county partners to establish a bike share system that is open to everyone and is connected to all major destinations. Establishing such a system was not easy. Multiple agencies and organizations wanted their voices to be heard. From this case study, I learned how a travel demand management tool can be implemented in a regional area that spans several different jurisdictions. About 2,500 trips a day are now completed at the university and in the city of College Park. Provo is an ideal place for bike share to be implemented. Doing so will improve our community’s quality of life.”
