Ride Illinois is a bicycling advocacy group based in Elk Grove Village. Its top mission right now is to eliminate bicyclists’ deaths in traffic, and to urge the creation of bicycling infrastructure to help in that goal.
Beyond that, Ride Illinois aims to promote bicycling in communities for health and well-being, encourage bicycling over driving to improve the environment, and educate bicyclist and drivers on relevant laws. This as the organization lobbies for legislation on bicycling infrastructure and safety.
Part of the legislative effort is to change state law to allow municipalities to lower speed limits, based on evidence that the lower speeds result in fewer bicyclist and pedestrian deaths even if people are hit. It’s also working to define bicyclists as “intended” users of roads to encourage municipalities to become bike-friendlier accordingly.
Besides the lobbying, Ride Illinois leaders and volunteers tour the Chicago region and state giving the safety quizzes it offers online, and it helps administer the League of American Bicyclists’ Smart Cycling program, teaching skills to riders of all ages.
On Ride Illinois’ list of annual events is the Grand Illinois Bike Tour as well as the Illinois Bike and Walk Summit. And finally, check out Ride Illinois’ map page for a great list of maps, some by municipality or county, that it has helped create. Here’s its Bike-Friendly Illinois Map.
Photo above: College Avenue by Wheaton College in Wheaton is a designated city bike route though without a painted bike lane. It’s a pretty spacious road, but cars can still get close.
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