Local Opportunities

City of Grand Rapids

Boston Street (Fuller to Plymouth) is an important east-west bicycle route in Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids Bicycle Action Plan calls for “Proposed Bike Lane” there.

Please contact City leaders. Thank them for bicycle infrastructure, and ask them to plan a “separated bikeway” on Boston. Click here to contribute your ideas.

Garfield Avenue (Butterworth to Fulton) is an important north-south bicycle route in Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids Bicycle Action Plan calls for “Proposed Signed Bike Route / Bike Boulevard” there.

Please contact City leaders. Thank them for installing bicycle infrastructure in the city. Click here to contribute your ideas.

People for Bike City Rankings: Once again the City of Grand Rapids has ranked very low: 58th in Michigan and 64th percentile overall. Study this site to help us improve Grand Rapids as a place to bicycle.

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Grand Valley Metro Council

Regional Safety Action Plan

GVMC is developing a Regional Safety Action Plan and wants your input. “The vision is to reduce deaths and serious injuries from crashes on roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes…. Check out the GET INVOLVED page to learn more…. If you have questions about the Regional Safety Action Plan, please visit the project website or contact Laurel Joseph, Director of Transportation Planning at GVMC, at laurel.joseph@gvmc.org.”

Grand Valley Metro Council Metropolitan Transportation Plan

“Your comments are an important part of the transportation planning process. They will be shared with local road agencies and jurisdictions and will be included in an appendix of the final MTP document. Thank you for your participation.” Please contact Andrea Faber, Transportation Planner, at (616) 776-7603 with your MTP-related comments and questions, or submit your inquiry through the “submit a comment” button at the top of the page or in person at GVMC's office (678 Front Ave. NW, Suite 200, Grand Rapids, MI 49504). 

Kent County

The Kent County Road Commission meets the second Tuesday of every month at 8 am at 1900 4 Mile Road NW, Walker, MI  49544.

The Transportation Committee of the Essential Needs Task Force meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at 8:30 am. Email entf@hwmuw.org for more information about how to get involved.

State Issues

League of Michigan Bicyclists

Incentivize E-Bike Purchases: E-Bikes are a game-changing form of low-carbon transportation. Sign a petition asking Governor Whitmer to support incentives that will make e-bikes more affordable.

Make Speed Limits Safer: PA 33 of 2024 became law on April 2, 2024. This gives “local communities more flexibility in setting speed limits.” Now, you should search crash data and use other sources to identify streets where speed limits should be lowered. Contact the City of Grand Rapids Traffic Calming Program to request lower speed limits or other traffic calming measures.

Michigan Department of Transportation

Watch this space for an opportunity to comment on Phase 3 of the US-131 Planning & Environmental Linkages Study.

National Campaigns

League of American Bicyclists

End Drunk Driving: Submit comments supporting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rulemaking process that would set a final standard within three years for impaired driving prevention technology on all new vehicles. Learn more here.

Read the latest advocacy updates from the League of American Bicyclists here.

People for Bikes

Click here to join the online People for Bikes Advocacy Academy and learn to become a change-making advocate.

Click here to find more ways to get involved in People for Bikes advocacy initiatives.

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Note: Completed and archived Advocacy campaigns can be found here.