Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Advocacy

How to Overcome Political Hurdles that Block Bike Lanes

Telegraph Avenue, Oakland. Image: Roger Rudick/Streetsblog

Next week - on Thursday, August 4 at 5:30 p.m. - advocate Carter Lavin will offer a ninety-minute webinar on how to run a campaign to get safer bicycle infrastructure built in local communities.

Lavin has over a decade of experience planning, launching, winning (and losing) issue-based campaigns, as well as training people to become more successfully politically engaged. "A huge part of my work is explaining how political power works," he says.

"Bike lanes are easy and affordable to build, and make getting around your community safer, more accessible, greener, cheaper, and fun," says Lavin. "We have the space, we have money, and we have the technology" to build bike lanes, but "the main limiting factor is politics."

But political power and political will, according to Lavin, is a resource that can be built. "It's learnable, and it's teachable."

"If the government wants something to happen, they can get it done. Nothing is stopping any city from building better bike lanes, but bike safety is just not a top priority. We're not going to get safe infrastructure on the timeline we need without Team Bike stepping up," he says.

The webinar will go over how to understand the political process and how to build political power. "It's about strategizing a campaign, about how to build a coalition, and about why coalitions work," he says.

"I want to help people who have a lot of passion to learn how to apply it."

The webinar is for everyone from new bike riders to long-time advocates; anyone who has ever thought: There oughta be a bike lane here! "Even for veteran advocates, it's good to go over basics and get motivated," says Lavin.

Register at this link for the August 4 webinar.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

First OC Streetcar Arrives

The $649 million 4.1-mile OC Streetcar light rail line is 92 percent complete, and now anticipated to open in spring 2026

May 8, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines

California and Trump continue to spar and more news from up and down the state.

May 8, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: ‘Normal’ is Not Correct, Someone Died Here

After a crash, the debris is quickly cleaned up and everyone moves on (usually too quickly). But these two experts are asking us to all slow down.

May 8, 2025

Metro Names Bill Scott as Chief of Police

Chief Scott and Metro leadership emphasized that keeping Metro transit safe would require a multi-faceted approach that included the deployment of officers as well as collaboration with the community, ambassadors, and service providers. "Sometimes enforcement is the answer," Scott said. "Sometimes it's not."

May 7, 2025

State Supreme Court Reinforces Rules that Cities Must Maintain Safe Roads

When Ty Whitehead was injured in a crash caused by a pothole in Oakland, it sparked an eight-year legal battle that is still being waged.

May 7, 2025
See all posts