This page has information on the program as well as links to some of the presentations.
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Welcome to the Intersection of Thought and Action
Every two years, CalBike hosts the California Bicycle Summit. This three-day gathering brings together planners, government officials, agency staff, and bicycle advocates from around the state. In addition to workshops on hot topics such as how to manage the micro-mobility revolution and quick-build bike facilities, the Summit includes rides, tours, films, and social gatherings. It’s a great opportunity to add to your bicycle planning toolkit while you grow your network.
The 2019 Summit was held October 15-17 at the Center for Healthy Communities in Los Angeles, the California Bicycle Summit welcomes everybody who works for more equitable, inclusive and prosperous communities where bicycling enables more people to live joyful and healthy lives.
The theme was the intersections in our work. That isn’t just the physical intersections in our communities that should be safe places to traverse and converse instead of the hazardous injury hotspots they too often are. We also examined the theoretical intersections that define how we each approach bicycling via other issues, such as land use and housing, other forms of mobility, and the urgency of climate change. The ways that race and class have impacted and continue to impact transportation justice was a central theme woven through many of our discussions. We addressed these intersections in plenary sessions, workshops, bike rides, walking tours, parties, mixers, and community activities.
CalBike committed to making 2019 the most inclusive Summit to date. To that end, we offered more than 100 free and deeply discounted tickets, and our steering committee committed to recruiting participation from across California’s diverse communities.
Movers and Shakers at the California Bicycle Summit
The California Bicycle Summit attracts some of the most influential planners and advocates in California. In 2019, Seleta Reynolds, LADOT’s General Manager, and Ryan Russo, Director of Oakland’s new DOT, talked about the role of cities in promoting and facilitating active transportation. Managers from Bird, Lyft, and Uber joined us to share and listen to find a way to harness the micro-mobility revolution for good, not evil. We got updates on Caltrans district plans. The Summit provided an opportunity to not just listen but to share and be heard by these influential leaders and many others.
The bicycle activist community was also front and center in workshops and plenaries. The workshops included reports on the state of bicycle activism in Latin American and New Zealand, as well as the efforts of California advocates.
If you’re a planner or a bicycle advocate, the California Bicycle Summit is an opportunity to help you move your work forward. Strengthen your commitment to creating a bike-friendly future with new resources and community.
Bicycle and Walking Tours
To (mis)quote Emma Goldman, “If I can’t ride, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” The California Bicycle Summit is much more than presentations and workshops. In 2019, tours included a walking tour of Downtown LA and a visit to the SGB Bicycle Education Center in El Monte.
Bike tours took participants on the LA river path, through the arts and alleys of LA, and to Santa Clarita, LA’s high country.
Make Time for Fun
The 2019 California Bicycle Summit included a party on Wednesday night. This was a chance to get to know fellow attendees in a relaxed atmosphere and have a little fun at the same time.
We were very excited to host a screening of the documentary Motherload on Tuesday evening. This award-winning film documents one mother’s quest to find connection and meaning. Spoiler alert: cargo bikes are her answer. If you haven’t seen it yet, we highly recommend it.
There were more adventures beyond the Summit. Downtown Los Angeles is a vibrant neighborhood, full of museums, galleries, restaurants, and shops. LA’s historic Chinatown is also nearby. Best of all, these sights of LA were close enough to explore by transit, on foot, or by bike.
The California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities is located on the outskirts of Chinatown in Los Angeles, just two blocks from Union Station. Lodging options are plentiful within a mile radius, including the Metro Plaza Hotel across the street and the DoubleTree by Hilton. In addition, there are many attractions and activities within easy walking or biking distance of the conference venue.
