Our Vision.
We're for a Bicycle-Friendly Louisville, Kentucky. Biking is a fun and healthy way to get around, and we believe that it should be convenient and safe for everybody in the city.
And Also So Much More . . .
A good bike ride doesn't exist in a vacuum. Which is why we advocate for more than just bike lanes and other bike infrastructure. A bikeable city avoids sprawl, promotes healthy lifestyles and a healthy environment, and supports local businesses.
4 Better Land-Use.
If your nearest grocery store is 3 miles away and work is more than 10, needless to say, biking becomes a lot less convenient. We're working, along with organizations like the Urban Design Studio, to encourage efforts by the city to re-invest in its urban core. If things are close-by, we can get there by bike!4 Better Living.
It's unfortunate, but Louisville's public health statistics are some of the worst in the country. Regular, daily exercise is a great way to improve those numbers. And the low-impact, utilitarian exercise that comes with biking can be an easy way to get everybody feeling a lot better!4 Beautiful Landscape.
The positive environmental effects of biking can be felt across the region and the world. The less we drive, the less pollution we're producing and the less we're relying on expensive and unsustainable energy sources. Yeah, bikes!4 Buying Local.
Roughly 85% of car costs leave the local economy. And because of suburban sprawl, the average American is now spending more on transportation than on housing. Want to support Louisville businesses? Then one of the best things you can do is ride a bike. Instead of giving your money to global oil companies, insurance agencies, and car manufacturers, you can choose to spend your money on whatever it is in Louisville that's important to you!
In short, it's all interconnected. You can't have a bike-friendly city without good land-use, healthy citizens, care for the environment, and a thriving local economy. That's what we want for Louisville, and we hope you'll join us in helping make it happen!
Interested in knowing more about B4L's mission, goals, and direction? Check out our strategic plan.
The B4L Team.
Chris Glasser – Executive Director
Since joining B4L, Chris has worked with the city to plan and implement safe, convenient bike infrastructure for its Urban Bike Network. A graduate of Portland State University (BS, Computer Science) and the University of Virginia (MT, Secondary Education), Chris is currently collaborating with the city's Bike Louisville department on a long-term bike master plan. Outside of B4L, Chris is a web applications developer for LOJIC, the city government's GIS partnership. A Louisville native and proud Kentuckian, Chris volunteers with Louisville Grows and Meyzeek Middle School and is passionate about making Louisville a more urban, sustainable city.
Mary Beth Brown – Strategic Partnerships
Mary Beth Brown ditched her lapis blue Plymouth Neon for a bike and TARC in 2009, and has been car-lite ever since. A meandering path led her from Studio Art and French studies at Centre College to a career as a preschool teacher and now as a project manager at Bisig Impact Group, an integrated marketing firm on South Fourth Street. She is a co-op artist at Block Party Handmade Boutique and also does chalk art for the Louisville Downtown Partnership and the Mercury Ballroom. She loves taking copious notes and pictures and is either your Facebook friend or knows someone who is.
Board of Directors.
Samantha Skaggs – President
Sam is a TARC/bike combo commuter for her job at Humana. While her background in Mechanical Engineering somehow relates to her analytics day-job, her Master's in Urban Planning should help out with her new role on the B4L board. Sam is interested in helping B4L bolster its sustainability as an organization and facilitating community driven 'pop-up' infrastructure. Sam's ideal ride is to explore somewhere new with her two favorite accessories: a wheel of cheese and a baguette.
Kate Holwerk – Secretary
Kate Holwerk lives in New Albany, Indiana, with her husband Charles and three dogs. She is a member of Younger Woman's Club of Louisville and volunteers at Cabbage Patch Settlement House.
Pat Smith
Pat Smith is an urban planner and researcher with a professional focus on community engagement, public involvement and data storytelling. Pat works at the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Louisville, and is a founding board member of City Collaborative, a nonprofit organization for urban research, outreach, and experimentation, and also a founding member of the Civic Data Alliance, a community voice for liberating, improving, gathering, defining, and reporting on public data.
Isabella Christensen
Bella is the co-founder of Falls City Community BikeWorks, a community bike shop created in partnership with parent organization B4L and co-founder John Krueger. Although she owns zero spandex and rides a (comically) pink bike from Goodwill, Bella is totally serious about the personal and public benefits of biking. As often as she can, Bella bikes to her service projects, her job in environmental/urban policy, her music gigs, and her favorite R&R destinations along the banks of the Ohio. She looks forward to seeing you in the bike shop!
Lindsay Carter
Lindsay works as a Refugee Community Empowerment Specialist at the Kentucky Office for Refugees in the Russell neighborhood. A Louisville transplant of 12 years, she formerly worked in the Metro Office for International Affairs under Mayor Jerry Abramson. Lindsay lives with her dog, two cats, and fiance Dan in Schnitzelburg.
Bike Everywhere Month.
This May, we want to invite you to bike everywhere – to work, to concerts, to the weekend markets, to the summer fairs. B4L is sponsoring bike parking all over town for the month of May. We're hoping to make it a little easier for everyone to bike everywhere!
The month's full schedule is below. Hope to see you out on two wheels as part of Bike Everywhere Month!
Calendar of Events.
| April 30 - May 1 | Bike Parking at the Cherokee Triangle Art Fair |
| May 3, 7:00a | Derby Week Ride to Dawn at the Downs (details below) |
| May 5-7 | Bike Parking at Wayside Park for Thurby, Oaks, and the Kentucky Derby |
| May 13-15 | Bike Parking at the Flea Off Market |
| May 14, 7:30p | Louisville City Bike-in Soccer Match (details below) |
| May 15, 1:00p | Spring Ride Series Ride #1: Historical Women of Louisville |
| May 20 | Bike Louisville's Bike to Work Day |
| May 21, 10:00a | Streets for People: Downtown On-Street Parking Inventory |
| May 22, noon | Spring Ride Series Ride #2: Beargrass Creek Trail Ride and Paddle |
| May 22 | Bike Parking at LIBA's Buy Local Fair |
| May 25 | Bike Parking at WFPK Waterfront Wednesday |
| May 27-29 | Bike Parking at Kentucky Reggae Festival |
| May 28, 9:00a | Holy Spokes West Louisville Ride with the Mayor (details below) |
| May 29, 10:00a | Spring Ride Series Ride #3: Neighborways of West Louisville |
| June 5, 1:00p | Spring Ride Series Ride #4: Historic Louisville Transit Ride |
Details on Bike Everywhere Month Events.
Derby Week Ride to Dawn at the Downs
Tuesday, May 3: 7:00-9:00a
Join us at the corner of 4th and Magnolia in Central Park in Old Louisville. We'll take off from there to Churchill Downs, where B4L members will enjoy coffee, doughnuts and a presentation by a local Derby expert. It's the best way to enjoy the beauty and energy of Derby without the crowds.
Louisville City Bike-In Soccer Match vs. St. Louis
Saturday, May 14: 7:30p
B4L members will get a discount code to use in advance to get a $12 ticket, as Elsie takes on St. Louis.
Downtown On-Street Parking Inventory
Saturday, May 21: 10:00a
B4L members will get a discount code to use in advance to get a $12 ticket, as Elsie takes on St. Louis. B4L members will get a discount code to use in advance to get a $12 ticket, as Elsie takes on St. Louis.
Holy Spokes ride with the Mayor
Saturday, May 28: 8:45a
We'll be leaving from St. Stephen Baptist Church at 9:00am towards Muhammad Ali's boyhood home. It will be a casual, get-to-know-each-other ride -- fun, fitness, and fellowship. Not very long at all (only 10 to 12 miles, if that many) at a slow casual cycling.
Spring Ride Series.
Ride #1: CycloFemme Ride: Famous Historical Ladies of Louisville
When: 1:00-4:30p, Sunday, May 15
Where: Apocalypse BrewWorks
CycloFemme is a socially-driven grass-roots celebration of women on bikes. The annual May ride unites riders, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or bicycle preference to share in the joy of cycling. We will join a group ride to the Big Four Bridge and then tour Butchertown, Downtown and Portland, stopping along the way to talk about Louisville women who made history. The ride will be a leisurely 10- or 12-mile loop and will end up back at Apocalypse. Join our friends from Falls City Community Bikeworks as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and empower the future of women in cycling.
Ride #2: Beargrass Creek Trail Ride and Paddle
When: 12:00-4:30p, Sunday, May 22
Where: Rugby Field on the Scenic Loop in Cherokee Park
Beargrass Creek drains over 60 square miles of Louisville, and plays an important role not only in our ecological history and future, but also in shaping the city's modes of transportation. Hop on your bike with us at Cherokee Park and ride downstream along the Middle Fork to where we'll jump in voyageur canoes for a new perspective. Learn about the history and ecology of the creek, how it has impacted the development of our city, and what's in store for its future. Join us on this adventure of epic proportions along Beargrass Creek!
Additional details: Canoes, paddles, and water safety equipment provided by River City Paddlesports. No paddling experience necessary. We'll have coffee and bagels available prior to the ride at 12:00p . We'll take off at 12:30p and return about 4:30p . Bring a snack and water to carry with you. Ride and paddle will be capped at 28 participants.
Ride #3: Neighborways of West Louisville
When: 10:00a-1:00p, Sunday, May 29
Where: Jefferson Square (Jefferson St and 6th St)
West Louisville is a great place to bike! With flat terrain and gridded, numbered streets, it's easy to get just about anywhere on low-speed, low-volume, low-street streets. From Shively to Portland, downtown to Shawnee Park, there's a whole network of streets in West Louisville that make biking a simple pleasure. Our tour will start downtown in Jefferson Square, and we will explore the roadways that have been designated (and others that are about to be designated) as "neighborways" by Metro Louisville, discussing what makes a street optimal for this designation while we're on the road.
Ride #4: Louisville's Historical Transportation Alternatives
When: 1:00-4:30p, Sunday, June 5
Where: Union Station, 1000 W. Broadway
Join us as we explore routes that were used by horses, trains, streetcars, trolleys and a variety of other modes prior to the heyday of the car in Louisville. What options did Louisvillians have to get around town a 100 years ago? What are the possibilities now as we find ourselves well into the 21st century? This will be a great opportunity to revisit the wisdom of the past as we plan for a healthier and cleaner future.
2016 Bike Kick-Off.
Schedule for the Event.
5:30-6:15. Open Tabling Time
Featuring these groups: Parkside Bikes, The Parklands, LIBA, On Your Left Cycles, Center for Neighborhoods, On Your Left Cycles, Falls City Community BikeWorks, Gresham Smith & Partners, Qk4 Engineering, Bike Louisville, UofL Cycling, TARC, and more
6:15-6:30. Opening remarks from Mayor Greg Fischer
6:30-6:45. Appalatin interlude
6:45-7:15. Welcome from Chris Glasser (B4L) and Rolf Eisinger (Metro Government)
Looking back at 2015
Looking forward to 2016
7:15-7:45. Presentations on upcoming Complete Street projects
East Market Street (NuLu) Redesign
Three Points Beautification Project
Oak & St. Catherine Streets Two-Way Conversion
8:00-9:00. Appalatin plays their Most Epic Set
2014 was Louisville's best year ever for biking.
More money was allocated by the city and more bike lanes were installed than any year in Louisville's history.
And it was a great year for B4L as well.
We helped the city plan all 40 of the bike miles it installed – 12 more than was planned. We submitted a proposal for 82 miles of bike boulevards that was adopted by the city and is already fully-funded. We provided bike parking to events all summer long, organized the first-ever Bike Everywhere Month, and explored the city with our Fall Ride Series.
At B4L, we think we're doing as much as any group to re-shape Louisville's urban streetscape. We're proud of what B4L accomplished in 2014, and we hope you are too – and that you feel pride in being a B4L member. We rely on memberships and donations to advance our mission, and
we hope you'll support us as we push for even more positive change in 2015.
The 2014 Bike Kick-Off
The B4L Board with Rolf Eisinger (Bike Louisville, left) and Andy Murphy (Louisville Bicycle Club, right).
Along with Bike Louisville, B4L hosted the 2014 Bike Kick-Off at the Clifton Center on January 8, bringing together pro-bike groups from across the city. The event was headlined by a speech from Mayor Greg Fischer, as well as
one from B4L president Chris Glasser that called for more and smarter spending on bike infrastructure.
Bike organizations, city planners, and park officials from around the region (groups like KyMBA, the Parklands, the city of Jeffersonville, and many others) tabled before and after the speeches, chatting with the attendees about the work they're doing to make our city more bike-friendly.
Links:
Audio of Chris's speech
Support B4L: Become a member today
Falls City Community BikeWorks
The FCCB shop is located at 1217 Logan Street in the Shelby Park neighborhood.
In December 2013, John Krueger and Isabella Christensen came to the B4L board with an idea for partnering with Bicycling for Louisville to open up a community bikeshop. Modeled after Broke Spoke in Lexington and Folkbike Recycler in Frankfort, Falls City Community BikeWorks (FCCB) has enjoyed an enormously successful first year.
We hosted a housewarming party in May and in June started having shop hours. The mission of the shop, which keeps hours Mondays and Wednesday 6:30-9:30, and Sunday 1:00-4:00, is to give people the tools and the know-how to do maintenance and repairs on their own bicycles.
So far, we couldn't be happier with the community support we've received. Bike shops from around town – Parkside, Vic's, and CycleSmith's, among others – have donated parts and tools, while local mechanics have volunteer-taught bike maintenance classes.
Links:
Join B4L and get an FCCB membership
FCCB website
Urban Bike Network
2014 was the year Louisville started building a cohesive bike network in its city center. Responding to the
"Stalled Report" submitted by B4L, Mayor Greg Fischer allocated $300,000 for an Urban Bike Network (UBN), the first time any Louisville mayor had set aside money in an annual budget specifically for biking. The plan initially called for 28 miles of bike infrastructure, but B4L worked with the city's public works department to expand that to 40 miles – 13 of which are bike lanes, 27 of which are shared lane markings on low-volume streets (commonly called "bike boulevards").
Some of the highlights:
Louisville saw the addition of 40 miles of bike infrastructure in 2014, represented above with the dark blue lines.
- Paired bike lanes entering and exiting west downtown (7th and 8th Streets) and east downtown (Floyd and Jackson)
- Paired lanes on 1st and Brook Streets connecting UofL, Old Louisville, and downtown
- Paired lanes on Kentucky and Breckinridge connecting east Louisville into the above routes
- A three-mile bike boulevard in West Louisville on Vermont/Madison and another in Germantown connecting the Highlands to UofL
Summer of Bike Parking
Every year, from April to October, B4L provides bike parking at any number of summer markets, festivals, and concerts. This year we expanded our services, which in the past had been exclusively valet bike parking, to also include portable bike racks. The result was a summer in which we provided more free bike parking than ever before.
Here were a few of the highlights:
ReSurfaced, a pop-up plaza on Main St, used our portable racks for the six weeks it was open.
- The City of Jeffersonville used our racks after the opening of the Big Four Bridge
- At Forecastle we valet parked more than 1,400 bikes in three days
- The Single Speed CycloCross World Championships used our portable racks for their after-party at Vernon Club
- For Ben Sollee's Waterfront Wednesday concert, we provided racks that parked more than 100 bikes
- We again offered valet parking at Thunder Over Louisville, and also parked bikes at the inaugural Tour de Lou
- For the six weeks that ReSurfaced was open, our portable bike racks were positioned at each entrance
Bike Everywhere Month
May 2014 was "Bike Everywhere Month".
Every year the city holds a one-day Bike-to-Work event on a Friday in May. Since we like to ride our bikes every day just about everywhere we go, we thought this was too narrow. Why only work? Why only one day? So, we expanded the vision, called May "Bike Everywhere Month", and hosted a range of fun bike events all over town all month long.
We held a Louisville History Tour with Councilman Tom Owen that rode through Portland and Old Louisville. We held a bike movie night at Taco Punk where we showed Caddyshack. And yes, we co-hosted the city's Bike-to-Work Day event downtown on May 30th. (Among many other events.)
"Bike Everywhere Month" was a great success in 2014, and we hope to bike to even more everywheres in May 2015.
Links:
Bike Everywhere Month graphic
Support B4L: Become a member today
Mayor's Report
B4L met with the Mayor's Office in April to discuss recommendations from our Mayor's Report.
The Small Things
Before: The city's new bike lanes were virtually gone after the rough 2014 winter.
After: B4L suggested changes that would make the lanes more visible and require less maintenance.
Saying we want more bike lanes in Louisville is easy. But actually creating safe, usable lanes is another thing entirely. This year, many of our design suggestions have become standards the city has adopted for its bike lanes.
A few examples:
- We advocated for a door-zone buffer on all new lanes – something missing from the designs on Market, Main, and 3rd Streets. Now, all newly painted bike lanes have a buffer.
- Noticing that the road paint for bike lanes was quickly wearing away, we researched how other cities were painting their lanes and proposed that Louisville instead use thermoplastic, which is heavier and more durable than regular paint, for its bike lanes. Now, all new bikes lanes are painted with "thermo".
- Lanes on Cardinal Blvd near UofL had a design that was inconsistent with other lanes in the city, making them confusing for bikers and drivers. We advocated for them to be re-designed and re-painted (with thermo) to make for lanes that are more cohesive with the rest of the UBN.
Neighborways
B4L has a lot riding on the Neighborways project – a plan to install a network of bike boulevards in neighborhoods all over town. Bike boulevards are streets with low traffic volume and low traffic speed that prioritize bike safety and access over car movement. They make use of traffic calming, volume control measures, and wayfinding signage to give people on bikes a low-stress and convenient experience.
Here are some of the highlights of the project so far, as well as B4L's role in bringing the project to life:
B4L submitted a plan for a bike boulevard network in December 2013.
- In June 2013, B4L and the city's public works department laid out an initial network plan.
- In December 2013, B4L proposed a plan that broke the initial network into tiered phases, with funding sources for each tier.
- Phase 0 used funds allocated in the 2014 fiscal budget and in spring 2014, added 22 miles of bike boulevards in neighborhoods closest to the urban core – NuLu, Old Louisville, Germantown, Shelby Park, and Russell.
- Phase 1 is the next ring out in the plan and will add 33 miles to the network. This phase uses federal funds and will be implemented starting in spring 2015 in Cherokee Triangle, Original Highlands, Portland, and Butchertown.
- Phase 2 has secured its federal funding and will add about 20 miles to the network (an exact timetable for its implementation is still undetermined). Neighborhoods include Deer Park, Audubon Park, Camp Taylor, Parkland, and Shawnee.
- The three phases above include only road paint. B4L is already working with neighborhoods and the public works department to add traffic calming and signage to fill out the network.
The Fall Ride Series
In front of St. Therese, on the Germantown-Schnitzelburg ride.
After the success of the History Ride as part of "Bike Everywhere Month", B4L had its first ever Fall Ride Series, a collection of guided bike tours through Louisville.
We had four great rides this season:
- The Sustainability Tour
- Germantown-Schnitzelburg History Tour
- Bluegrass Bioneers Urban Homesteading Tour
- Cherokee/Seneca Park History and Ecology Ride
Our tour guides for the Germantown and Olmsted Parks ride – Rachel Kennedy and Carolyn Waters, respectively – were awesome. Rachel lined up a game of Dainty in Schnitzelburg for us, and the ride with Carolyn was a perfect way to explore the parks on a crisp November morning. For all of our rides, we had great partners whose generosity in hosting us was greatly appreciated. Thanks to YouthBuild, Parkland Community Garden, Lots of Food, Four Pegs, Harland Smith, Holy Grale, Mary Beth Brown, and many others! We're already looking forward to a Spring Ride Series in the coming months!
Links:
Germantown-Schnitzelburg Photos
Bluegrass Bioneers Photos
Olmsted Parks Photos
Support B4L: Become a member today
Advocacy Efforts.
Ormsby, 6th, and Swan – Bicycle Boulevards
April 2014 | Swan | Ormsby + 6th
Further adding to the growing Urban Bike Network, the sharrows on Swan St, Ormsby Ave, and 6th St lay the foundation for emerging bike boulevards. B4L has been instrumental in getting this network on the ground – proposing the route on Swan that connects Germantown to Paristown Point and the Ormsby connection that goes from Old Louisville to Shelby Park, as well as getting these routes included in the plan for this fiscal year.
Highlands-UofL Connector – Bicycle Boulevard
April 2014 | Map | Images
The Highlands-UofL Connector is the first route in the city's Neighborways project, an effort to establish a network of bicycle boulevards on quiet, 25 mph residential streets. The B4L advocacy team conceived and designed the route adopted by the city, which provides a direct, safe pathway through the Germantown and Schnitzelburg neighborhoods.
Floyd Street – Bike Lane & Sharrows
October 2013 | Map | Images
B4L advocated for including a bike lane in this route, which was originally designed having only sharrows. Adding a bike lane narrows the driving lanes, slowing car traffic and creating a safer biking experience. In addition, the southbound bike lane on Floyd pairs with the northbound lane on Jackson to create convenient access to and from Waterfront Park.
Brook & 1st Streets – Bike Lanes & Sharrows
August 2013 | Map | Images
For the first route in the city's Urban Bike Network, B4L pushed for shrinking the driving lanes, widening the bike lane, and adding a parking-side buffer to keep bikers out of the door zone. These routes established seven-foot wide biking lanes as the default installed by the city, a full two feet wider than the previous norm.
"Stalled" Report to Louisville Mayor
December 2012 | PDF
Seeing that the city's bike efforts had ground to a halt, B4L advocacy authored a report to Mayor Greg Fischer. The report proposed creating an Urban Bike Network starting in Old Louisville and downtown. In his 2013-14 fiscal budget, Fischer allotted $300,000 to this project – the largest sum ever set aside by the city specifically for bike infrastructure.
Bike Education.
U of L Bike Voucher Program
Starting in 2012, University of Louisville students have been offered the choice to trade in their on-campus parking permit for a $400 bike voucher. As part of the program, students attend a B4L bike education class to learn how to ride safely in the city – how to signal, where the safest bike facilities are and how to use them properly, when to take a full traffic lane, and how to safely lock their bikes.
Waggener High School Maintenance Course
Taught by B4L board member and bike mechanic Seth Short, this course introduces students to basic bike maintenance skills. Students in grades 9-12 learn how to repair a flat tire, adjust gearing, and align brakes, among other practical skills.
Past Events.
2014 Kickoff Fundraiser
January 8, 2014 | Clifton Center | Facebook Invite
Joining with the city's bike and parks departments, B4L is hosting an advocacy meeting and membership drive at the Clifton Center. The event will present on the progress of the city's Urban Bike Network, an effort started in July 2013 to create a unified series of bike routes starting in downtown and expanding outwards. Along with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and the city's bike/pedestrian coordinator Rolf Eisinger, B4L President Chris Glasser will be speaking at this event.
Bier and Bikes for Parks
November 3, 2013 | Holy Grale | Facebook Invite
In support of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Holy Grale held a fundraiser in its gralegarten. B4L teamed up with the bar, Parkside Bikes, On Your Left Cycles, and Kentucky Homebrew to draw a crowd whose support went toward helping the conservancy, one of the city's oldest non-profits whose mission is to enhance and preserve Louisville's historic and world-class park system.
Valet Bike Parking
Spring and Summer 2013
Over the spring and summer months, B4L's valet bike parking service was an integral part of dozens of festivals, picnics, community and city-wide gatherings. Our biggest VBP events were some of the city's main fair-weather attractions – Thunder Over Louisville, the Forecastle Music Festival, and the Cherokee Triangle Art Fair – providing citizens with a healthy and fun way to arrive, park close-by, and exit without getting stuck in traffic.
Falls City Community BikeWorks.
What is FCCB?
FCCB provides tools and guidance to anyone who wants to learn bike maintenance and repair. We also sell some parts, and refurbish bicycles for donation to locals in need of transportation.
We're located in the back lot breezeway at
1217 Logan St, in the Smoketown/Shelby Park neighborhood.
Come on by! FCCB is a great place to fix a bike...and a great place for anybody from the community to come hang out!
Official Website:
www.fccbikeworks.org
About John and Bella.
John Krueger teaches German through KET Distance Learning, commuting between Louisville and Lexington. He was a member of Lexington's Broke Spoke Community Bike Shop, where he saw first-hand what a rich and vibrant learning environment that can be.
Isabella Christensen works in environmental policy and plays music. When Bella's bike started limping badly in the fall of 2013, she wished for a local place to learn some mechanical skills . . . and that's how she met John, who was on a similar quest.
Why do you want Louisville to have a community bike shop?
So my kids – and yours! – have a great place to hang, sharing skills and good times. -John
Because learning bike repair from internet videos is no fun at all! -Bella
Because biking (and bike repair) should be accessible to everyone! -B4L
Tell us your reason on
Facebook!
Become a B4L Member.
First things first: thank you for considering supporting B4L! We're working for a more bikeable, more urban, more sustainable Louisville – and there's a direct connection between your giving and our ability to do that well. Your donation is helping make Louisville a better place to live for everybody.
When you become a Bicycling for Louisville member, you receive the following benefits:
Bicycling for Louisville is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit and is eligible to receive matching gifts.
Make a One-Time Donation.
We also offer the option of one-time donations and single-year memberships. Your donation is 100% tax deductible, and directly supports B4L and our mission of making Louisville more bike-friendly.
Single-year memberships come with all the benefits listed in the margin at right, but do not automatically renew. Donations are considered gifts to the organization and do not come with the membership perks listed.
Join the B4L Mailing List.
When you sign up for the Bicycling for Louisville mailing list, you receive updates on our advocacy efforts, info on important bike-related public input meetings, notices of educational programs we're running, as well as volunteer opportunities with the organization (like our valet bike parking service). We also send out news on B4L events, rides, and other bike goings-on in town. We think it's a great way to stay abreast of the many of the changes that are making Louisville a more bike-friendly city.
B4L Shop.
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Bike Accident Info.
Whether you bike to work in Louisville or enjoy leisurely rides through the city, most trips are incident-free. In the unfortunate event that you are involved in an accident, though, here is some good information to have:
Louisville Bike Laws.
State laws as well as city ordinances govern the safe and lawful operation of a bike within Louisville city limits:
- Helmet Laws. State laws do not mandate a helmet for any rider of any age, but Louisville Metro regulations do require riders under the age of 18 wear a helmet if operating a bike within any city park.
- Bike Lanes, Road Sharing, and Sidewalks. Cyclists in Kentucky must ride with traffic and must use a bike lane, if one is present and passable. Bike riders can ride two to a lane and can also ride on the shoulder of the road or highway, if it is safe to do so. Only children 11 years of age or younger are allowed to ride on sidewalks within the city, but no one is allowed to ride on Downtown sidewalks, except Metro police.
- Bike Equipment Requirements. Bikes on the road after dark must be equipped with a headlight that shines 50 feet ahead and is visible from 500 feet away in Kentucky. Rear reflectors are also required and every bike must have functional brakes.
- Passengers and Packages. Passengers are only allowed if the bike is designed to accommodate them safely, and you cannot carry any package or parcel that prevents you from having at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.
- Signaling Approach. Bicyclists must always signal when approaching a pedestrian or another cyclist. Signaling can be verbal, but bike bells or horns are also permitted in Kentucky.
The State of Kentucky and the City of Louisville grant bicyclists the same rights and responsibilities of any other driver on the road, which means that as a cyclist, you must follow all the same laws. If you fail to follow any state or local driving regulations, it can affect your entitlement to a settlement or damages in a personal injury claim.
Determining Fault.
Fault or negligence is a prime factor in determining personal injury claims, but Kentucky's "pure comparative negligence" system is fairly simple. You can be partially responsible for the accident and still recover damages. Even if you're primarily at fault, you can still file a claim and receive compensation.
It is important to understand, though, that your role in the accident can reduce the payout of damages. For example, if you are 30 percent responsible for the incident, then any damages awarded will be reduced by 30 percent.
Statute of Limitations and Damages.
Kentucky's statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit is one year for personal injury claims, though you have two years to file for property damage or losses. The damages you can recover in a bike accident, whether settled in or out of court, may include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, loss of future earnings, and pain and suffering.
Filing an accident claim with your own insurance company or with the company of the driver involved in the collision is the first step in the process of recovering damages. However, Kentucky's "no-fault choice" car insurance system may make it essential that you also consider a lawsuit.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim.
Kentucky is one of a handful of states that uses no-fault insurance. With no-fault insurance, drivers file a claim with their own insurance company rather than that of the other driver involved in the accident. Kentucky has PIP, or Personal Injury Protection. Injured parties are protected for up to $10,000 in medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses. In states that have no-fault insurance laws, someone cannot file a personal injury claim at all unless their injuries meet a certain cost threshold. In Kentucky, this threshold is $1,000. Once a hospital bill or lost wages reaches $1,000, a bicyclist injured in an accident can file a personal injury claim against a motorist or the motorist's insurance company, so long as he or she was not at fault for the accident.
All personal injury claims must be file at court. In Louisville, you can visit the Jefferson County Hall Of Justice. It is located at 600 W. Jefferson St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202.
Deanna Power
Content Contributor
Personal Injury Law
This article was not written by an attorney, and the accuracy of the content is not warranted or guaranteed. If you wish to receive legal advice about a specific problem, you should contact a licensed attorney in your area.
