Randy Neufeld: A Founding Father of Bike Advocacy

In this kickoff episode of Bike Networks Now, host Avi Stopper chats with Randy Neufeld, one of the founding fathers of bike advocacy in America and former executive director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. Randy brings his trademark energy and unique perspective on why bike transportation remains impractical for most Americans. We talk about the cultural and practical barriers that prevent cycling from going mainstream, from the simple problem of bike locks to the complex challenge of creating comfort in a car-dominated world. Randy shares the inside story of the Green Lane Project, which helped institutionalize protected bike lanes across American cities, and discusses his current work developing "Good For Us"—an initiative to create alternative communities for people seeking to live more active lives. And we discuss conventional planning approaches and applying startup-style innovation and the scientific method to building bike infrastructure. This episode sets the stage for exploring the central question in these conversations: how can cities make bike transportation a practical reality for people of all ages and abilities?