Women & Bicycles Donations Top $7,000, Thanks to You!

In what has got to be the best way to ring in the New Year for cycling in the D.C. area, the Women & Bicycles program met its $4,000 match grant—and exceeded that by about $3,000. The final total, as of 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, was $7,055. Your support of the Women & Bicycles program, through donations, retweets of our blog posts, shares on Facebook, and laps around Hains Point, has been absolutely incredible. We’ve so enjoyed watching the regional biking community talk about and get behind Women & Bicycles, a program that we’re really excited to kick off this spring. Over the past week, we’ve told you a lot about why Women & Bicycles is an important program. A few dudes who ride bikes in the D.C. area explained why getting more women on bikes matters for everyone, not just for women. If you’re reading this blog post, you’re well aware of the reasons why we have a vested interest in seeing more women on bikes and are treating making that happen as a critical mission. But ladies are the heart of this program, so we asked some of our friends—women who ride bikes—to vouch for us. Below, read what they have to say about the importance of Women & Bicycles: Tracy Hadden Loh, National Transportation Enhancement Clearinghouse and Rails to Trails:

The latest research in children’s travel behavior shows that mothers are the primary decision-makers regarding how children get to school, and that a caregiver’s own activity level influences a child’s mode choice to school. Getting more women on bikes means that current and future mothers will be more likely to allow and encourage the next generation to bike to school. As a woman, I’m constantly inundated with warnings from family, peers, and media about being careful. People think they are showing concern and love for me when they try to discourage me from cycling. What they don’t know is that my bicycle empowers me to travel independently and efficiently – reliable, quick, healthy, liberating. For the woman you love, don’t tell her to stay home. Instead, support WABA’s efforts to empower women through cycling!

Emily Littleton, NPR:

Women move the world – so why not [on] two wheels?! The more women who ride bikes, the happier and healthier we’ll be. C’mon ladies, let’s lead the way.

Rebecca Mills, #bikedc:

My life has improved infinitely—physically, emotionally, and economically— since I started using my bike as my main form of transportation, and I want to see other women improve the qualities of their lives through cycling as well.

Your contributions will encourage all of the above, and then some. We can’t thank you enough for your monetary support of Women & Bicycles, and for all you’ve done to spread the word about how this program will do great things. We couldn’t have done it without you, and we can’t wait to share with you the progress we make in exposing more women to the benefits of bicycling.