The Final Mile was a partnership between Wend Collective and PeopleForBikes to accelerate the installation of complete mobility networks in select U.S. cities.
By combining proven advocacy strategies with public communication tools, this effort builds broad support for new, cost-effective mobility networks.

The Final Mile utilized a dynamic, accelerated approach to create alignment between existing political will and untapped community support by providing the necessary resources for cities to rapidly accelerate the pace of bikeway network implementation.
communications + earned media
Utilized audience research, branding and marketing strategies, and public opinion surveys to determine public support for mobility solutions, present those results to decision-makers, and eventually release findings through local media outlets.
outreach + engagement
Formed coalitions and engaged with a wide variety of community-based organizations to reach historically underserved groups and those who haven't typically been involved in transportation advocacy, always positioning community members as the experts.
design + build support
Offered engineering support through professional consulting firms and helped cities better conceptualize bike infrastructure as a network — rather than a corridor-by-corridor program.
professional development
Provided opportunities for broad-based participation in study tours and knowledge gatherings, both domestically and internationally.
performance measurement
Helped city planners better understand and bench mark the outcomes of their work.
“The Final Mile is about the power of people working collaboratively together towards the same goal. What we need to do is be able to provide additional opportunities —biking, walking, public transit, that help us address community wide challenges. They also have the added benefit of being less expensive, more reliable, more fun and they help people connect to their communities in new ways.”
AUSTIN, TX
Austin, Texas, completed 115 miles of new bike lanes to achieve a 50% build-out of its All Ages and Abilities Mobility Network in only 24 months. City leaders reasserted their commitment to this accelerated pace, dedicating $120 million to build another 200 miles by 2025.
PITTSBURGH, PA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, leaders championed the completion of 50 new network miles aligned with its recently completed Bike(+) Plan. City leaders are dedicated to constructing an additional 15 miles in 2022.
PROVIDENCE, RI
Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Jorge Elorza’s administration constructed 43 miles of new bikeways under his Great Streets Initiative. An additional 22 miles are planned for construction in 2022.
NEW ORLEANS, LA
New Orleans, Louisiana, managed to construct 27 miles of new “high comfort” bikeways, predominantly in its historically underserved Algiers neighborhood. New Orleans offered the highest concentration of new protected bike lanes than any other city in the program.
DENVER, CO
Denver, Colorado, constructed 100 miles of new bikeways, tripling the pace of its planned network of interconnected, low-stress bikeways. In 2022, nearly 50 new miles of community-based networks are scheduled for implementation.
WHAT WE LEARNED
The Final Mile program offers a unique model of philanthropic investment designed to shape local policy through political action.In the five funded cities, the program helped inform growing interest and support for bicycling, aided local leaders in shaping their goals and contributed to national momentum in favor of improved cycling infrastructure.
Cities are capable of achieving tremendous goals when they have the means and will to do so. TheFinal Mile program asked these cities to find the will (through community-driven advocacy) so local leaders supported byPeopleForBikes could provide the means (funding and expertise).

With a bold vision and sufficient resources, cities are able to establish more ambitious goals and achieve them.
Balance must be struck between elected officials, city staff, advocacy groups, community leaders and residents to achieve success.

Every stakeholder group has a role to play in creating the initiatives. The Final Mile framework helped streamline processes to move the campaigns forward.
Every project faces unique hurdles, including city administration structure, the way resources are allocated and how communities are engaged in the decision making process.

The Final Mile funded parallel strategies in all five cities, but approaches varied to meet the needs of each individual city.
Developing inclusive opportunities to comment was the most efficient way to deliver real feedback to officials from the people most affected by their decisions.

Amplifying supportive voices helps highlight what is most important to the community.
While all cities are unique in their challenges and resources, much of the Final Mile programming can be scaled and applied to cities of all sizes across the U.S. to make connected bike networks achievable anywhere.
Connected bike networks still benefit people who will never use them. Effectively communicating the universal benefits is crucial in building consensus.

Bike networks add value to communities by increasing opportunity, relieving congestion, providing recreation opportunities and more.
Read more about The Final Mile program and how five cities achieved their goals.
A Proven Model for Accelerating Bike Networks
May 16, 2022
PeopleForBikes, in collaboration with Wend Collective, helped five U.S. cities successfully increase bicycle mobility through the construction of new bike infrastructure.
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A Tale of Two Biking Cities
May 16, 2022
Austin, Texas, and Paris, France, both recently made big commitments to prioritize bicycling. But how do the cities’ efforts compare?
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Five of the Best New Bikeways
January 14, 2022
These 2021 builds are all more than just bike lanes — they represent political wins, Complete Streets projects and crucial connections that make up comprehensive bike networks.
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Pittsburgh Is Reimagining Mobility
January 7, 2022
As the first mobility as a service (MaaS) project of its kind in the U.S., Move PGH is making different forms of shared mobility easily accessible — and car ownership obsolete.
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America’s Next Great Biking City
November 1, 2021
Over the last two years, the Texas capital accelerated the buildout of its all ages and abilities bike network, building more than 100 new miles with no signs of slowing down.
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How 5 Cities Are Breaking Down Barriers to Biking
March 25, 2021
Bike advocates in Austin, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Providence share how they’re already using recent recommendations from Charles T. Brown and others.
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