Research on the Effects of Bicycle Education is Limited but Does Point to Higher Rates of Bicycling and Increased Safety

Increasing the number of people bicycling is often proposed as a solution for addressing environmental and climate-related challenges. Strategies to support more bicycling have traditionally included building bicycle infrastructure, enforcing traffic laws, and educating people about bicycling. Additionally, many cities across California are pursuing Vision Zero, the goal to eliminate traffic death and serious injury in the next decade. In San Francisco, for example, Vision Zero strategies include creating safe streets, safe people and safe vehicles. It also seeks to include training on “bicycle education, safety, and laws to adults” as a strategy for helping adults learn to bicycle more safely. With more than 44 of the 50 largest U.S. cities offering adult bicycle education classes, educational programs are becoming increasingly popular. While  studies show that infrastructure such as protected bicycle lanes is effective in encouraging bicycle use, the effectiveness of  educational programs in improving bicycling, encouraging bicycle use, and replacing auto trips remains to be determined.