There is so much going on in Monroe County’s bike community that we are publishing a separate post to discuss updates specific to the bicycle movement. Read below for some of the cycling developments we are excited about and consider supporting our work!
If you haven’t already, we hope you’ll take a look at the membership levels and gift options, and make a donation toward our Membership Drive to help us keep up the good work in 2026!
Top 10 Cycling Developments in 2025
(In no particular order of importance)
#1
Concrete Barrier Protected Bike Lanes on West Main
Rochester bike riders have been vocal for decades: We want protected bike lanes! After a sorely needed road diet, seasonal concrete barriers were installed along stretches of West Main Street in 2025. They offer serious protection and are, hopefully, harbingers of more to come….
#2
The City’s Safe Streets For All (SS4A) Planning and Demonstration Project
Thanks to a federal grant, demo protected bike lanes are in store for segments of Ford Street, State Street, St Paul and East Avenue in order to experiment with various barrier types. Also as part of this grant, Stantec will create a Bicycle Spine Network Rapid Implementation Plan and Active Transportation Winter Maintenance Plan for the City. Stay tuned for developments and public meetings in 2026.
#3
The Genesee Riverway Trail North Feasibility Study
Local cyclists know Monroe County is blessed with a multitude of trails beside bodies of water: the Lake Ontario State Parkway Trail, the Erie Canal Trail, the Genesee Valley Greenway, and of course the Genesee Riverway Trail. The latter, however, has an uncomfortable one-mile gap north of downtown. This study, which is nearing completion, will recommend priority projects to not only fill this gap, but to someday extend the trail on both sides of the river from downtown to Lake Ontario!
#4
Our Bike Spine Tracker
Since 2016, Rochester has been a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community in the eyes of the League of American Bicyclists. Realistically, Rochester will “level up” to Silver only after we attain a minimum grid of all ages & abilities bike infrastructure leading to and through downtown from all four directions. We are so close! This year, we added a Bike Spine Tracker to our website to focus eyes on the 8 miles of investment needed to get us to that minimum grid. Let’s concentrate political will and focus investments to get the center right. More spines & mileage to shoot for and track afterwards.
#5
Keep Us Safe on State Roads Rally
If Monroe County is going to be more bikeable, the New York State Department of Transportation is going to have to change the way it designs and maintains the roads under its jurisdiction. To send NYSDOT a message (“Keep Us Safe On State Roads!”), area cyclists rallied at Parcel 5 in August. This is part of the pressure campaign to make the State’s Active Transportation Strategic Plan as good as it can be.
#6
Brighton’s Multiversity Plan
This plan, finalized and published in 2025, offers a vision for an accessible, off-road, and multi-use trail system connecting the campuses of the University of Rochester, RIT, and MCC. The Town of Brighton now has a list of priority projects to seek funding for.
#7
Penfield and Gates Active Transportation Plans
Any time a town gives serious thought to bicycling and walkability is a win. Both Penfield and Gates are moving forward with Active Transportation Plans of their own, joining the crowd of local municipalities who’ve created blueprints for action. Monroe County DOT and NYSDOT are more likely to make complete streets designs when it’s in alignment with community plans like these.
#8
Expanded Bike Education Program
In 2025, Reconnect Rochester underwrote the certification of a Spanish speaking LCI (League Cycling Instructor). We also kept instructors busy teaching balance classes at Rec Centers, along with Spanish safety classes for IBERO and Syrian classes for Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services. On top of that, Reconnect Rochester made our flagship on-bike Smart Cycling class free!
#9
Cyclist Crash Analysis
Many area riders know the basic ins and outs of bicycle safety. Even more don’t. Also unknown for a long time were specifics about the most common local crashes involving cyclists. After deep diving into the data for a couple years, in 2025 Reconnect Rochester published several articles on the most common crashes here and how to avoid being involved in them.
#10
Poster in Bike Shops
Reconnect Rochester is always trying to broaden our reach and get our resources into new hands. With that in mind, we made a poster drawing attention to our bike resources and dropped one off at every bike shop in Monroe County.
Reconnect Rochester’s organizational strength is made possible in great part by the continued support of Dr. Scott MacRae, a generous grant from the ESL Charitable Foundation’s Building Strong Neighborhoods initiative, and a growing base of supporting members — folks like you who share ownership for the mission and express that with your dollars.