Update (4/4/25): A new venue has been secured for this conference – the Bank of Springfield Center. The original venue , the Wyndham Springfield City Centre, was damaged due to an act of vandalism. ILBWS25 will happen, so make plans to join us in Springfield on May 7-8! Contact us at [email protected] with questions or concerns about the conference.
The 2025 Illinois Bike & Walk Summit (ILBWS25) will take place May 7-8 at the Bank of Springfield Center.
ILBWS25 is the state’s most important conference related to biking and walking. Professionals, advocates, and individuals from communities of all sizes are invited to attend the conference to learn, collaborate, and identify creative solutions related to biking and walking in their community.
The theme for ILBWS25 is Creating Connected, Livable, Thriving Communities. Those interested in making it easier and safer to move about their community on foot and on bike are strongly encouraged to attend.
Click the button below to register. Contact [email protected] with questions and to discuss ways to get involved and support this event.
Ride Illinois is honored to work with the following impactful organizations to plan the 2025 Illinois Bike & Walk Summit:
Click the button below to view the current agenda. Details of most sessions have been settled, though we anticipate some slight changes leading up to the conference.
The agenda for Wednesday, May 7 includes speakers, breakout sessions, and workshops focused on safety, accessibility, and connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists.
The agenda for Thursday, May 8 includes a technical training session for planners, engineers, and municipal staff on best practices for developing bikeable, walkable communities. Advocates and individuals can choose between an advocacy training or trail development workshop in the morning, then lobby for safer, better biking and walking in the afternoon.
Supporting the 2025 Summit is beneficial to your business and those who attend! Promote your business to individuals and organizations working toward connected, livable, thriving communities.
Several sponsorship levels are available, including additional elements of the Summit. Click here to view our Sponsorship Invitation.
Contact [email protected] with questions or to discuss other ways to support the Summit.
A block of rooms had been secured at the Wyndham Springfield City Center. Unfortunately, on March 27th, the Wyndham was vandalized and faced extensive damage requiring the hotel to close until they can return to safe conditions for overnight occupancy.
Due to the short timeline, we are unable to book a block of rooms at another hotel. Conference attendees are encouraged to make reservations at a nearby hotel. Hotels in Springfield include:
Proposals are being accepted for breakout sessions, on-site workshops, and mobile workshops at the 2025 Illinois Bike & Walk Summit. Submitted topics must be relevant to the event’s theme (Creating Connected, Livable, Thriving Communities) and enhance attendees’ collective understanding of ways to improve conditions and increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Preference will be given to proposals submitted on or before February 24, 2025. However, the RFP will remain open and additional proposals will be considered if there are additional openings on the agenda. The form will be closed once the agenda has been filled.
Update: the deadline to submit a proposal has passed and the agenda is full.
In conjunction with this conference, Ride Illinois has partnered with Love to Ride on a crowdsourcing initiative. Illinois residents are invited to Make Every Ride Count by rating the streets and bikeways in their community via the Love to Ride app. The data that is collected will complement local and regional transportation plans to enhance bike/ped infrastructure.
Illinois residents can Make Every Ride Count by rating streets and bikeways leading up to the 2025 Illinois Bike & Walk Summit on May 7-8. Data collected will inform active transportation planning efforts in Springfield, in particular, helping to make the city more bike-friendly.
A flyer with additional information is available HERE.
