What went right in July 2026?

Hey fam,

Have you heard about the new proposal to build 600 miles of protected bike lanes across New York City?*

Photo by Dário Gomes on Unsplash

Back in 2023 this was first proposed but it never gained traction and faded away… until it was reintroduced this year! If enough of us get on board, we can make sure the bill actually passes this time.

There’s already a legal requirement to build 50 miles around the city, but they fall short every time, so this new bill backed by nine Council Members so far will require 100 miles to be built every year for the next six years, which could bring some overdue accountability to make sure it actually happens.

Photo by Thomas Loizeau on Unsplash

The near future can have connected lanes throughout the whole city, separated from the road with a physical barrier to let riders get anywhere quickly, easily, and safely without obstacles… and even if you don’t bike, it will also reduce traffic and clean up the air for everybody!

So I officially partnered with change.org to make a petition to show our elected officials how many of us want this to pass and actually be enforced.

If enough of us demand this Bill gets consideration, it will be debated in city council, hopefully pass by the end of the year, and once we make it successful, it can be recreated in any other city around the world too.

So please take a few seconds to add your name to the petition, share with a friend or two, and let’s make the world more bikeable.

*This is a partnership with change.org. They asked me if I have a cause I’d like to make a petition for, and after researching existing legislation, I chose this bike lane bill to try and push forward. Together, we can help turn this into a future good news story!

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Recap: 10 underrated stories of progress from July

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

10: New York City announced a new rule making subscriptions cancellable in just 1 click.

9: The EU made it illegal for companies to destroy unsold clothes so they have to reuse and repair instead.

8: Switzerland’s test adding solar panels to train tracks was so successful it’s becoming permanent and coming to Italy, South Korea, and France next.

Photo by Anagha Varrier on Unsplash

7: 136 acres of land was returned to Indigenous nations along California’s Mendocino coast.

6: New York became the first state to pause all new hyperscale data centers for the next year as guidelines are created to protect communities.

5: Kelsey Pfendler became the fastest woman to row 2,400 miles unassisted from California to Hawaii while raising money for the Whale Foundation.

Photo by Vince Veras on Unsplash

4: 1,000 farmers in Zimbabwe created a community seed bank to safeguard local crops.

3: After the US government shut down a website hosting free NOAA research on climate, fired scientists recreated it and continue to vet and update the info.

2: Many new species were discovered including the eyeless Demon Cavefish found in a single cave in Alabama, a mesmerizing frog from Costa Rica, and a partially parasitic flower.

1: Our community took action by: handing out 290 boxes of food at a pantry, turned old shirts into tote bags by hand, made a huge “BE KIND” mural with students, and much more!

August is right around the corner... What are you planning to do?

This newsletter was written by Jacob Simon. Over 1 million people are in our community across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. You can say hi on LinkedIn, or by hitting reply. Brand illustration by Andrea Miralles. Thanks for helping spread some positivity, and see you next week for more.