Pedaling for Progress

The Rob Dollar Foundation’s road to safety

Organization

The Rob Dollar Foundation

Founder

John Dollar

Annual Budget

Under $500,000

Origin

The Rob Dollar Foundation was born from tragedy, yet rides forward with hope. In October 2017, the cycling community lost Rob Dollar, an avid cyclist struck and killed by a driver while out on a Sunday ride. His untimely death spurred his family and friends to transform his plan to start a foundation into reality. 

“The foundation was Rob’s vision,” said his father, John Dollar, the president of the Rob Dollar Foundation. “We are keeping his memory alive. That alone helps us deal with his death. And personally, my mission is to save a life, so other families never have to experience what we do every day.”

Mission

The foundation is dedicated to promoting cycling safety through education and awareness, ensuring that every cyclist can enjoy the road with peace of mind.

Most Surprising Thing About the Organization

The sheer impact achieved solely through volunteers. Their dedication reflects both the strength of the cycling community and the deep love of Rob’s family and friends. 

Program Highlight

One of the foundation’s landmark accomplishments was partnering with the nonprofit Uphill Into the Wind to secure Arizona’s “Share the Road” specialty license plate in 2020. This initiative, overcoming years of prior failed attempts, required raising $32,000 and securing gubernatorial approval. “We discovered that many had tried before, but we were determined to see it through,” John said, noting that it was a testament to their community’s passion and persistence.

Recent Challenges

The foundation’s current focus is a campaign to persuade Arizona to launch a statewide cycling awareness initiative. Key messages include cyclists’ legal right to the road, the necessity of motorists maintaining a minimum 3-foot passing clearance (5 feet recommended), and cyclists’ right to occupy a full lane when needed. “An awareness campaign including these three things will educate the public and hopefully help with the negative feedback cyclists get,” John said. “The roads are for everyone — let’s keep everyone safe.”

Future

The foundation is collaborating with capstone teams from Arizona State University and the University of Arizona to develop a handlebar-mounted device that captures license plate images of vehicles passing within three feet of cyclists. This data will be instrumental in pushing for legislative changes and improving cycling safety. 

“We can collect this data and make changes to current laws and make the roads safer,” John said. “We envision a future where technology and awareness work together to protect cyclists.”

To learn more, visit robdollarfoundation.org.