Commuting by bike lets you enjoy your town during your trip to work. And through the end of the month, you could win a sweet new ride just by snapping a photo of your commute.

Bicycling Magazine is holding an Instagram contest that will run through May 31. Bike commuters from across the country are encouraged to submit photos of what they discovered on their commute and tag @bicyclingmag with the hashtag #bicyclingcommute. The grand prize winner will receive a $1,950 Shinola Bixby commuter bicycle.

To enter, use Instagram to upload a photograph of a scene, person, or item you discovered on your bike commute, and tag the photo with the hashtag #bicyclingcommute and @bicyclingmag. The contest runs until 12:00 a.m. on June 1, 2013.

Now get ‘gramming, and don’t forget to follow @bikewalk while you’re at it!

The Advocacy Advance intern will gain knowledge and skills related to federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, as well as the advocacy efforts to secure and utilize this funding across the country. Work includes research of federal transportation funding, collecting best practices for advocates, and tracking data on state funding practices.

See the full internship description here. To apply, please send a letter of interest, resume, work sample and references to Brighid O’Keane by Friday, May 24.

The Alliance’s Communications intern will gain knowledge and experience in journalistic blog writing and editing, social media communications, outreach, sharing best practices of advocacy organizations and database management.

See the full communications internship description here. To apply, please send a letter of interest, resume, writing sample and references to Mary Lauran Hall by Friday, May 24.

In a striking demonstration of collaboration in local government, six San José Councilmembers joined business leader Carl Guardino and Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Corinne Winter to pedal a seven-person conference bike (and one traditional two-wheeler) down a brand new buffered bike lane.

“We’re always looking for ways to get our local political leaders involved, and we wanted to do something that was a little more fun than the standard press conference,” said Colin Heyne, Deputy Director at the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. “We thought it would be a good visual and metaphorical show of how councilmembers can work together.”

The ride also showcased San Jose’s brand new buffered bike lane on 4th Street, an eight-foot wide travel lane with four feet of protective striping — sufficiently wide to comfortably fit a seven-person conference bike.

Colin pointed out that while cities can find funding to build new bike-friendly infrastructure, transportation departments rarely have funding to celebrate new projects once they are on the ground.

“We really wanted to celebrate what the city is doing,” said Colin. “It’s just not possible for a lot of municipalities to publicize their work, so we’re trying to take on that role.”

Colin and his colleagues came up with the idea while brainstorming with partners at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy business trade organization.

“We knew that Google had a few of these conference bikes, and thought it would be a good show of working together,” Colin recalled.

As many advocates know, organizing a critical mass of elected officials in one place can be tricky business, and careful scheduling is a must.

To arrange the event, the advocates first decided on the event’s general flow and timing, then checked on the mayor’s availability. Next, advocates coordinated a date with the councilmember who represents the neighborhood in which the event would be held. After securing a time, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition advocates and Leadership Group staff contacted all other councilmembers’ schedulers with personalized invitations and careful details about the event. The team them kept track of each politician’s availability carefully.

“I had a spreadsheet showing whether each elected official would make the ride, whether they would make the photo shoot, if they’d need a bike, and if they would need a helmet,” Colin recalled.

Elected officials started off on the conference bike from a hidden location, then traveled past a scrum of reporters who had gathered in front of city hall.

“The press didn’t actually know where we had the conference bike hidden,” said Colin. “We’ve learned that if you start an event and the press are there to distract the politicians, the event may never get off the ground.”

The collection of politicians pedaled to the library, where Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition had arranged to station six bikes from the city’s fleet of Breezers and Globes. There, the elected officials posed for photos in a show of bike-friendliness.

Following the ride, councilmembers and the mayor paused at the San Jose library for a bicycle friendly photo op. Image: Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

Overall, the event was a success — the elected officials were happy to participate in such a celebratory event with positive media coverage, while the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and Leadership Group strengthened their relationships with local politicians and found an opportunity to boost visibility for San Jose’s bicycle friendliness. 

In case you need a few reasons to hop on the saddle, here’s an infographic showing the health benefits of riding a bike to work.

Would you bike more if streets in your neighborhood were safer for cycling? Make a difference by supporting the movement for better, safer bicycling.

This is a question that leaders of Bike Walk Mississippi — and advocates across the country — constantly ask themselves.

While many advocacy groups are already filled with devout members happy to preach the gospel of active transportation, Melody Moody — Bike Walk Mississippi’s Executive Director — was looking for a way to engage new members of the Jackson community and get them excited about biking and walking. A little over a year ago, the organization decided they wanted to host Mississippi’s first Open Streets as a way to engage with their partners and citizens in a fun and unique way. With a small grant secured from Bikes Belong, the organization was on its way. After months of planning, Jackson Streets Alive was held on April 27.

The streets between the state’s Capital and Governor’s House were filled with people of different ages, races and backgrounds enjoying streets temporarily free of automobile traffic.

“We were able to attract a very diverse crowd of people to Jackson Streets Alive, groups that aren’t always on the same page,” said Melody, “which could have proved more difficult in the week before a heated mayoral race in Jackson.”

With a small budget, Melody knew the best way to bring the idea to life was to partner with local businesses and organizations, as well as the City of Jackson, to make the initiative a success. She reached out to zumba, yoga, dance and and other fitness studios to hold free classes during Streets Alive, and in the process developed relationships that will help Bike Walk Mississippi going forward. Bike Walk Mississippi also worked with a local coffee shop to put 7,000 promotional stickers on all of their cups at 4 different stores around Jackson for two weeks leading up to the festival.

“We felt this was one of the ways we were able to get the word out to a crowd that wouldn’t necessarily have heard of the event through our social media or printed poster and postcard efforts,” said Melody. 

The list of partners extended to local sports teams, the state tennis association and a regional foundation. The City of Jackson generously stepped up to cover the cost of police and barricades for the event, which kept Streets Alive under budget. In order to give the initiative a local feel, Bike Walk Mississippi brought in local bands and musicians to play throughout the day. 

“We didn’t amplify the bands much because we wanted them to have street performance feel,” said Melody. “In the future, we hope to expand our music even more and have them spread throughout the route organically.”  Many of the bands and supporting activities were held in a park adjacent to the route, leaving plenty of space in the streets for people who were biking and walking.

All the hard work paid off on April 27. Despite a city that is notoriously cautious about new events, plenty of folks showed up for Streets Alive.

“People were drawn to the uniqueness of the event and that people, especially kids, could participate in the event and not just watch and listen,” Melody said.

What’s next for Bike Walk Mississippi? Melody is already thinking about the next Open Streets, not just in Jackson but across the state.

“We loved having Streets Alive downtown, and look forward to holding it in other neighborhoods or near the Museum to Market Trail that is set to break ground later this year so people can both play in the streets and explore Jackson’s first multi-use trail,” she said. “Jackson Streets Alive was able to introduce the concept of Open Streets to Mississippians as a unique way to promote active transportation and something that local communities can work on together with Bike Walk Mississippi to replicable in other parts of the state. People are already asking when they can do it again in Jackson and when can they bring it to their own cities.”

Looking to learn how to open the streets in your community to people? Head over to the Open Streets Project to learn more.

Under the new transportation bill (MAP-21), some funding for local walking and biking improvements under the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) became optional for states, creating a big opportunity — and challenge.

If the higher-ups in state transportation agencies decided to preserve TAP funds, small towns and cities would get the chance to access valuable dollars to make neighborhoods safer for kids and adults walking and biking. If state officials decided to nix the funds, the tiny pool of dollars that would build sidewalks, crosswalks and bikeways in small towns could be redirected to large highway projects.

In Idaho, advocates had just a few months to convince the seven representatives serving on the Board of Directors at the Idaho Transportation Department that biking and walking funds are vitally important. When we last checked in with Cynthia in January, advocates were in the midst of a campaign to preserve funds from the Transportation Alternatives Program. Using funding from an Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant, advocates were traveling all over the state to build support at the grassroots level — but the transportation board was dragging its feet on a final decision. Even as Cynthia continued their hard work, advocates were unsure just how successful their campaign would be.

Now, four months later, Cynthia Gibson, Executive Director of the Idaho Pedestrian and Bicycle Alliance, is thrilled to declare victory. Idaho’s higher-ups voted to preserve Transportation Alternatives funds for local biking and walking projects.

Organizing grassroots, contacting legislators

So how did they do it? Working closely with her board — including board president Molly O Reilly — and with partners throughout the state, Cynthia executed a well-designed campaign to mobilize grassroots leaders to convince the Idaho Transportation Board to fully fund biking and walking.

“We knew the Board members would listen to their constituents and legislators,” Cynthia said, “so we traveled out to communities who previously received biking and walking funds and understood how these dollars had bettered their community.”

Cynthia’s targeted travels brought her to small cities and towns all over the state — check out this map to see where the campaign brought her.

View Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance Travel Route in a larger map

In each community, Cynthia found the engaged citizens who had seen how active transportation improvements can bring a main street back to life or make a neighborhood safer for students walking to school.

“We were talking to mayors and local community groups,” Cynthia said. “They understood how biking and walking had bettered their communities, so we asked them to voice their concerns to their representative.”

These local champions wrote the transportation board to let them know about the importance of active transportation funds.

At the same time, Idaho Pedestrian and Bicycle Association worked to discuss the issue with state legislators. Cynthia spent time meeting with lawmakers, and also collaborated with state partners to increase influence.

“We partnered with the Conservation Voters of Idaho, who had state legislative connections,” said Cynthia. “So we were out talking to legislators, who were receiving phone calls and letters from mayors and community groups.”

Visible progress

Over time, the group’s efforts began to have a noticeable effect.

“Gradually, it seemed like board members’ attitudes were changing,” Cynthia recalled. “Some of the board members who were staunch opponents started talking differently.”

“When we started this, they were saying ‘biking and sidewalks? There’s no money for that, we don’t have the funds,’” said Cynthia. “That’s not what they were saying five months later. Now they were concerned with money coming in to local communities. They picked up information and saw things differently.”

Ultimately, after months of hard work, the board voted to preserve Transportation Alternative Program funds. The board’s decision was a thrilling conclusion to a campaign that gradually picked up steam.

“It’s a movement,” Cynthia said. “It’s just picking up momentum. The legislators are hearing about us and the discussions are happening more often.”

Lessons Learned

Cynthia had plenty of suggestions for advocates in other areas of the country. Idaho’s campaign victory is a testament to the value of face-to-face meetings and building grassroots support.

“You can never give up on grassroots,” said Cynthia. “It’s all about reaching out to the communities. If you can educate people out in the communities whose lives will be touched, they will contact their representative. And once this gains some steam as calls and letters multiply, it can be really powerful.”

Strategic partnerships were essential, too.

“We’re trying to partner with people who can help us and who we can also help,” she explained. “Through our partnership with the Conservation Voters of Idaho, we were able to make a lot of legislative connections.”

Another lesson: be persistent.

“It’s time consuming and sometimes not a lot of fun, but you have to keep chipping away at it,” Cynthia said. “Be persistent and just don’t give up.”

“When all this kept going on and on and on, I just hung in there,” she recalled. “I’d get frustrated, and [Idaho Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance board president] Molly said, ‘just keep going.’ I kept attending meetings and we kept pushing.”

Bicycle advocates and educators have long taught the “ABC Quick Check,” a simple five-step checklist that riders can use to test all the most essential parts of their bike before hitting the road. Now, educators can point to a great new animation to help people learn how to check their bikes.

ABC Quick Check - HD Version from Active Trans on Vimeo.

The video was made by the Active Transportation Alliance of Chicago, IL. Paul Halupka, Active Trans’ graphic designer, was excited about the opportunity to direct the video.

“Every so often, I have the opportunity to work with non-traditional design interns,” Paul said by email. “This spring, I had the opportunity to art-direct an animation student! The product of our collaboration is the ABC Quick Check video.”

“We’re very proud of our work on this piece,” Paul continued. “While I’m particularly happy with the quality of the work from our talented animator, I’m also excited about this video’s true potential: educating TONS of people about how to get rolling safely.”

Well done, Active Trans! If you like this video, consider passing it on to folks who could use a refresher on how to get that bike rolling this spring.

May 1 marked the start of National Bike Month and the National Bike Challenge — an initiative organized by the League of American Bicyclists and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation that encourages people to bike for transportation and recreation.

During the challenge, which runs through September 30, individuals can track their miles ridden by bike and rack up points on behalf of local teams, offices, or communities. The teams with participants who hop on the saddle most often and for the longest distances accumulate the most points.

Last year, Pittsburgh won the title of Rust Belt Champion when participants with Pittsburgh zip codes logged miles at a higher rate than Cleveland cyclists.

This year, Bike Cleveland — the Ohio city’s local biking and walking advocacy group — hopes to steal the title from Bike Pittsburgh — its organizational neighbor to the east.

“It’s an age-old rivalry, and this year Cleveland decided to officially challenge Pittsburgh,” explained Dan Yablonsky, SCA Fellow at Bike Pittsburgh. “They’re picking this fight.”

Jacob VanSickle, Executive Director of Bike Cleveland, said it was a member’s idea to start the Rustbelt Rivalry.

“Usually Pittsburgh is better than Cleveland in the football realm,” Jacob said. “Finally, we’ve found something we’re really good at where we can beat Pittsburgh — riding our bikes.”

As of this writing, Pittsburgh is ahead with 654 registered riders and 5,092 logged miles. Cleveland clocks in at 559 registered riders and 3,782 miles logged.

Representatives from Bike Pittsburgh had plenty of smack talk for their rival city.

“After the initial Rust Belt Rivalry excitement wears off, Cleveland’s numbers are going to fall flat,” Dan said in an email, “and there’s no patch kit that can save them. Pittsburgh is in this for the long haul.”

“Let’s face it — Pittsburghers hate to lose to Cleveland at anything,” Scott Bricker, Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re strongly encouraging anyone who owns a bike in Pittsburgh to sign up and start logging miles.”

Jacob from Bike Cleveland was equally competitive, and hopes to rely on the city’s rambunctious and growing cycling community to best Pittsburgh in the challenge.

“Beating Pittsburgh is in our DNA as Clevelanders,” said Jacob. “Just over the past year, the cycling community in Cleveland has grown. Everybody’s coming together around the idea of finally beating Pittsburgh at something.”

“It’s a David and Goliath story,” he continued. “Bike Pittsburgh has been around for a while, while Bike Cleveland is a new organization. They have a much larger reach in terms of their contacts.”

Bike Cleveland has even contracted with Rustbelt Welding to fabricate an actual Rust Belt Crown for the winning organization. Jacob also noted that the Executive Director from the losing organization may be required to sing the opposing city’s praises at a public location in their home city.

Competition aside, Bike Cleveland and Bike Pittsburgh are excited for the opportunity to collaborate.

“We’re pumped to be working with Cleveland to get positive energy around this,” Dan said. “We both understand that this is an opportunity to promote biking and promote safe streets.”

“It’s a joint collaboration,” Jacob said.

During the November 2012 election, voters in Alameda County were due to consider a reauthorization of the Alameda County Transportation Sales Tax Measure. The ballot measure, Measure B1, was a bold 30-year plan to raise an additional $7.8 billion for county transportation needs by instituting a penny sales tax. And thanks to the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s careful advocacy, the measure would direct over 11% of the new funding to biking and walking projects.

The measure’s passage would be big news for transportation in Alameda. Dave Campbell, Advocacy Director at the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, knew that the measure was a golden opportunity to create a local funding source for local transportation improvements.

“The county transportation agency had realized for several years now that federal funding was significantly decreasing, and state funding was decreasing even more,” Dave explained. “They needed to raise more money locally to support the projects they wanted to do.”

Staff at the East Bay Bicycle Coalition readied a full-on campaign to support the ballot measure’s passage. To bolster the organization’s efforts, the East Bay Bicycle Coalition applied for and received a Rapid Response grant from Advocacy Advance. 

The Coalition had its work cut out for it. California law stipulates that funding measures must gain the support of two-thirds of voters in order to pass — meaning a tremendous amount of work ahead. To increase awareness throughout the county, advocates from the EBBC conducted outreach to local community groups and businesses, worked closely with the official “Yes on B1” campaign, and distributed promotional materials to spread the word.

Ultimately, the ballot measure fell just 700 votes short of the two-thirds majority required for passage. The final count was heartbreakingly close — by the final count, 66.53% of voters had voted to support the measure, just a hair shy of the needed 66.66%.

But despite the narrow loss, the EBBC has no regrets.

“The campaign put us in a very strong position,” Dave said.

For one, the measure will be back on the ballot soon, and last year’s high-visibility campaign put the EBBC in a strong position for a winning repeat performance.

“It’s looking like it will come back to the ballot by 2016 at the latest,” said Dave. “Everybody — our congressional delegation, the regional transportation agency, mayors in each city, the environmental community, our partners — wants this thing passed and will work to make it happen.”

Another positive outcome of the campaign: a great partnership with the county transportation agency.

“The Alameda County Transportation Commission has nothing but high praise about our work on the campaign,” Dave recounted. “Our relationship has never been stronger, and it’s only gotten better since the election. They know they’ll need us next time to make sure this thing passes.”

“It’s a great lesson for other advocacy groups,” he said. “You often build clout when you oppose something and defeat it. But you build as much clout or more by partnering and succeeding with a transportation agency.”

Plus, the campaign catapulted donations to the organization, enabling the EBBC to buff up on staff and advocacy power.

“Before 2012, we were still trying to figure out how to have a full-time person doing bike advocacy,” recalled Dave. “We were essentially a staff of 4 before the campaign, and now we’re around 6.5. It resulted in so much support from our members and our donors that we have a full-time advocacy staff. Our volunteer coordination, resources, and procedures are much stronger now.”

Dave attributes much of the campaign’s positive impacts to Advocacy Advance’s support.

“The Rapid Response grant helped us do the work,” he recalled. “Coupled with another comparable grant, we were able to hire a campaign fellow to do a lot of the legwork, including coordinating 100 volunteers.”

“The B1 Campaign got us there,” he continued. “And it feels good.”

We’ve heard the feedback loud and clear and agree that small and midsized cities are a very important addition to our biennial report. Biking and walking professionals use the Benchmarking Report as a reference to further their work, and including new cities expands our understanding of local progress and challenges for biking and walking outside of our nation’s largest urban areas.

Want to help make the inclusion of small and midsized cities a reality? Because this new pilot project goes outside of our current scope of the report — requiring more research, analysis and design time — we are seeking help to fund this effort. We are nearly 2/3 of the way to our goal of raising at least $15K to cover the additional costs of the project.

The following cities are set to be included in the 2014 report:

In our three previous reports, the Alliance has tracked the progression of biking and walking in all 50 states and the 50 most populous U.S. cities. In this new pilot project, our data team will start to benchmark biking and walking data from small and midsized cities across the U.S., similar to what is already reported for the 50 most populous cities.

Download the 2012 Benchmarking Report here.

If your city or organization would like to help make this project happen, please contact Andrea If the pilot goes well, we plan to include small and midsized cities in our regular funding requests as a regular piece of the benchmarking report.

Behind the shuffle lie some background changes that signal more cooperation between the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking. This year, the Alliance and the League combined the state surveys for the Alliance’s Benchmarking Report and the League’s Bicycle Friendly States into a single, streamlined process.

In the past, our two organizations had collected data from state transportation departments and advocacy organizations about bicycle and pedestrian related policies and practices in separate, uncoordinated processes.

Because the surveys featured significant overlap, streamlining was a natural opportunity for collaboration. This year, we merged the longer state Benchmarking survey with the shorter Bicycle Friendly State survey to eliminate overlap. The League of American Bicyclists team then attached points to some of the new questions from the Benchmarking survey, which influenced the final 2013 Bicycle Friendly State rankings.

“It just makes sense,” said Andrea Milne, Benchmarking Project Manager at the Alliance. “I’m absolutely happy that we can be working together with the League to combine our efforts on data collection. We heard back from advocates that it was nice to not have to fill out two surveys.”

“It was a nice cooperation,” said Nicole Wynands, Bicycle Friendly Community & Bicycle Friendly State Program Manager at the League of American Bicyclists. “We split the workload, and our team effectively increased.” 

Dan Grunig, Executive Director of Bicycle Colorado, took the lead on collecting publicly available data and coordinating with the state transportation, parks and health departments to fill out the survey for the Rocky Mountain State.

“The problem with the previous two surveys was that they asked for approximately the same data but in different ways,” said Dan. “So it was sometimes confusing to make sure that we were being consistent between the two.”

One downside: the new combined survey is lengthier.

“I definitely noticed that the survey was longer,” Dan explained. “But by asking each question only once, both are going to feed into the same data and are going to be able to show consistent results.”

The opening for simplifying had already been seized by Bike Texas Executive Director Robin Stallings, who was inspired to streamline the two surveys for a Texas-only benchmarking report.

“We’d had some feedback that there was a lot of overlap between the Alliance and League surveys,” Robin said. “So we included 100% of the questions from each, eliminated duplication, and added a few new questions.”

James Wilson, Executive Director of Bike Delaware, was thrilled to learn that his state jumped into #5 in the rankings this year.

“I felt a combination of emotions — giddiness and happiness and some small amount of disbelief,” James recalled. “Really? Are we really in the top 5?”

Delaware’s bicycle coordinator took the lead on filling out the survey, James helped with reviewing and fact-checking. “It felt like the application got longer,” he said, but acknowledged that the length was partially because Delaware was answering many of the questions for the first time.

“There was an understanding that it was the first year that we were dealing with a lot of this stuff. The following years will be a lot easier because we’ll be working with the previous year’s application.”

Coincidentally, Bike Delaware holds its state bike summit today, and they can’t wait to announce the news, Oscars-style.

“We have the state department of transportation secretary and the department of natural resources secretary making the joint announcement at 10:00 AM,” James said. “We have a big white envelope to hand them.”

Mayor Anthony Foxx. Image: Weldon Weaver

How will the new nominee shape up on biking and walking issues? To find out about Mayor Foxx’s support for biking and walking issues in Charlotte, I spoke with Tobe Holmes, a board member at the Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance, or CABA.

Tobe reported that Mayor Foxx supported innovations at the city Department of Transportation that helped give Charlotte residents plenty of choices about how to get around — including walking and biking.

“All in all, he’s been a very positive force in the past few years in terms of bicycling and walking,” said Tobe. “The DOT here really gets it, and they’re allowed to do some things that are a little more out of the box.”

Tobe reports that during his tenure, Mayor Foxx worked to improve multimodal transportation — and recognized the importance of funding positions within the city’s DOT to focus on biking and walking accessibility.

“During his tenure Mayor Foxx has been supportive of initiatives including an expansion the city’s bike route network, green bike lanes, bike boxes, sidewalk construction projects and other projects to meet bicycle and pedestrian needs,” Tobe said.

Perhaps the Mayor’s most memorable active transportation achievement was his leadership during the installation of the city’s bike sharing system by Charlotte Center City Partners. His understanding of its importance to the transportation network was essential to its launch in advance of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

“He was incredibly supportive of bike share,” Tobe said. “It wouldn’t have been possible to do it in that short of a timeframe without that sort of leadership.  City departments seemed to bend over backwards to make it happen.”

The mayor has also strongly supported completion of a key 26-mile east-west stretch of the Carolina Thread Trail, a regional greenway network that reaches across 15 counties, connecting several destinations across Charlotte.

“He came out to the mayor’s bike ride on Friday, and that particular project was the focus of his remarks,” said Tobe. “He particularly supports this one project.”

Outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was a strong proponent of biking and walking in the U.S. transportation system. As Secretary, he attended every National Bike Summit, pedaled to the office during Bike To Work Day and publicly supported the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide. And in perhaps his most memorable gesture of support for active transportation, Secretary LaHood delivered an impromptu tabletop speech at the National Bike Summit Congressional Reception in which he declared “this is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.”

In response to LaHood’s planned departure, biking and walking advocates encouraged President Obama to select a new Transportation Secretary who would continue to embrace all modes of transportation equally. We look forward to working with Mayor Foxx — a leader with a clear understanding of how making neighborhoods better for biking, walking and transit helps solve local transportation challenges.

Kristin comes to the Alliance with significant field organizing experience at both the national and local level on transportation and political campaigns. As a regional organizer with Transportation for America, she managed field operations for federal transportation reform efforts in 15 states. As a grassroots organizer with the Coalition for Smarter Growth in Washington, DC, she built support for local smart growth and active transportation policies through traditional community and online organizing.

Kristin also worked in Toledo, Ohio as a Regional Field Director for the 2012 Obama campaign. On the campaign, she managed a team of 25 organizers and activated a network of 500 volunteers to implement voter registration, support and turnout.

“We are very excited to have Kristin on board,” said Jeffrey Miller, President / CEO of the Alliance for Biking & Walking. “Kristin’s considerable skill and experience in grassroots and national organizing and her expertise with transportation issues will help build the Alliance’s capacity to coordinate national campaigns to boost biking and walking.”

The Alliance for Biking & Walking’s forthcoming national campaign will be designed and implemented with the United States’ largest state and local biking and walking advocacy organizations, and Kristin will play a leading role in coordinating the campaign’s design and execution.

A native of Lansing, Michigan, Kristin comes from a family deeply involved in the auto industry — her grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland to work on the Oldsmobile assembly line. Even in the automotive capital of the world, however, Kristin recognized that car ownership wasn’t an option or preference for everyone.

“I know that for my community to thrive, it is important that all community members have viable and safe transportation options for getting to their job, school and home,” says Kristin. “While biking and walking are healthy forms of active transportation, most cities aren’t doing enough to make their communities better and safer places to bike and walk. That is why I’m so motivated to advocate for biking and walking and ensure healthy and livable communities.”

Kristin continued: “I’m excited to join the Alliance. The Alliance’s members are working on some of the best local advocacy campaigns in the country, and to work with these organizations on a national scale is an awesome opportunity to elevate biking and walking. As an organizer and local advocate, I love the opportunity to share best practices and learn from others in the movement.”

Welcome, Kristin!

Last summer, Performance celebrated its 30th birthday by giving back. The company worked with the Alliance to give out $30,000 worth of grants to 10 advocacy organizations across the country who are working to create safer communities for cycling. Of those 10 organizations, three groups — in Carrboro, NC; Charlottesville, VA and Salt Lake City, UT — chose to use the funding to launch new Open Streets initiatives. 

Open Streets — which are also known as Ciclovia, Sunday Streets, Streets Alive and many more — temporarily close streets to automobile so that people may use them for healthy and fun physical activities like walking, jogging, biking and dancing. 

In the summer of 2011, the Alliance partnered with the Street Plans Collaborative to launch the Open Streets Project, which serves as a central hub for resources and information on Open Streets.  Today, there are more than 90 Open Streets initiatives in the United States and Canada in cities of all sizes.

When the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition held their first Open Streets initiative in Carrboro, NC, the streets filled kids hula-hooping, adults dancing and lots of people biking and walking along streets that are normally reserved for cars. Members of the Carrboro Bicycle Coaltion had long explored the idea of an Open Streets event, but had lacked the funds to spark an initiative.  The grant from Performance gave them just the kick-start they needed to secure community support and buy-in to make Open Streets happen.

In Charlottesville, the community held their first Open Streets soon after receiving their grant from Performance on August 18, 2012 along Jefferson Park Avenue. The initiative was a huge success, and brought the community together around healthy living and active transportation.

The third initiative of the trio, Open Streets Salt Lake City, is scheduled to take place on May 4. Hosted by statewide advocacy group Bike Utah and the City of Salt Lake, Open Streets SLC will open 1.5 miles of downtown streets for Salt Lakers to play in.

Thanks to our partners at Performance Bicycle for make these three Open Streets possible and for their continued support of advocacy in all of its forms.

If you are interested in opening your streets, check out the Open Streets Projects for resources, case studies and the latest news on Open Streets in North America.

To help more advocates take advantage of social media tools to boost advocacy efforts, we teamed up with the League of American Bicyclists for a webinar on social media as an advocacy tool. Expert panelists Mathilde Piard, a social media professional with the Cox Media Group by day and super volunteer with Alliance member organization Atlanta Bicycle Coalition by night, and Austen Levihn-Coon, senior strategist with Fission Strategy, gave advocates a primer on the most impactful social networks and provided bundles of tips for effectively incorporating social media into campaigns.

Check out the recording, notes, and livetweets from the webinar below.

The U.S. is facing a giant safety problem: walking and biking fatalities are rising even as overall traffic deaths fall. People traveling on foot and by bike represent a tragic 16 percent of all traffic fatalities, and despite the alarming statistics, only a handful of states direct federal safety funding towards bicycle and pedestrians safety.

Fortunately, the new federal transportation bill includes an opportunity to change this. MAP-21 requires states to set performance goals across several categories, including safety. With the right amount of public pressure, the US Department of Transportation could require states to set safety goals for bicycle and pedestrian safety — resulting in safer neighborhood streets for families.

And safety isn’t the only area where better performance measures for biking and walking could make a huge difference. New measurements under MAP-21 could encourage states to collect better data on biking and walking and to keep better track of what constitutes a hazardous street.

But in order to push for better performance measures, we need to understand them first.

To learn more, join Advocacy Advance’s next webinar on Tuesday at 2:00 PM eastern for our first series on Understanding and Shaping Transportation Performance Measures. This webinar series will explore the implications of the new performance measure requirements in MAP-21. How will performance measures impact bicycling and walking investments? Can they work in favor for active transportation? What should be measured? What can be measured?

First up on Tuesday, we’ll find out the latest on federal performance measure policy from two experts from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Caron Whitaker, the League of American Bicyclists’ Vice President of Government Relations.

Part I: Federal Context and Perspectives

Tuesday, April 23 @ 2:00 – 3:30 PM eastern
Register here

Presenters:

• Rebecca Higgins, Transportation and Environmental Policy Analyst, Office of the Secretary of Transportation
• Robert Ritter, Acting Safety Team Leader, Office of the Secretary of Transportation
• Caron Whitaker, Vice President of Government Relations, League of American Bicyclists

Part II: Current Data Collection Methods and Exploring What’s Possible

Tuesday, May 14 @ 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. EDT
Register here

Presenters:

• Charles Denney, Alta Planning + Design
• Jean-Francois Rheault, Director, Eco-Counter
• Tony Hull, Senior Planner, Toole Design Group
• David Patton, Bicycle & Pedestrian Planner, Arlington County Division of Transportation

Advocacy Advance is a partnership of the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

Republican state senator John Rafferty, chair of the Senate transportation committee, introduced a bill this week that would create dedicated funding for walking and biking paths in the state. He also plans to propose a Complete Streets policy — a bill stipulating that transportation planners consider people traveling by bike, on foot, and by transit in addition to by car.

The dedicated funding provision will be attached to a larger statewide transportation funding measure and would raise $2.5 billion for transportation in the state annually by drawing on wholesale fuel taxes.

This is Pennsylvania’s first commitment to designate specific transportation dollars for active transportation — and it will have a huge impact on walkability and bikeability in neighborhood streets. Governor Tom Corbett’s transportation secretary Barry Schoch acknowledged that the state’s engineers and planners routinely try to incorporate bike and walk infrastructure into construction projects, but often lack funding to do so. With dedicated funding, cities and towns will have clear budget sources for active transportation projects.

The passage of this bill would be big news for Pennsylvania advocates, who have been steadily working on a statewide campaign to fund walking and biking under a new transportation budget. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia received a Rapid Response Grant  from Advocacy Advance to work with the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition to educate legislators across the state.

Advocates’ success in Pennsylvania speaks to the power of uniting new partners — including local chambers of commerce, health groups and transit groups — around building healthier, more economically vibrant neighborhoods. In addition to working with other biking and walking group sin the state, the Bicycle Coalition’s partners new include state representatives of the American Heart Association and Mission: Readiness, an organization of retired military officials who support policies to boost physical activity among youth.

“We are extremely pleased that biking and walking is included in this comprehensive transportation bill,” said Alex Doty, Executive Director of the BCGP and board member of Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes and Tuesday’s press conference. “This is a great chance to make Pennsylvania’s streets safer for the increasing number of Pennsylvanians who are walking and biking to work, school and for exercise.”]]> Member News 2013-04-19T19:09:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/marketing_the_economic_benefits_of_bike_tourism/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/marketing_the_economic_benefits_of_bike_tourism/#When:14:52:44Z Bicycle tourism has significant impacts on economies of all scales. According to a recent Advocacy Advance report, the state of Maine generates an estimated $66 million per year in bicycle tourism; North Carolina’s Outer Banks alone generates $60 million annually in economic activity from bicycle tourism.

Last week, the Alliance convened four experts on bike tourism and advocacy to discuss how advocates can use tap into the economic benefits of bike tourism to advance bicycle advocacy. Even if you missed the call, check out the tip sheet below for the major takeaway points. You can also listen to a recording of the call here.

Update 5/1/13: Ginny also assembled this collection of bicycle tourism economic impact studies.

The Bikes Belong Foundation’s Green Lane Project would like input on national design standards from people who work as staff or consultants on city bikeway projects. If that sounds like you, click on over to this 16-question survey about the state of current design guidance. Responses are confidential and should be received by April 20.

Separated bikeways are fast becoming an integral part of cities’ transportation landscapes. Still, many of the guides that planners and engineers use to build our neighborhood streets don’t offer specifications on protected bikeways. The trend led USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood to comment that national design standards should be up-to-date and responsive to today’s transportation needs. This survey will gather input on the topic from people working on the ground to design innovative new facilities like protected bike lanes, and preliminary results will be shared at the April 29 USDOT Bike Safety Summit in Minneapolis.

Respondents will enter a drawing for a custom Patagonia rain jacket and PeopleForBikes.org goodies. Plus, all cities that respond will also be invited to apply for the next phase of the Green Lane Project (2014-2015).

Over this past weekend, 22 advocates from across the state – plus one each from Alabama and South Carolina – attended the Alliance’s Winning Campaigns Training in Athens. Hosted by Georgia Bikes!, the training walked participants through choosing a campaign and the seven elements of campaign planning: Issue Definition, Goals, Resource Assessment, Strategy, Communications, Tactics and Budgeting.

“The training focused, inspired and energized our group.  It changed the way I think about our work,” said John Bennett, executive director of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign. Thanks to blueprints developed at the training, the organization will embark on a campaign to create a trail to connect several neighborhoods in Savannah. 

Board member Arte Rahn agreed with John that the training was a transformational weekend for the Savannah organization. “This really energized us and clarified how to mount a successful campaign,” he said.

The training ran from Friday evening from Sunday afternoon, and included plenty of networking time and opportunities to explore the local community.  Saturday night was a particular highlight, with participants given the opportunity to take a look at Bike Athens’ Bike Recycling Program, a community bike shop that serves the city.

For local organization Bike Athens, leaders used the training to create a campaign to connect a greenway and transit center.  The training was the first opportunity for local leaders to learn the essentials of planning and implementing an advocacy campaign. 

“I did not know how to plan and implement a campaign and engage membership,” said executive director Tyler Dewey.  “Now I do.”

Tyler also enjoyed the hands-on nature of the training, which allowed participants the opportunity to take a campaign concept and walk away with a blueprint for moving forward.  “It was not theory, it was practical,” he said.

Georgia Bikes! executive director Brent Buice found the training to be an inspiration for his work at the statewide level, as well as an opportunity to connect with local advocates from across the state.

“The training provided a much needed opportunity for me to connect with local advocates throughout Georgia,” said Brent. “Their exciting campaigns have definitely renewed my dedication to this work at the state level.”

Looking to craft your own Winning Campaign?  The Alliance will be hosting two more trainings in 2013, in New York and Montana.  Learn more and register for the trainings here.

Their work is clearly paying off. This week, Georgia Bikes! received confirmation that a new bridge in the northern Atlanta suburbs will include bike lanes in both directions.

Joe Seconder, a board member at Georgia Bikes!, led a grassroots campaign to push for the bicycle accomodation. Here’s how the campaign played out, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

When Seconder discovered early this year that dedicated bike lanes were not in the design plans, he got busy, phoning friends and transportation contacts.

‘This bridge is the single point of access between Perimeter CID, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs to cross the Chattahoochee River into Roswell,’ he said.

GDOT invited Seconder, his supporters and Sandy Springs officials to a followup meeting March 29 where it presented a redesign that included two bike lanes without changing the width of the bridge.

‘I’ll give him a lot of credit, but I have to give GDOT a lot of credit, too,’ said Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, an active cyclist who backed Seconder’s campaign. ‘They have a whole new attitude down there.’

The agency officially adopted a Complete Streets policy last fall, requiring that it routinely incorporate bicycle, pedestrian and transit concerns into transportation projects. The Northridge Bridge project was finalized well before that policy took effect.

Georgia DOT engineer Darryl D. VanMeter said budget and time constraints would have normally precluded a late change in plans. However, the department had a productive exchange with bike advocates and Sandy Springs officials which led to the accommodation, he said.

It’s not too often that you see news stories about government listening to — and then acting on — citizens’ requests. Yet the new bike lanes are being hailed by one city manager as “a great example of government listening.”

There’s no sign that advocates in the Peach State will be slowing down any time soon. At it so happens, Alliance staff are in Athens, Georgia this weekend to lead a Winning Campaigns Training for advocates from throughout the area:

Today’s the day! @bikewalk Winning Campaigns Training starts this afternoon at #UGA- safe travels to all our guests @sustainableuga

— Georgia Bikes (@GABikes) April 5, 2013

We’re looking forward to see the campaign plans that result from this weekend’s strategizing. Keep it going, Georgia!

Are there exciting new developments at your state or local walking and/or biking advocacy organization that deserve attention on our blog? to clue me in!

For April Fool’s Day yesterday, several biking and walking writers and advocates pulled online pranks. Here are our five favorite biking and walking related pranks from yesterday — and one from a past year that was just too good not to mention.

#5: LaHood’s Last Hurrah: a Bikeway Binge

Planning blog Planetizen has a strong tradition of fabricating wonky transportation stories on April first. This year, the blog announced that in his last days in office, Transportation Secretary LaHood would go on a spending spree to finance bus rapid transit lines, separated bikeways, and streetcar systems.

“In just the past month, LaHood has issued federal grants for more than $1.5 billion in public transit, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects – perhaps the largest short-term outpouring of federal transportation dollars in history,” the blog stated. “Since no replacement [secretary] has been chosen, LaHood has embraced his tentative hold on power by opening up the DOT’s checkbook.”

“LaHood was ebullient at a recent meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, handing out federal transportation grants like it was an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show. ‘You get a streetcar! And you get a streetcar! And you get a streetcar!’ he told the assembled mayors, each giddy at the prospect of previously unattainable grants.” (Link)

#4: Tackling Driver Safety with Helmets

In a coy nod to recent Maryland controversy about a statewide helmet law, DC-area blog Greater Greater Washington broke an odd story: a Maryland state delegate planned to announce new legislation requiring all adult drivers to wear helmets.

“In the past month alone, pedestrians walked into cars in Columbia, White Marsh, and Bowie, causing indecipherable damage to vehicles and making their drivers slightly late for work,” wrote blogger Anita Park. “While driving activists are split on the issue, area pedestrians say it’s about time drivers took responsibility for themselves.”

The article went so far as to quote a phony advocacy organization, the Washington Area Drivers Association. (Link)

#3: Fundraising Rides Boost Lance Armstrong’s Strava, Too

Meanwhile, Florida advocates played off recent controversy surrounding the United States’ most infamous bicyclist. In a blog post and on Facebook yesterday, Alliance member organization Capital City Cyclists announced that Lance Armstrong would be participating in the organization’s annual Tour of Southern Rural Vistas ride.

“Since being banned from racing over a year ago,” the blog said, “Armstrong has gone on tour to participate in as many charity rides as possible to show folks that he is the best cyclist ever.”

The post then quoted Armstrong as saying, “There are Strava segments and KOMS everywhere, and someone has to be #1. Doing all these organized rides are a great way to knock out a lot of strava segments.” (Link)

#2: Wishful Thinking

For a Toronto advocate, April Fool’s was a chance to imagine a dream come true. Yesterday, CycleTO blogged about a new $500 million bike lane network for the city.

“Toronto city council will spend $500 million over the next two years building a network of separated bike lanes that will criss-cross the city,” they wrote, “connecting the disjointed parts of the city’s existing cycling network. The major construction project, which has been percolating in secret for over a year, will include free tire pumping stations and a number of parking corrals at busy downtown locations.”

How would the city finance the new projects? Advertisements, of course.

“The cost of the gigantic infrastructure project will be funded in part by the province and an untried sponsorship scheme,” the blogger wrote. “For a fee, companies will be allowed to print adverts or public messages on the road surface. It’s thought gaming corporations interested in opening a Toronto casino and other groups wanting to drive home their corporate message will be first to buy space. Naming rights on the city cycling map are also up for grabs.”

(Link)

#1: OK Cupid Meets Community Bike Shops

Perhaps the most labor-intensive prank came from The Bike House, a bike repair collective based in Washington, DC and a new member of the Alliance for 2013. Volunteers from the collective created Coop Cupid, a faux online dating site that appeared to connect singles with volunteers from local bike co-ops.

When duped visitors entered their email addresses, a pop-up window appears with a link to sign up for the next repair clinic. (Link)

Honorable Mention: Goodbye Bicycles, Hello Catapults

This prank from an April Fool’s past is too good not to mention. In 2010, advocates at MassBike announced that the Alliance member organization would ditch bicycle advocacy in favor of advocating for a more ancient mode of transportation.

“While bikes are still cool (we guess), we have found an entirely new and amazing way to get around,” wrote staff member Shane.

The exciting new mode? The Trebuchet, a medieval catapult that never quite earned endorsement from a department of transportation.

“We have already set one up at our office and have gotten pretty good at hitting the inflated Trebuchet landing sites around downtown Boston (T-Stops for short),” boasted Shane. “Don’t worry, we used interns for most of the dialing-in process.”

To seal in the organizational shift, the announcement confirmed that MassBike would change its name to MassTrebuchet and included a hyper-realistic picture of Executive Director David Watson at a Trebuchet ribbon-cutting.

(Link)

Did we miss a prank? Point out your favorites in the comments!

Enter TrafficCOM, a nifty low-cost traffic counter that has the potential to democratize traffic counting for more transparent planning on neighborhood streets. The system itself is both hardware and a software platform — the hardy portable counter looks like something born in a space age lego factory, and it easily plugs into a USB port to feed its findings into an open database and map of traffic counts.

TrafficCOM isn’t in production yet — its inventors have launched a Kickstarter campaign to distribute beta versions. Start-up funding will help the inventors finance beta versions of the device to meet demands from departments of transportation and advocates. 

Aurash, one of TrafficCom’s creators, recently visited the Alliance office to show us a prototype. The visit got me thinking about how helpful a low-cost traffic measuring device could be for biking and walking advocacy organizations. A simple $200 portable device for measuring traffic and speed could make it much easier for advocates and community leaders to make data-based arguments about street safety. Imagine being able to easily measure average car speed on a particularly problematic street, or being able to quantify just how popular a new bike lane is. Plus, the system’s corresponding online database provides benchmarks for comparison in other communities.

While the system does have early kinks and drawbacks — for example, the counter can count car or bicycle traffic, but can’t differentiate between the two in a mixed lane — it’s a promising development for anyone who believes that transportation planning should be a more open, evidence-based process.

If this sounds like a worthy project, we at the Alliance encourage you to support TrafficCOM’s Kickstarter campaign.

“My goal as Surgeon General is to have us become a more healthy and fit nation,” said the Surgeon General in her video announcement. “As part of national Public Health week, I’d like to announce the start of my new ‘Every Body Walk’ campaign. It’s a simple form of physical activity and it has enormous health benefits. You don’t need any special equipment, and it can be done almost anywhere.”

The Alliance is collaborating with America Walks and other national partners to promote the Surgeon General’s Every Body Walk! campaign. This announcement comes on the heels of the campaign’s new Walking Revolution report that spotlights the role of walking in public health.

Health experts agree that adults should engage in 30 minutes of physical activity each day to prevent common disease and maximize everyday health — and walking can be a great way to meet those recommendations. Public officials, researchers and practitioners in public health increasingly recognize the crucial role of transportation infrastructure in encouraging healthy lifestyles.

Too often, a lack of safe and accessible sidewalks, crosswalks, trails and bike lanes prevents people from walking or biking for transportation. Without built environments that encourage active transportation choices, people are much less likely to engage in everyday physical activity. Advocates and neighbors can work together to improve street safety and accessibility to bring public health back into everyday transportation.

The American Public Health Association recommends the following strategies to encourage public health in everyday life:

• Get involved with efforts to promote safe biking and walking to school, such as your local Safe Routes to School Program and local biking and walking advocacy groups.
• If possible, choose to walk or bike to daily destinations, such as to work or school. Choosing biking or walking over driving is an easy way to integrate routine physical activity into your life.
• Write a letter to the editor to your newspaper or to decision-makers in support of transportation funding decisions that support and encourage all modes of travel, including biking, walking and public transit. Right now, less than 2 percent of federal transportation funds go toward biking and walking.
• Organize a community biking or walking group. Consider planning events that connect with other healthy opportunities, such as biking to a local farmers market or holding a community walking audit.
• Educate yourself on how local transportation, infrastructure and land use decisions affect your community’s ability to safely choose walking, biking or public transit over driving. Voice your support for decisions that accommodate all modes of travel. Biking and walking make our communities exercise-friendly, improve community cohesion, make our neighborhoods safer and reduce harmful motor vehicle pollution. Inclusive transportation planning is good for public health.
• Support complete streets policies, which ensure that transportation planners design communities with all users — of all ages and abilities — in mind.

Here’s to Surgeon General Benjamin’s recommendation: “Let’s all celebrate national Public Health Week by taking a walk!”

Update 12:00 PM 4/4/13: America Walks has set up a “take action” page where you can support the Surgeon General’s call to action. Click here to participate.

Over 20 elected officials — including local mayors, commissioners and councilmembers — led advocates from communities near and far. A contingent rode from Decatur, an inner suburb about 6 miles east of downtown. Another dedicated group pedaled from Roswell, an outer-ring suburb located 25 miles north of the state capital. Decatur recently earned a bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community designation, and Roswell had the honor of becoming Georgia’s first Bicycle Friendly Community in 2006.

The event drew media coverage from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NBC Downtown 11, and Fox 5 Atlanta.

The “ask:” complete our streets

Once at the state capitol, riders and local officials rallied to encourage the state government to implement the Georgia DOT’s new Complete Streets policy — a policy with roots in last year’s ride.

Brent Buice, Executive Director of Georgia Bikes!, recounted the policy’s legendary roots.

“In 2012, we got the crowd chanting ‘COMPLETE THE STREETS!’” he explained. “One of the attendees was the chief engineer of the state DOT, and after the rally he approached me and said ‘I’m disappointed that you were chanting that, because we already have a Complete Streets policy.’

Brent and his colleagues disagreed with the DOT leader. “We said, ‘No, you don’t,’ and he said ‘Yeah, we do,’ and we said ‘No, you don’t,’” Brent recalled with amusement.

The interaction prompted Georgia Bikes! to collaborate with Georgia DOT to craft and adopt a new comprehensive Complete Streets policy. The successful effort earned Georgia Bikes! the Alliance’s 2013 Advocacy Award for best winning campaign.

This year, advocates returned to thank the Georgia DOT for the new policy and encourage decision-makers to implement it.

“During the rally at the capitol, we had the crowd turn in the direction of the Georgia Department of Transportation office and chant all at once ‘THANKS, GDOT!’” Brent explained.

“The new chief engineer came up to me afterwards and said it was one of the most memorable experiences he’d ever had,” said Brent. “I can’t think of another time that a huge assemblage of citizens has yelled ‘THANK YOU!’ to the state DOT. We wanted to show them a lot of love.”

Now, advocates hope that state decision-makers will follow up. “We asked for commitment from the highest levels to make it happen,” Brent said.

In its lobby efforts with the agency, Georgia Bikes! echoes the asks modeled by America Bikes and Advocacy Advance. “We’re asking state officials to spend up the money we have left from, not to opt out of Transportation Alternatives, and prioritize biking and walking improvements for Transportation Alternatives,” Brent said.

A model in collaboration

The Metro Atlanta Mayor’s Association and the Georgia Municipal Association originally organized the annual Ride on the Capitol to demonstrate support for a regional network of bicycle infrastructure. As the ride has grown over the years, the advocacy event has become a model for cooperation between organizations and groups of public officials.

“The Metro Atlanta Mayor’s Association and the Georgia Municipal Association provide logistical support like the police escorts,” explained Brent. “Georgia Bikes! has a role in promoting the ride, and we give focus in terms of the advocacy asks that we’re bringing to the rally.”

“We also get a lot of help from Bike MS — they provide free refreshments and snacks at the Capitol steps and mobile bike parking. Local Alliance member organization Atlanta Bicycle Coalition provided all of the on-site volunteers and did a lot of promotion.”

The two associations designated Georgia Bikes! as the ride’s official beneficiary several years ago. “It’s free to participate, but we do raise a few thousand dollars off the event, which helps funds our lobbying efforts,” Brent said.

Next up: local and statewide

In future years, Georgia Bikes! hopes to organize simultaneous actions throughout the state.

“Because the ride is metro Atlanta focused and it has to happen on a weekday, it’s tough to get people from communities outside the area to participate,” Brent explained. “Next time, we’re hoping to have rides to City Halls in the evenings in other communities in Georgia.”

Brent added that this year, advocates in Griffin modeled a successful smaller community ride. Citizens pedaled to City Hall in the evening, and local officials marked the occasion by passing a resolution to recognize the importance of being bike friendly.

A staff member from Representative Lynn Westmoreland (GA-3) also attended the Griffin event — the first recorded successful follow-up to this year’s National Bike Summit. (At the Summit, advocates asked their elected officials to attend a bike-related event in their home district.)

“Next year, we’d love to have rides to city hall happening in Colombus, Macon, Savannah, Rome,” said Brent. “We could make it a truly statewide event.”

Photos courtesty Georgia Bikes / Facebook

While the Alliance report examines biking and walking in the 51 most populous cities in the United States, the Texas study examines the 35 cities in Texas with a population of 90,000 or more.

“In the original national study, 7 Texas cities were included,” explained Robin Stallings, Executive Director of BikeTexas. “We wanted more cities in Texas to be able to compare amongst themselves.”

Robin and his colleagues have found that cities tend to think in terms of competitive pairings within the state. “A city like Amarillo is very interested in Lovett, but is not that interested in Austin,” he reported. “In Tyler, there’s a lot more interest in Longview’s progress than Dallas’ progress.”

BikeTexas advocates hope that finding benchmarks for each city will help encourage competition for progress on active transportation.

Much like the Alliance Benchmarking Report, the Bike Texas Benchmark Study examines and ranks cities according to key data points and policy features. Metrics include walk and bike modeshare, safety data, city policies that affect bikers and walkers, funding amounts, walking and biking infrastructure and planning, education and encouragement programs, advocacy organizations and community bike shops, and public health statistics.

To design the survey, BikeTexas compiled questions from the Alliance for Biking & Walking Benchmarking survey and the League of America Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community survey. 

“We’d had some feedback that there was a lot of overlap between the Alliance and League surveys,” Robin noted. “So we included 100% of the questions from each, eliminated duplication, added a few new questions, found the answers already in the public domain, and then gave the rest to the cities. This eliminated unnecessary work for the cities.”

“Both the Alliance and the League bent over backwards to provide us with their questions and tips on collection,” recalled Robin. “We couldn’t have asked for more. The BikeTexas report is an homage to both organizations and the good work that they do. We couldn’t have done this starting from scratch.”

The survey had the added benefit of educating city officials unfamiliar with bicycle and pedestrian planning terms.

“We included a glossary in our online survey so that anybody who was answering could look up the definition of a protected bikeway or sharrow,” Robin said. “Now we have a lot more decision-makers who know what a cycletrack is.”

Robin says that the organization was careful to produce a report worthy of a serious transportation researcher. Data collection for the project was led by a transportation engineer with oversight from an MPH reviewer. Next time, BikeTexas may enlist the help of a PhD principal investigator.

BikeTexas financed the report with internal funds. In an exciting show of support, the Texas Department of Transportation agreed to print 3500 copies of the report for free.

BikeTexas has distributed copies to city officials around the state, to members of the Texas legislature, and to staffed state biking and walking advocacy organizations. The report is not yet available online.

So far, responses to the printed report have been encouraging.

“One city engineer called us and requested 15 more copies,” Robin said. “The state DOT is distributing 500 copies within the agency. All of the bike/ped coordinators, all the traffic safety people, and all the district engineers will get a copy.”

Going forward, BikeTexas advocates hope to find funding for future reports with updated questions and data from smaller cities. Robin and his colleagues also hope that fellow state advocacy groups will emulate the Texas report.

“We think of this report as the beginning of a dialogue,” said Robin.

At 197 square miles, the city of Tulsa is larger than San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C. and Miami combined. There are enough lane miles of streets in the city to stretch from New York to Los Angles and back to Tulsa — with 500 miles to spare.  An improvement to Tulsa’s streets would significantly transform the region.

The City of Tulsa has been rebuilding its streets under a capital improvements program called “Fix Our Streets” since 2008, but rebuilding them the way they were over forty years ago before they deteriorated so badly, without adding bike lanes or any other accommodations.

Fix Our Streets is coming up for a 5-year renewal this year, and local advocates are working hard to make sure that the proposed $800 million in road improvements include high-quality facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians.

“We need to put the pressure on and show that many every-day people want this for our city,” says Stephen Lassiter, a member of the Tulsa Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). “We can’t afford to have five more years of streets projects that do not include bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure.”

The Advocacy Advance team was recently in Tulsa to facilitate a Navigating MAP-21 Workshop for over 80 agency staff, advocates and elected officials to learn how to fund bicycle and pedestrian projects in the Tulsa region with federal dollars in the new bill. Most importantly, workshop participants expressed that prioritizing these investments are essential for the economic and social development of Tulsa – a sentiment shared by elected officials.

“I’m an advocate for the types of things you’re doing to hear about today because I believe wholeheartedly that nothing is more important to the future of a city than how it develops its personality,” said keynote speaker, Tulsa City Councilor Blake Ewing. “If it’s a place that people can walk around, that they can interact with buildings on the street, if you can ride your bike to work, those things are unique, that’s the unique experience of the core and the heart of a community.”

“And so, as we decide what kind of city we want to be, what kind of policies we want to make, what kind of investments we want to make in our infrastructure, my suggestion today is going to be that this is the most critical decision your city can make….And active decisions say, ‘How we do this matters for life.’  Because this next generation of first-time homebuyers, this next generation of our spenders…They want the excitement. They want the personality. And they’re choosing where they live based upon those offerings.”

Advocacy Advance preceded the workshop with a modified Winning Campaigns Training for advocates to flesh out their Fix Our Streets Campaign. At a recent presentation from agency staff, $7.5 million was listed under citywide matching funds for biking and walking. In a typical 20% match scenario (20% city funds, 80% federal), these funds could be leveraged to get an additional $30 million from the feds for a total of $37.5 million over the 5 years of the program.

At first glance, this sounds great. But in further conversations, advocates have been told that the citywide matching funds are for any project, not just bike/ped, and they are crafting a campaign to point out this discrepancy. 

What can the city get for this price tag? For $30 million, Tulsa can widen one mile of Yale Street.

Or…

Build 100 miles of sidewalk, stripe 600 miles of bike lanes, fund 300 miles of protected bike lanes, 20 miles of high-end NYC-style cycle track, 120 miles of bicycle boulevard/neighborhood greenway, or 30 miles of multi-use trails.

With public meetings starting the week after the workshop, advocates crafted their campaign pitch, set goals, identified the key decision makers, and set next steps for their campaign. Advocates will pack the house at upcoming public meetings and call out the $7.5 million that have been listed as matching funds under the bike/ped heading. They will also ensure that the city implements the Complete Streets Resolution passed by the City Council last year and creates a bicycle master plan to identify prioritized projects before the Fix Our Streets funding package is up for a vote.

“We have a city council that mostly seems open minded to doing bike/ped projects…(but) without a master plan, we may be missing an opportunity to get bike/ped accommodations at the most cost-effective time, when many of our streets are being refurbished,” says Stephen Lassiter of Bike-Walk Tulsa. “Tulsa needs this badly. We are on the cusp of really being able to do some great things.”

Photos from Tulsa Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee; Transportationnation.org; Funding slide from City of Tulsa Capital Improvement Program Task Force Meeting 1/31/13

Carol Dick of the city of Lemon Grove, CA

We all know about the importance of walking in creating healthy and active communities, and there are places in our cities that can be designed better to encourage walking.  Join the call to hear about what cities across the country are doing to create streets where walking is the easy, safe and convenient choice.

The call will feature Carol Dick from the City of Lemon Grove, CA.  As the current Development Services Department Director at the city of 26,000 outside of San Diego, she has focused on turning underutilized public space in community amenities.  Carol will walk the audience through the process of repurposing and restructuring a main street, including securing buy-in from stakeholders and funding.  The call will also feature handouts and maps from a current project area that is in the process of being repurposed.

In addition to Carol’s presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share stories from around the country about how they have repurposed space to make it more walk-friendly.  Please join this interactive discussion forum to hear about new and innovative ways to make the most of your space. 

Don’t forget to register for the call.

Want to take a massive bicycle adventure while supporting safer neighborhood streets across the continent? Join the 2013 Climate Ride and fundraise for active transportation!

The Climate Ride is an amazing multi-day bike trip with two route options — from the soaring Redwoods to San Francisco May 19 – 23 or from the heart of New York City to the Capitol steps in Washington, DC September 21 – 25. 

Best of all, proceeds from the Climate Ride can go towards making neighborhoods safer for kids and families.

Here’s how it works: riders pay a $75 registration fee and then raise $2,400 for organizations committed to work on clean energy, sustainability, and active transportation. Each rider gets to choose which organizations their contributions support, so you can designate the Alliance and any number of Alliance member organizations as beneficiaries.

Joining the Climate Ride is a fantastic opportunity to hone fundraising skills and a great way to raise valuable dollars for your favorite advocacy organizations. Register today!

For advocacy organizations who are designated as beneficiaries, the Climate Ride is a great way to engage membership and supporters.

Are you raising money for your ride or for your organization through the Climate Ride? Check out these great resources to optimize your fundraising:

• For individuals and organizations: The East Bay Bicycle Coalition wrote a tip sheet on how to fundraise effectively for the Climate Ride.
• For organizations: Climate Ride made this editable flyer for both the west and east coast rides. Just add logo! (PDF)
• For organizations: The Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s 2012 Climate Ride page offers a great example of how to showcase your team.

People need regular physical activity in order to stay healthy — many doctors recommend 30 minutes per day for adults and an hour per day for kids. Study after study have proven the benefits of exercise for health: regular physical activity reduces instances of heart disease and high blood pressure, reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s by almost half, and decreases depression as effectively as Prozac.

Still, over half of American adults don’t get the recommended minimum amount of aerobic physical activity.  Countering this trend can be as simple as taking a walk.

“Our country’s low rate of physical activity compared to other nations is not just laziness,” writes Jay Walljasper in the new Every Body Walk! report. “To get Americans back on their feet — and to enjoy improved health and other widespread benefits that arise when people walk — we need to make movement, once again, a natural part of daily life.”

People are likely to walk as part of their everyday transportation when a shop, workplace, or transit station is located close to home. In too many communities, our neighborhoods have become inaccessible for walking as government agencies have become accustomed to building at a scale intended for automobile travel.

Advocates can help by speaking up for national, state, and local investments in transportation policies that improve walking.  Making it easier to walk by building and repairing sidewalks and investing in neighborhoods built at a human scale can bring walking back into our everyday lives.

The report concludes that “making everyone’s hometowns more walkable will not only increase our health and reduce our waistlines, but also foster the convivial interaction that strengthens communities socially, culturally and economically.”

Check out the Every Body Walk! report below, or download it as a PDF here.

  Every Body Walk! Walking Revolution

Participants at the training included representatives from new advocacy groups in the Cleveland area — the, Heights Bicycle Coalition, a block association in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood and Bike Cleveland — as well as two staff from Bike Pittsburgh and one from the Evansville-Area Trails Coalition.

With facilitation by consultant Ron Milam and Alliance Member Services & Open Streets Coordinator Mike Samuelson, advocates learned how to strategically choose, refine, design and budget campaigns to improve biking and walking in their communities.

“I gained more confidence not only in my campaign, but also in my role as a staff member and advocate,” Jane said.

Bike Cleveland, the area’s regional biking and walking advocacy group, hosted the workshop and sent over 15 representatives to participate. The organization has been on a roll since its founding strategic planning summit with the Alliance in 2011, and has hired its first Executive Director, Jacob VanSickle, with support from the Gund Foundation.

Jacob saw last weekend’s training as a crucial second step for the organization.

“We engaged in a strategic planning process with the Alliance when we were formed, and I viewed the Winning Campaigns Training as a mini advocacy summit for fleshing out our continued work,” explained Jacob. “We’ve been around for about 18 months, and now we’re thinking about what we can do to really put Bike Cleveland on the map and tackle projects to make Cleveland more bike-friendly.”

Staff, board members and volunteers from Bike Cleveland created blueprints for several potential campaigns to boost biking and walking accessibility in the region.

“For Bike Cleveland, we developed a campaign for a network of protected bikeways, a Safe Routes to School campaign, and a funding campaign … targeted at our local MPO,” explained Jacob.

If successful, each initiative would serve a dual purpose: wins would make Cleveland neighborhoods safer for biking and walking while also helping to grow Bike Cleveland’s membership base and organizational capacity.

Christopher Alvarado, Bike Cleveland’s board president, was part of the team that developed a campaign to increase the Cleveland metropolitan planning organization’s funding for biking and walking projects.

“It’s pretty encouraging not just in terms of what it is that we can do for the built environment in greater Cleveland, but what we can do for our organization to continue growth in cycling and walking over the long term,” he explained. “This campaign will actually help us grow our organization in ways that we haven’t been able to yet.”

Lee Reis, a board member of the Heights Bicycle Coalition, planned a campaign for bike lanes and sharrows on a road that is particularly popular for bicycle travel. 

“We’re trying to get the road restriped going downhill with sharrows and going uphill with a bike lane,” explained Lee. “One of the complications is that the road is split between the city of Cleveland and an immediate suburb. So we’re figuring out who we need to talk to in both places to make sure that the campaign is effective.”

Lee noted that collaboration between organizations in the greater Cleveland area was a key theme of the weekend.

“The training was helpful in terms of collaborating with other volunteer groups that exist around the region,” Lee said. “We’re finding ways that Bike Cleveland can support their advocacy efforts in their cities so we can move forward as a region.” 

With a pool of passionate advocates armed with blueprints for smart campaigns, the Cleveland region is sure to see more investments in making roads safer for everyone. 

Fire Up Your Feet — a partnership between the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Kaiser Permanente and the National PTA — is designed to encourage families, students and schools to work together and create active lifestyles which inspire our children to be healthy and physically active.

On Tuesday, March 12, Beth Richards, Development Director at the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, joined advocates for a webinar with the Alliance for Biking & Walking to explain how advocacy organizations can bring the initiative to their state or region.

New Resources for Schools Across the Country

The Fire Up Your Feet site offers free resources on how to initiate healthy activities around the school day, like bike trains, walking school buses, fun runs and local walkability checklists.

A new healthy fundraising option is available to any school or PTA/school group in the country. Centered around collecting pledges for physical activity or a healthy event at your school, the Fire Up Your Feet fundraising tools enables students, teachers and parents to create personal fundraising pages to track physical activity, then collect pledges and sponsorships from family and community members. Schools receive 75% of the funds they raise — far more than a school would raise in a typical wrapping paper fundraiser.

Plus, Fire Up Your Feet helps groups invest these dollars back into school wellness efforts such as bike racks, pedestrian and bicycle safety programs, and other activities to promote healthy, active schools.

Activity Challenges and Challenge Awards

In certain sponsored regions and states, Activity Challenges further encourage physical activity before, during and after school.

Currently, schools California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Southwest Washington state, the Metro Atlanta region, North East Ohio, the Greater Baltimore region, and the Greater Washington DC area are eligible to join Activity Challenges. Parents in participating areas can register for the program and track their activities (such as walking or biking to school) to earn awards for their school or parent-teacher organization.

Schools that win Challenge Awards, up to $1,000 in most regions, will be able to use the funding as they see fit — such as for building bike racks or supporting Safe Routes to School education courses.

Advocates and organizations located outside of these states and regions can bring customized Fire Up Your Feet programs and Activity Challenges to their areas, too.

On the webinar, Beth discussed how advocates outside of Kaiser regions can work with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership to bring full programming to their areas. Beth outlined the following steps:

1. Identify partners already working in the Safe Routes to School movement in your area, such as advocates, local health groups, and parent-teacher associations.
2. Work with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership to determine the size of the local school market in your area. The structure and format of Challenge Grants will differ depending on a region’s size, student population, population density, etc.
3. Work with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and local sponsors to find funders to underwrite Challenge Awards in your area.
4. Form a memorandum of understanding with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership regarding brand standards, local charitable registration, and fundraising processing fees.
5. Work with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership to determine local staff allocation.
6. Roll out a customized web site, reporting system, webinar series, and award program for your area. As part of the partnership, advocates will receive marketing and communication templates as well as training and support from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

Learn more

To learn more about bringing Fire Up Your Feet to your state or region, register online for one of two upcoming webinars offered by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.]]> Member News 2013-03-13T22:04:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/how_bike_advocates_won_the_super_bowl/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/how_bike_advocates_won_the_super_bowl/#When:17:52:30Z Advocacy Advance, the collaborative advocacy team composed of staff from the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, recently awarded a series of Rapid Response Grants. These quick-turnaround grants help state and local advocacy organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

When asked who won Super Bowl XLVII, most people would answer that the Ravens bested the 49ers. It’s a lesser-known fact that New Orleans biking and walking advocates also scored a major victory as part of the year’s biggest football game.

Leading up to the 2013 Super Bowl, the New Orleans city government planned transportation investments in the downtown “Hospitality Zone” — the bustling French Quarter and Central Business District areas frequented by tourists and New Orleanians alike.

Leaders at Bike Easy, a biking and walking advocacy organization based in New Orleans, knew that the changes should include improvements to make biking and walking safer and more convenient.

With help from a Rapid Response grant from Advocacy Advance, Bike Easy launched a campaign to ensure that downtown resurfacing implemented New Orleans’s new Complete Streets policy with bike lanes, bike parking, pedestrian islands and traffic calming along the renovated streets. 

Kicking Off a Complex Match

Bike Easy found broad support at the initial public meetings. “We met a lot of people who were speaking up for biking and walking infrastructure,” said Jamie Wine, Executive Director of Bike Easy.

The Department of Public Works’ original game plan reflected public sentiment. Plans that DPW officials discussed in the summer of 2012 featured sharrows on slow, narrow streets as well as a lane reduction and 8 blocks of new bike lanes along Decatur Street, a major downtown thoroughfare.

But in the fall, Jamie was surprised to hear from an ally inside DPW warning him that the city had reduced the number of bike lanes on Decatur without giving public notice.

Jamie was shocked at the quick turnover. “We expected the project would have 8 blocks of bike lanes in both directions, but the plan they unrolled involved about 2 ½ blocks on only one side.”

Installing the full bike lanes on both sides would have meant taking out a lane of auto traffic, and the sudden change of plans seemed quite a setback for biking & walking priorities originally outlined by the DPW and supported by the community.

Taking it to the Streets

After hearing about the alarming changes, and knowing there was less than a week to spare before the contractors laid the paint, Jamie reached out to the mayor’s office but received no response.

Finally, Bike Easy took a bold move, “I emailed the Mayor’s office and said, ‘if you don’t talk to us about this, we’re going to have a rally,’” Jamie recalled. “They reached out and said ‘don’t rally – let’s work this out.’ So we held off.”

Bike Easy rallied their members and advocates over the course of two weeks. During that time, the French Quarter Business Association, the elite Vieux Carre, the University of New Orleans Transportation Institute, and other advocates like Ride New Orleans and KidsWalk Coaliton all came to the table with letters of support. 

Moreover, the key support of Councilmember Kristen Palmer, who had championed biking issues in the past for the prime location in the French Quarter, came on board along with a new ally in Councilmember Stacy Head.

“Kristin’s office called in DPW into a meeting in chambers with Bike Easy,” recalled Jamie. “She said, ‘These are our constituents, and they’re saying that a lane reduction will not be controversial. Go ahead with it, and we will field any political blowback.’”

Still, though, DPW would not budge. “They said no way,” Jamie recalled.

A temporary bike lane at the Decatur rally. Photo: Bike Easy/Facebook

With negotiations falling short and the clock running down, Bike Easy went on the offensive and rekindled the rally.

“On Tuesday, November 20, we rallied in the core of the French Quarter,” Jamie said. “They had the lane closed because they had just laid the pavement and steamrolled it, but hadn’t painted it yet. We worked with Neighborland to put down fake bike lanes. Hundreds of residents showed up, garnering signs and we had a blast demonstrating how bike lanes make it easier and safer for all road users along Decatur Street.  We got a lot of honks for bike lanes from cars and the horse buggies too!”

The rally proved a smart play: with the large crowd Bike Easy earned coverage on local television stations and blogs and really created a buzz around the issue.

Surprise Touchdown

A week later, when the City painted the resurfaced roads, Jamie was pleasantly surprised to discover 6 blocks of two way bicycle lanes — more than double the 2 ½ blocks of lanes that DPW had promised.

“We didn’t know that we’d get the additional blocks of bike lanes until they were actually down on the ground,” recalled Jamie. “Advocates from other cities like Seattle and Portland were surprised that we were able to influence the design so late in the project timeline.”

Overall, the campaign was a big win for Bike Easy. By the time the Super Bowl rolled into New Orleans, downtown boasted 6 new blocks of bicycle lanes, 4 pedestrian islands with high-visibility crosswalks, lane reductions on 4 blocks and 2 miles of shared lane markings and signage.

“I’m really pleased with it. I’m surprised at how much traction we got,” Jamie said. 

Thanks to the Rapid Response grant, the organization also won new allies.

“The profile that we gained has been even greater than our gains from the actual infrastructure,” said Jamie. “We won new and more committed partners from this process. We’re going to have more insight and more say and relationships going forward.”

The Next Season

So what’s next for Bike Easy?

Going forward, New Orleans advocates hope to encourage greater transparency at the public works department. DPW has pledged to work with Bike Easy on plans to implement complete streets.

Jamie said that the city is planning 12 new miles of bike lanes, and public officials are more engaged than ever. “The personal assistant to the mayor has called me several times to talk about bike share and involving the mayor in bike to work day again,” Jamie said.

Related links

• Bike Easy’s big blog post on the Decatur Street rally. 
• Media coverage of the Decatur rally in NolaVie, WGNO, and NOLA Defender.

On the flip side, organizers of Open Streets initiatives have lots to gain from the support of local businesses located on or near the route. Support from local businesses can garner in-kind donations, publicity, increased participation and even funding.

As part of our Open Streets Project, the Alliance held a Mutual Aid Call on engaging businesses for Open Streets featuring successes from Atlanta, Berkeley and Minneapolis.

The first step is to pick a route that features a variety of businesses.

“It may seem like common sense,” said panelist Matt Garbett of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, who organizes Atlanta Streets Alive, “but we’ve found that if there weren’t businesses there to engage, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Panelists emphasized that organizers should reach out early and often to businesses along the route. In Berkeley, Sunday Streets organizer Emunah Hauser learned that it was helpful to distinguish Open Streets from a traditional street fair by letting business owners know that they would have full access to the street.

Businesses can be fantastic partners in promoting Open Streets, but panelists cautioned advocates not to assume that all business owners would be savvy marketers.

Joni Bonnell, Executive Director of the Lowry Corridor Business Association in North Minneapolis, learned this lesson while working to engage businesses in her association in preparation for Open Streets Minneapolis’ initiative last fall.

“Many smaller businesses don’t have Facebook pages, and a few business owners didn’t even have an email address,” she said.

Instead, Joni reached out to local media outlets.

“We brought in a local newspaper that delivers to all residents, and created an insert with articles, coupons from merchants, and a map of the entire street,” Joni explained. “The newspaper distributed the insert with the paper and also gave us 3,000 [advance] copies to distribute as advertising in bike shops around the city. We also used the insert on the day of the event as a map. The insert allowed our business owners to advertise at a very reasonable price.”

Some businesses may not be sure how to best take advantage of an Open Streets initiative. In Atlanta, Matt found it helpful to brainstorm with businesses about activities they could have in front of their stores.

“Boutiques and furniture places often say there’s no way for them to get involved, so we send a creative person from our staff to scheme up ideas about how they can participate,” Matt explained. “Even if they don’t adopt our zany ideas (like a pillow fight in front of a furniture store), the excitement of brainstorming is engaging.” 

Organizers agreed that developing relationships with local businesspeople is key for an initiative’s long-term success.  Forming strong relationships with owners of businesses along past routes has proved essential in Atlanta.

“You can offer other businesses as referrals [to businesses along new routes], so keep track of your contacts at businesses that get involved,” said Matt.

In Minneapolis, Joni found it useful to debrief with business owners after the Open Streets event.

“We asked each business about positives and negatives,” explained Joni. “I learned that we should have used more signage to show attendees on one end of the avenue that there were more events down the street. We found out that one restaurant had their busiest day ever.”

Key to all advice shared on the call was the need to develop strong relationships and be sensitive to the needs of local businesses.

Want to learn more? Members of the Alliance can find a call recording and full tip sheet from the call online here.

You can learn more about all things Open Streets at our Open Streets Project site. Alliance Mutual Aid Calls are free and open to anyone interested in learning about best practices, innovations and challenges in biking and walking advocacy. To sign up for future Mutual Aid Calls by the Alliance, check out our events page.

This year, the Alliance honors the following winners from across North America.

Advocacy Organization of the Year- Bike Walk Mississippi

“In a state in which previous biking and walking advocacy depended on coincidental personal interest from elected officials, Bike Walk Mississippi have ignited a movement that has commanded attention in every recent transportation-related election.” That would be high praise coming from anyone, but when a quote like that comes from the Chamber of Commerce in a state’s largest city, it means just a little bit more.  “As a state with a high prevalence of obesity, Bike Walk Mississippi is making it safer and more accessible to exercise and have fun biking and walking in our community,” echoed Sarah Welker from the Mississippi Economic Policy Center.  As local and national organizations continue to emphasize the connection between active transportation and economic growth, perhaps they should take a cue from the fantastic advocates from Bike Walk Mississippi.  Other highlights from the past year include receiving funding to hold their first Open Streets initiative (set for this April), advocating for the passing of the John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act (which established a 3-foot minimum passing distance) and opening Jackon’s first community bike shop in the Midtown neighborhood.

Advocate of the Year: Rebecca Serna, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition

This award goes to an individual who has shown tireless commitment to promoting bicycling and walking in his or her community.  Rebecca Serna has been Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s Executive Director for over 5 years, and a board member of Georgia Bikes. During this time she has worked with leaders and elected officials from across the region to make Atlanta a better place to bike. As we saw earlier with Georgia’s Complete Streets policy, the Southeast U.S. is a region that is making great strives to become more walkable and bikeable, Rebecca’s work is an inspiration to those around her. “The work that she does sets the bar for the surrounding cities and counties,” said Sonja Parham, who nominated her for the award. The Alliance and the League awarded Atlanta Bicycle Coalition our largest Advocacy Advance Model Grant and they have been an incredible partner, mentor, and example for other organizations across the continent. Jessica Estep, who nominated Rebecca for this award, said that Rebecca has dedicated herself to “making a city that used to be bike-unfriendly into a blossoming city for bicycles, and she does it all with an air of humility. She deserves this award more than anyone else.” We couldn’t agree more!

Business Advocate of the Year: Primal Wear

Primal Wear has always been known for their great cycling gear, but their recent dedication to creating better streets for biking has made the name Primal synonymous with advocacy.  Not only did Primal come on as a strong sponsor of the Alliance last year, including making some awesome jackets for our 2012 Leadership Retreat, but they have been supporting local and state groups for years, including Bicycle Colorado, Bike Texas and Bike Denver.  At the national level, Primal has been a long time supporter of IMBA and Bikes Belong, and they recently revved up their efforts with the League of American Bicyclists as Titanium level sponsor of the Summit, and providing all participants with their own Primal custom jersey.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Barb Culp

Washington State has been ranked the best state for biking by the League of American Bicyclists for the past 5 years, and this is due in no small part to the influence and leadership of Barbara Culp. Barb has been a leader in biking advocacy for decades. She has been executive Director of Bicycle Alliance of Washington twice, for a combined 13 years, as well as previously working for Cascade Bicycle Club as their education director and promoting bicycling and walking as commuter solutions at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Her leadership has led to increased bicycle infrastructure in Washington, better education for all users of the road and increased communication between bicycle advocates and Washington DOT. Barb also served as a board member for the Alliance and was our Vice-Chair for many of those years, where her leadership helped us in our critical mission in strengthening and uniting local and state organizations.  We will miss Barb as she retires and steps back from her leadership positions, but her legacy and impact will continue to inspire advocates in Washington State and across the continent.

Winning Campaign of the Year: Georgia Bikes! for Georgia’s Complete Streets Policy

While many outsiders may look at the South as a region that has historically not been the most bike friendly, advocates across the region are working to change that. Nowhere was this more evident than in Georgia, where leaders from local and state biking and walking advocacy organizations worked with the state DOT to pass a Complete Streets Design Policy. The push was led by Georgia Bikes!, who caught the attention of DOT officials during a Ride to the Capitol when the crowd started chanting “Complete the Streets!”.  While DOT officials thought they already had a great policy in place, the raucous advocates let them know there was more to be done, which opened up further conversations.  After countless meetings and hours of advocacy, Georgia DOT adopted a policy on September 20, 2012 that will ensure that wherever possible, road designs will properly balance the needs of all modes of transportation. And as a bonus first in the nation, Georgia became the first state to adopt the new NACTO Guide for Bikeway Facilities! As Georgia Bikes said in their blog post celebrating the new policy, “Can we get an AMEN!?”

Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award: Renee Rivera, East Bay Bicycle Coalition

This award commemorates Alliance co-founder Susie Stephens, honoring her passion for biking and walking as fun and economical means of transportation. This year, the award goes to Renee Rivera, Executive Director of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. The parallels between Susie and Renee are many. Renee has tackled many challenging situations but always maintains a calm, resilient “can-do” attitude and is always a joy to work with. “Being an Executive Director can’t be an easy job, but Renee handles it with seeming ease and enthusiasm,” said Dave Campbell, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition. “And she’s a workhorse in handling so many aspects of our work in the East Bay, yet her positive attitude still makes everyone feel comfortable and motivated to do their best.” Leah Shahum, Executive Director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition—of which Renee previously served as interim director—agreed: “It has been wonderful to see communities throughout the SF Bay Area’s East Bay become organized to be more bike-friedly, in large part thanks to Renee’s strong leadership—a combination of great focus and joyful celebration of biking.”

Innovation Award: Local Spokes

The Innovation Award goes to an organization that’s pioneering or inventing new ways to promote biking and walking – and the Local Spokes Coalition has certainly been leading the way. Their fearless approach to creating community partnerships has created a model for cities across North America. Comprised of nine organizations working on various issues in New York City, including Alliance members Transportation Alternatives and Recycle-A-Bicycle, Local Spokes has shown the power of starting conversations without an agenda and letting community members lead the way. Working in New York’s Lower East Side and Chinatown neighborhoods, the coalition spent several years working to “engage, understand and advocate for the community’s various perspectives on cycling through multilingual outreach, public participation activities and a Youth Ambassadors program.” The result was a Neighborhood Action Plan released in May of 2012, and continued resource development to aid work in other underserved communities.

All over the city, he saw neighborhood streets that weren’t safe for kids. Traffic made streets less livable for families. Families wanted to drive less, but didn’t have good alternatives. Politicians talked about making streets safer, but continued to build roads and highways rather than making the city’s existing roads safer for everybody.

To address these issues, caring neighbors used sidewalks, neighborhood greenways, and bike lanes to make neighborhoods better and build safer streets for children.

But still, Seattle’s media outlets harped on a consistent theme. The city, they said, was waging a malicious “war on cars” that was making Seattle’s traffic worse. Stories like this one (and this one, and this one, and, for good measure, this one) abounded. It seemed that the city’s reporters had practically declared consensus on the matter.

Craig and fellow Cascade advocates were skeptical that the dominant media narrative actually reflected what Seattle residents thought. Facing strong “bikelash,” they decided to run an independent poll to test how Seattleites actually felt about the anti-bike stories.

To begin, Cascade got to work defining the structure of the harmful narrative.

“We deconstructed the ‘war on cars’ story into its component pieces,” recalled Craig on a recent Mutual Aid Call with the Alliance. “One of the funnest days I ever spent was looking at all the stories in our opposition. They were saying the same thing over and over again.”

Based on a thorough analysis of stories that utilized the “war on cars” meme, he developed this summary:

• Our city is waging a war on cars that is making traffic worse.
• Politicians controlled by the bicycle lobby are doing too much for bicyclists and making things harder for families who need to drive.
• Bicyclists are a small, extreme minority who do not speak for most of our city’s residents and they don’t pay their fair share for our transportation system.
• It’s like our city is being taken over by social engineers who are trying to force us out of our cars.
• How dare they take away my freedom to control my commute by driving and parking easily?

“That story is the basic outline of our opposition’s narrative,” Craig said. “It doesn’t contain any facts, statistics, or figures. It has a very clear structure with villains and heroes.”

Independent polling group Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates then designed a poll put the assumptions in the “war on cars” narrative to a test.

They found that most people in Seattle did not believe the anti-bicycle rhetoric. Only 31% of people agreed that Seattle was waging a “war on cars.”

Rather than believing that social engineers were trying to force people out of their cars, most Seattle voters had a favorable view of bicycling and of road improvements like sidewalks, bikeways, and neighborhood greenways. The vast majority of Seattle residents — fully 79% — have a favorable opinion of bicyclists. Most of the city’s residents — 78% — actually ride a bike, and 60% would like to ride more often. What’s more, 59% of voters said that they support replacing lanes on roads and some on-street parking to make protected bikeways.

Cascade then got to work publicizing the poll results. They gave an exclusive to Seattle’s alternative weekly paper, The Stranger, which ran a large feature on the poll results.

From there, the story spread to The Atlantic Cities, Bike Portland, the Seattle Bike Blog, and Streetsblog.

A blog post at the Seattle Times, which had featured many stories buying into the “war on cars” narrative that sparked inflamed anti-bike comment threads, even wrote, “How about that?  It almost makes you wonder if the people who comment on news stories don’t reflect the majority of public opinion.”

But Craig and fellow Cascade advocates didn’t just want to poke holes in the “war on cars” narratiave — they wanted to find a strong alternative story.

“Our brains are literally wired for stories,” explained Craig. “If we’re serious about winning, we need to develop a narrative that’s stronger than the opposition’s.”

In the same poll, the independent polling firm asked Seattle residents about their views on components of an alternative narrative that Cascade could use to help citizens work together to build safer neighborhoods for kids.

Thanks to the poll, Cascade was able to develop a new narrative that tested positively among Seattle residents. (To learn the narrative that the pollsters developed, check out the handy message card at the end of this post.)

Cascade couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

“Now all of our message development works really well,” Craig said. “We pull story elements for everything we do. We know the story for each campaign. It allows us to focus on threading this narrative through all of our communications tactics.”

Next, Cascade hopes to bring lessons from the polling to fellow advocates in the field.

“We will be training all our allies in how to use this narrative,” said Craig.

Stay tuned for opportunities to learn more from Cascade about their messaging testing and ways to take advantage of their efforts in your area.

Resources:

• Cascade Bicycle Club’s pro-bike narrative messaging card
• Full Seattle polling results
• The Stranger: “Debunking the So-Called Bike Backlash”

After a long campaign to institute a Complete Streets policy in the city, Memphis, Tennessee advocates are proud to report that Mayor A.C. Wharton just recently signed an executive order stipulating that all new road construction projects and major renovations include accommodations for biking, walking and transit in addition to automobiles.

Alliance members Livable Memphis spearheaded a multi-year grassroots campaign with the assistance of multiple local and national allies.

“It began a couple of years ago when we partnered with the Urban Land Institute‘s Memphis District Council to bring the National Complete Streets Coalition to do a preliminary training workshop,” explained Sarah Newstok, Program Coordinator at Livable Memphis.

“We took on this campaign because we wanted to institutionalize adding walking and biking facilities and making streets safer for everyone, rather than doing it as a piece by piece basis,” she said. “We wanted an overall policy so that all users would be considered during a street project.”

Sarah and her fellow advocates quickly realized that Memphis’s campaign would be quite different from most Complete Streets initiatives.

“It became very obvious that usually this is a top down effort — normally cities initiate the process to get a policy done,” Sarah said. “In Memphis’s case, it was really a grassroots process. And when it’s from the grassroots, it’s a much more challenging position.”

To form the basis for a strong campaign, Livable Memphis and ULI formed a small coalition of important players from the workshop.

“We created a Complete Streets policy development team that included high level representation from realtors, developers, transit authority, utilities, city and county engineering regional design centers, key citizens with law backgrounds, the University of Memphis and some public health spokespeople,” Sarah said.

The group of stakeholders met for two hours every two weeks over the course of four months to draft visioning goals for Memphis and a Complete Streets executive order. Sarah noted that while it was no small feat to bring together high-level stakeholders for so much time over the course of several months, these meetings were essential because they produced a strong policy and helped Livable Memphis secure broad support and engagement early on.

To ensure broader community involvement, Livable Memphis launched a simple campaign site — midsouthcompletestreets.org — to serve as a central source of information. With assistance from a grant from the National Association of Realtors through the Memphis Association of Realtors, the advocates created an informational video on Complete Streets and hired an outreach coordinator to bring the video and Complete Streets presentations to community-based stakeholders across the city.

Once the vision and executive order were complete, Livable Memphis worked with the mayor’s office to advance the policy. This month, Mayor A.C. Wharton signed the executive order.

While the campaign win feels great, Sarah and her colleagues still have plenty of work to do.

“The executive order directs the city engineers to create a street design manual that will be used for all deparmtners,” Sarah said. “We’re working to make sure that happens and are trying to help our bike/ped coordinator to get it done in the most community-involved way.”

Congratulations, Livable Memphis!

Additional resources:

• Memphis Business Journal’s report of Livable Memphis’ presentation at the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Kansas City
• Mid South Complete Streets campaign web site
• MidSouth Complete Streets explanatory video

The weekend was jam-packed with inspiring stories and lessons from youth and adults who are working to make bicycling more accessible in communities. Here are some of our favorite overheard comments from the event.

“On a bike, I was able to experience so many firsts. … I rode over my first bridge. I caught my first fish with my dad. I built my first bike. I went to the high line for the first time, I’m giving my first speech. And for the first time, I’m going to the National Bike Summit in DC. Everything is scary the first time, but if you can do it more than once, it can be a blast.”
-Devlynn Chen, pictured above, a senior at Brox High School of Science in New York City. As an advocate with Local Spokes in New York City, Devlynn works to boost biking in the Lower East Side and Chinatown. She will be attending Dickinson College in the fall.

“At first it sounded like a crazy idea that would never happen — to get youth from all over the country together to talk about bicycles.”
-Kimberly White, pictured above, former intern at Recycle-A-Bicycle and a founder of the Youth Bike Summit

“Due to the clear and present danger of bicycling to school, bicycling is discouraged.”
-Old transportation policy at a New Jersey public school. By working with the school, Sean Meehan, Program Director of NJ Safe Routes to Schools at the Voorhees Transportation Center, helped to replace the language with a more encouraging policy.

“Quality sidewalks and protected bike paths are not cute architectural features. They are a right.”
-Dr. Enrique Peñalosa, above, former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia. Dr. Peñalosa gave a keynote address at the summit.

“I’m thrilled to see so many young people participating in an event focused on environmental sustainability and social empowerment.”
-Councilmember Diana Reyna, New York City Council

“There are often three main obstacles to biking in low-income communities: where to get a bike, where to get a bike fixed, and people to ride with.”
-Keith Holt, above, Executive Director of Milwaukee Bicycle Works. Keith has been advocating for trail development and bicycling in large urban communities for almost a decade. He especially works to encourage ridership that best reflects the racial demographics of the communities that advocacy organizations serve.

“We want to highlight why people are biking, why people feel empowered by biking, why they love biking, and all the diverse neighborhoods that people are biking in.”
-Shelma Jun, above, Co-Founder of the Biking Public Project

“It started as wanting to cycle more, and it’s really turned into a movement.”
-Liz Jose, pictured above at far-left with the WE Bike crew, member and co-founder of WE Bike (Women’s Empowerment in Biking)

“We are a for-profit company, but we’re doing it because it’s something we believe in. We believe in the power of the bicycle to improve the world.”
-Jay Ferm, above, Advocacy Director at Planet Bike

If you’ll be in town for the National Bike Summit next week in Washington, DC, be sure to pencil in the 2013 Advocacy Awards on Monday night after the opening plenary.

Who will be named 2013’s advocate of the year? Which Alliance member group will be named advocacy organization of the year? Come join your colleagues for brews and bravos to find out.

This year, the awards will be held at 8:30 on Monday, March 4, 2013 at RFD, located at 810 7th St NW in Washington, DC — just a short walk away from the National Bike Summit hotel.

We hope to see you there!

Over those two days, participants at the Bike Cleveland Summit discussed what they wanted cycling to look like in Cleveland, and how an advocacy organization could help make their vision a reality. The summit, facilitated by the Alliance for Biking & Walking, sought to create an organization that all of Cleveland’s diverse cycling community could support.

Summit participants channeled their enthusiasm and strategies into Bike Cleveland, a new advocacy group that represents the region’s unique culture and cyclists. The group celebrated its first birthday in September and has grown tremendously since its founding. Leaders of the organization (and their web site’s history page) are quick to point out that they couldn’t have made so much progress so quickly without their founding summit.

“Prior to the Bike Cleveland Summit, Bike Cleveland did not exist,” said Jacob VanSickle, Executive Director of Bike Cleveland. “Because of the summit we were able to gain the respect of the local foundation community and receive a start-up grant to fund Bike Cleveland’s first staff person.”

While there had previously been several groups in Cleveland working to create safer streets for cycling, Bike Cleveland provided the region a unified voice.

“Not only did the summit bring together the foundation community, but because it was promoted as the unification of Cleveland cyclists, it also energized the local cycling community,” explained Jacob. “125 people spent two days framing the future work of a new bike advocacy organization. This engagement led to a sizable membership and volunteer base right from day 1 of Bike Cleveland’s work.”

As a larger and united organization, Bike Cleveland has been working to include previously disenfranchised groups in their work. “One key focus that came out of the founding summit was the need to engage necessity cyclists in our advocacy work,” said Jacob.

“To begin to tackle this task we developed, with the leadership of a couple of our members, an outreach program where we engage with local neighborhood stakeholders and hold fix-a-thons and light giveaways with our volunteers and members. After the events we re-engage participants by organizing neighborhood based rides, wtih the ultimate goal of engaging those residents by identifying projects in their neighborhood they would like to see (or engage them in existing infrastructure campaigns we are involved in).”

All of these new and dedicated members has led to lots of changes on the ground that are making cycling safer in Cleveland. Bike Cleveland’s most notable accomplishments in first year included:

• Partnered with Cleveland Metroparks to pilot a sharrow program in the Rocky River Reservation to decrease car-bike conflicts.
• Secured commitment and funding from the City of Cleveland to construct 1.7 miles of bike lanes on Detroit Avenue, one of the city’s most heavily biked corridors.
• Worked with Cleveland City Council to write and pass the Bicycle Transportation Safety Ordinance, which protects cyclists on public roads by mandating an enforceable 3-foot buffer between cars and the cyclists they pass.
• Developed with LAND Studio an innovative covered on-street bike parking solution that was piloted this fall, and will be replicated in four other neighborhoods next summer.
• Hosted dozens of events that connected the cycling community to each other including Car Free Friday, Bike to Work Day, and numerous Bike Cleveland Socials.

While 2012 was a great opening act for Bike Cleveland, the group is just getting started and has plenty of ideas for how to make cycling better in 2013 and beyond. Jacob says the organization is planning a citywide awareness campaign, installing new on-street bike parking, creating a commuter cycling guide and much, much more.

And the Bike Cleveland Summit was key to the organization’s current success.

“Thinking back to the planning of the summit, I think one of the most important things the process did was engage people in every step,” recalled Jacob. “I’d say 95% of the people who were engaged with the process at some level are some of Bike Cleveland’s biggest promoters.”

Looking to jump start advocacy in your community? The Alliance offers strategic planning services that can be customized to meet the needs of your organization. Click here to learn more.]]> Member News 2013-02-19T19:28:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/dr._enrique_penalosa_delivers_keynote_speech_at_recycle-a-bicycles_3rd_annu/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/dr._enrique_penalosa_delivers_keynote_speech_at_recycle-a-bicycles_3rd_annu/#When:17:26:25Z

Last weekend, Recycle-A-Bicycle held the third annual Youth Bike Summit, an inter-generational exchange between youth, advocates and educators from around the country who are working to promote bicycling and bicycle education in their communities. The Alliance for Biking & Walking was proud to sponsor the 2013 Youth Bike Summit as part of our efforts to support community bike shops.

“Bicycles are revolutionary machines: they construct equality. … While cars are a means of social differentiation and exclusion, bicycles integrate people as equals. When two people on bicycles meet, they meet as human beings.”

“Saving on public transport by using a bicycle saves between 15% and 40% for a low-income person. A protected bicycle way is a symbol of democracy. It shows that a citizen on a $30 bicycle is just as important as a citizen in a $30,000 car.”

“Parking is not a constitutional right in any country.”

“We don’t have a right to go to most of the world. The only piece of planet to which you have access is public pedestrian space – sidewalks, bikeways, parks. In the 20th century, we made enormous mistakes in our human habitat. We worked hard to make it much more for cars’ mobility, not for human beings.”

“All citizens are equal before the law. If that’s true, a citizen in a car has the same right to road space as one on a bicycle. For example, a bus with 80 passengers has the right to 80 times more road space than a car with one. Sometimes inequality is before our noses and we don’t realize it because we are used to it. Most cities in the world give more room to parked cars than to pedestrians and bicyclists. And we think this is normal.”

“Sidewalks are for playing, for talking, for kissing. Ideally, sidewalks in every city should continue at grade. And cars should have to go up and down to make it clear that cars are entering pedestrian space and not that pedestrians are entering car space.”

“In Bogotá, we close 120 kilometers of main arterial roads to cars every Sunday for 7 hours. Ciclovía is a ritual, a ceremony reminding us that the city belongs to people, more than to cars. … Besides, it’s always fun to do things you are not allowed to do.”

“If you want a more bicycle-friendly world, it will not be the result of technical or academic analysis (as valuable as they are), but of political pressures and decisions. Therefore, get organized and participate in politics!”

This month, I joined Jackie Douglas of Boston’s LivableStreets at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis to guide local leaders through crafting a campaign to win a network of cycle tracks, also known as green lanes or protected bikeways.  

As leaders who have worked in the Northeast for most of our careers, Jackie and I aren’t easily fazed by bitter cold. Still, though, I still couldn’t help but admire Minnesota advocates’ defiance to the cold and commitment to biking as participants rolled in sporting ski goggles and impressive layering. But we are advocates, after all, and where there is a will there is a way.

The all-volunteer Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition’s top priority is building a network of world-class cycle tracks. With over two dozen participants and representatives from six partner organizations — including Alliance members Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and the Midtown Greenway Coalition — the group divided into two working groups to focus on complimentary campaigns.

 

The first group got to work on a “Bikeways for Everyone” campaign vision: a long-term, big picture approach to plan, fund and build a network cycle tracks across Minneapolis. 

The second group worked on a campaign to build a cycle track on Washington Avenue, a major commercial & university corridor set for major redevelopment this year. Advocates scheduled an aggressive timeline to include the cycle track in construction so that the project will demonstrate how cycle tracks can benefit business, bicyclists, and the community.

Inspired by a suggestion from leaders in Kansas City and tested the week before in Atlanta, we added another major element to the weekend’s training: a community forum to share and discuss the proposed campaigns. 

Several of Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition’s leaders (and Molly Sullivan in particular) did an amazing job involving over 50 community leaders, including three city counselors and nearly a dozen partner organizations. Small group activities helped collect new ideas and galvanize participation. While a bit stressful for advocates who had only been working on developing their campaigns for the past 24 hours, it provided instant feedback and buy-in. We closed the 12 hour+ day with a celebration and fun dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.

Sunday morning warmed up to the single digits (victory: no negative sign in front of the number!). We got back to work debriefing the community forum, adjusting and adding details to the campaigns, and focusing on the resources and fundraising necessary to win. 

“I’ve been to numerous campaign trainings over the years, this one was the best,” said Joshua Houder of the Sierra Club.

Tami Traeger of Nice Ride, Minneapolis’s awesome bike share program, agreed. “This was not just a training — it was a campaign kick-off fueled by the talent and energy and passion revealed in the process of learning campaign building,” she said.

Both Jackie and I were impressed with the team at this training. The Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition was already engaging partners, but now have great plans to connect even more with the business community, their elected officials and partners in health and the environment.

Seth Nesselhuf of Quality Bicycle Products, one of the training’s business sponsors, commented, “This Winning Campaigns Training has put the Minneapolis Bike Coalition on the fast track to getting cycle tracks!”

Special thanks to Molly Sullivan, Nicole Campbell, Lisa Bender, Ethan Fawley and Hokan for all their local organizing and assistance in hosting this great training.

Going forward, keep your eyes on Minneapolis. They’ve already done a lot and are well recognized as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the U.S., but advocacy leaders know there is more to do and they are taking action to take the city to new heights.

That’s the question that Indianapolis leaders pondered during a daylong Open Streets Project workshop last month.

During the workshop, more than 15 organizations and agencies — ranging from a local art non-profit to the Indiana State Department of Health — came together to kick off the planning process for Indianapolis’s first Open Streets event. The upcoming event will be the second such initiative in the state.

We offered the workshop in Indianapolis as part of the Open Streets Project’s new technical assistance program. Our technical assistance services help organizations and leaders mount successful campaigns to envision, plan, market, and implement open streets events. 

The morning started off with an introduction to Open Streets and the growth of initiatives across North America in the last 5 years. While some participants had never heard of Open Streets before the meeting, everyone left with an understanding of the initiatives and a desire to kick-start an event in Indianapolis this year.

Participants then broke into small groups and began brainstorming what they would like to see at Open Streets in Indianapolis. Answers included activities that would appeal to a variety of age groups and interests: yoga and dance classes, walking tours of neighborhoods along the route, healthy cooking classes and activities highlighting the unique features of Indianapolis’ neighborhoods.

Participants also used the morning session to think about potential stakeholders and partners who could help make Open Streets a reality in Indianapolis. Before lunch, each group shared their vision for a local Open Streets event, creating a collective vision to serve as a guide for the rest of the day.

In the afternoon, we created a clear set of goals for the planning process and determined next steps. The workshop again split into small groups, each focusing on one key area of planning: marketing, logistics, outreach and development. Each breakout group created goals and timelines for their work. By the end of the day, participants had formed permanent sub-committees and an Executive Committee with representation from each subgroup.

“We’re very excited about launching an Open Streets initiative in Indianapolis, and we’ve benefited tremendously from the resources and reports available through the Open Streets Project,” said Kim Irwin, Executive Director of Alliance member organization Alliance for Health Promotion. “We’ve been working closely with Open Streets Project staff over the past several months [to create this workshop]. They have been invaluable in providing guidance and the technical assistance we’ve needed to move our planning process forward and set us up for long term success.”

The one-day workshop was just the beginning for Indianapolis. Once leaders follow the steps to make Indianapolis’s first Open Streets event a reality, the city will join a growing number of North American cities that are opening their streets and creating spaces for people.

If you are interested in jump-starting Open Streets in your community, we offer technical assistance to make sure your Open Streets get off on the right foot and avoid mistakes of previous initiatives. Learn more here or send a message to Mike@PeoplePoweredMovement.org to get started.

Please consider inviting elected officials and municipal staff in your community to an upcoming webinar on how the new federal transportation law, MAP-21, will affect rural governments. On the webinar, local public officials will learn how rural communities can access federal bicycle and pedestrian funding from their state department of transportation, and what these funds may be used for under the new law.

Local elected officials are invited to join our partners Transportation for America on Wednesday, February 27th at 1pm Eastern for an online presentation to learn how to use MAP-21 to fund rural transportation priorities and strengthen their communities. This presentation will serve as a great supplement to materials on MAP-21 from Advocacy Advance.

Click here to register.

Panelists for this discussion include:

• Commissioner Kathy Rinaldi, Teton County, Idaho
• Charles W. Fluharty, President and CEO, Rural Policy Research Institute
• Chris Zeilinger, Director of Policy Development, Community Transportation Association of America
• Georgia Gann, Deputy Director of Government Affairs, Transportation for America
• John Robert Smith, President and CEO, Reconnecting America and Former Mayor of Meridian, MS (moderator)

Please spread the word to elected officials and municipal staff from non-metropolitan areas!

Editor’s note: Advocates at the East Bay Bicycle Coalition have found a great way to offer bicycle education to more people: by partnering with police to offer ticketed cyclists traffic classes in exchanged for a reduced fine. The initiative has garnered some media coverage and has caught advocates’ attention as an example of a program to encourage safe bicycling and collaborate with local police.

In this guest blog post, EBBC Education Coordinator Robert Prinz explains how his organization implemented the Bike Traffic School program.

There seem to be more and more stories popping up in the news these days about police departments “cracking down” on law-breaking bicyclists (like this recent one in New York), responding to community complaints and handing out expensive tickets for what in many cases appear to be minor and inconsequential offenses.

As a bike safety professional, I can appreciate the concerns and probably notice even more dangerous behavior, both legal and illegal, than the average observer. Too many times, I have just finished teaching a great bike safety workshop to a group of interested participants, but on my ride home notice a cyclist taking some serious risks and wonder “Why couldn’t he have come to my class?”

On the other hand, while the aggressive cyclists I encounter certainly annoy me, they don’t typically make me fear for my life like the aggressive drivers I cross paths with just as regularly. Why shouldn’t there be a distinction in the penalties to reflect the distinction in potential consequences, allowing us to encourage safe behavior without discouraging bicycling altogether?

Creating a “Bike Traffic School”

With this in mind, we here at the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (a 4,000 member nonprofit that works for safe, convenient and enjoyable bicycling for all people in the two counties east of San Francisco) got to work on our “Bike Traffic School” initiative. We proposed offering a two-hour bicycle safety classroom workshop to any adult cyclist who receives a moving violation ticket, allowing them to have their fine reduced or removed.

An advertisement for EBBC’s Urban Cycling 101 classes

We were no stranger to teaching bicycle education: the material for classes aimed at ticketed cyclists would be taken from our already well-established Urban Cycling 101 workshops, based on League of American Bicyclists’ safety education material. Our new classes would be taught by the same local, LAB-certified instructors we use to host all of our other safety classes.

We felt that keeping our bicycle coalition responsible for the Bike Traffic School curriculum and instruction was important to ensure a cyclist-friendly program, and to prevent it from becoming unnecessarily punitive or heavy-handed. We would also make these classes open for free to the general public, as having more people there voluntarily would help create a better environment for learning.

Testing it Out on Campus

We first implemented this type of class with the UC Berkeley Police Department. Campus police regularly issued $220 tickets to cyclists caught riding through “walk zone” areas on campus. In response to student outcry over the high price of violations, the department had already initiated their own ticket diversion program.

With support from the UC Berkeley Police, our instructors began teaching Bike Traffic School classes at the university. Through the program, students who completed the class could bring a certificate of completion to the police office to have the ticket excused and their fine reduced to $50. This fee went straight into the police department’s budget to help pay for the class itself, so the program itself became virtually self-sustainable if even just a few people took advantage of it. Ticketed cyclists had 60 days from the date of the citation to take the class and pay the ticket, but after that the police would send the citation to the county court to go through the standard process.

Scaling Up in Alameda

Alameda Police Chief Mike Noonan

Next, we approached the City of Alameda with an almost identical proposal. In contrast to the campus program, any moving violation infraction would be eligible for a fee reduction — not just pedestrian zone violations. We were anxious before our first meeting with Alameda Police Chief Mike Noonan, but our fears were abated when, after being seeing the proposed class cost, he said, “Well, that’s a lot cheaper than I expected!”

Soon, we had negotiated a one-year contract with his department to teach a monthly series of classes at the same day, time, and location each month, both to make them easier to program and to enable the police to print class information directly onto a sticker which was affixed to every cycling traffic ticket they would hand out.

Before implementation, we gave Chief Noonan a chance to review our class presentation to suggest additions or changes to reflect local concerns. We also provided his officers with general guidance on what violations create the biggest impact on safety and to dispel a few of the common myths about bike law that we find are sometimes held even by enforcement professionals.

To help police incentivize safe behavior, we also facilitated collaboration between the Alameda PD and the local Tucker’s Ice Cream shop. Now, officers who see youth bicyclists displaying safe, independent behavior can offer them a certificate for a free cone. The officers appreciated this opportunity to have positive interactions with the community, helping to build rapport and trust.

The first class was hosted in Alameda this past December, and we have already received a fantastic response — both from voluntary attendees and from ticketed cyclists who tell us they appreciate the opportunity and even enjoy the instruction.

Looking Forward

Our next step is to contact more police departments to promote our success and convince them of how easy and inexpensive it would be to replicate it in their jurisdiction as well (easier said than done!).

Eventually we want our Bike Traffic School to go county-wide, but the California Vehicle Code (sections 42005 and 42005.3) currently restricts such programs to infractions committed by licensed motor vehicle operators. For the time being, we are working with our advocacy partners on the state level to request an amendment.

To learn more about the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s Bicycle Traffic School, visit the program website or email Robert.

What should advocates do when bicyclists are consistently incorrectly cited by local police? The Washington Area Bicyclist Association has a pretty good answer.

For the past several years, Shane Farthing, WABA’s executive director, had been aware of a disturbing pattern. Advocates consistently heard accounts from bicyclists who had been injured in crashes and had received citations that just didn’t make sense from Metropolitan Police Department officers. Many said they had been fined for breaking a law that was not applicable to the incident. In some cases, officers had assigned blame to an injured cyclist based only on a driver’s statement, without actually interviewing the bicyclist or witnesses. Some had even been cited for violating laws that did not exist.

These accounts led Shane and his employees to believe that MPD officers were not receiving adequate training on enforcing laws pertinent to bicyclists. In response, WABA launched a campaign “to advocate for and secure funding for the holistic training of MPD officers of the application of the law to bicyclists.”

The enforcement campaign kicked off in February of 2011, when WABA requested and received a DC Council Committee on the Judiciary hearing to assess MPD’s enforcement of laws pertaining to bicyclists. In response to the advocates’ testimony, the DC Office of Police Complaints issued a report confirming poor work by the Police Department. The report prompted several councilmembers and staffers to request that WABA provide better documentation of the types of incidents cyclists described in testimony. 

WABA responded by launching its own online Crash Tracker tool in March of 2011. Bicyclists use the tracker on WABA’s web site to report relevant information if they are involved in a crash — type of crash, weather conditions, police report number, type of citation if any, and a detailed account of the event.

“After a second hearing, armed with the OPC report and data from the Crash Tracker, we noted the beginnings of improvements,” wrote Shane. “An MPD liaison for the cycling community was appointed, and after a long absence, an MPD representative began to attend the monthly Bicycle Advisory Committee meetings.”

But enforcement problems remained. “In early March 2012,” says Shane, “two serious crashes resulted in citations against the injured cyclists, again, with inapplicable and irrelevant code violations.”

In one case, a cyclist was incorrectly cited for violating DC’s “riding abreast” law. This DC law states that (a) it is illegal for more that two people to ride bicycles alongside each other in a roadway that is not a bike lane or path and (b) it is illegal for two people riding abreast to impede the normal flow of traffic. But in the March crash, the bicyclist was cited for riding alongside a vehicle, not alongside of two other riders and not impeding the flow of traffic. The responding officer had incorrectly applied the law.

Despite egregious errors, the police department did not indicate willingness to make meaningful changes.

“Every time we would go to testify, the MPD would say that they already had these trainings in place and there was no problem,” said Shane. “We were in a he-said-she-said situation.”

WABA’s biggest challenge was furnishing solid evidence. “The limitation we faced at every stage was a lack of data,” Shane recalled. “Our crash tracker had a small sample size.”

“So we decided to put together good FOIA requests to analyze these crash reports.” Using the Freedom of Information Act, WABA would obtain the actual police reports that were relevant to the trends advocates had spotted in Crash Tracker responses.

But FOIA requests take time — and money. “In DC, it’s 25 cents per page and it takes a lot of time to look through it all,” said Shane.

To support the FOIA requests, WABA applied for and received a Rapid Response grant from Advocacy Advance. Thanks to the grant, WABA obtained the crash reports; Shane, who has a background in law, spent significant time analyzing the reports.

He found clear evidence that the MPD had consistently interpreted the “riding abreast” law incorrectly.

“Looking at the crash reports for riding abreast citations, you can show on its face whether it’s legitimate or not,” said Shane. “Riding abreast requires two people on bikes, and citations we were looking at did not have the presence of another person. This showed that the police so fundamentally misunderstood this law that they were using it for the wrong thing.”

WABA has posted the FOIA’d crash reports online here and here.

With irrefutable proof in hand, WABA’s case grew stronger. “We moved from making assertions to using the evidence the police created,” said Shane. “We were able to approach MPD and say, ‘Look at the number of times your officers don’t know how to interpret what’s in front of them.’”

Armed with proof that MPD officers had consistently misinterpreted laws pertaining to cyclists, WABA successfully pushed for better bicycle-related enforcement training. Shane reported, “They agreed to create a webinar series to explain cyclist issues. MPD reached out to us to find cyclists who had been wrongfully cited to tell their stories on the video.”

“It’s a victory that materials are being created by people who understand the problem.”

Support from Advocacy Advance was an key part of WABA’s enforcement campaign. “The Rapid Response grant allowed us to get the data that we needed to move things forward,” said Shane. “Having the cash money in hand to make those requests was integral.”

Feeling inspired? Check out the documents below for more insight into WABA’s enforcement campaign.

• WABA’s February 2011 testimony to the DC Council Committee on the Judiciary
• WABA’s online Crash Tracker tool, first posted online in March of 2011 in response to a request from DC councilmembers
• DC Office of Police Complaints’ September 2011 report confirming poor work by the Police Department
• Police reports from misguided “riding abreast” citations: Part 1 and Part 2
• As part of their ongoing efforts to assist area cyclists and track enforcement, WABA now offers a mobile app to record crashes. ]]> Member News 2013-02-04T16:19:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/legal_resource_state_bike_laws/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/legal_resource_state_bike_laws/#When:09:16:12Z A common request from advocates is a resource of laws and sample legislation. This winter, the League of American Bicyclists compiled state-specific highlights of traffic laws that affect bicyclists, focusing on eleven categories of laws that most states have, but differ in ways that can have important impacts on bicyclists, pedestrians and other road users.  Ken McLeod, Legal Specialist for the League and the Advocacy Advance team, compiled this resource and is working with advocates to create model legislation and get bike-friendly laws passed in your state.

  Ken reviewed more than 2,000 laws related to bicycling. From planning and taxation to funding and traffic, he dusted off and dug in to statutes and administrative codes in each and every state. By researching those primary sources and tapping into great resources compiled by bicycling organizations and agencies, he was able to pull together a comprehensive database of laws. Over the next few months, each of the 11 categories will be highlighted, from sidewalk riding to distracted driving. Read more about Safe Passing Laws here. 

  If you have suggestions or questions about this legal resource or about Ken’s work tracking funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects with Advocacy Advance, contact him directly at .

  ]]> Member News 2013-02-01T09:16:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/welcome_to_the_team_darryl/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/welcome_to_the_team_darryl/#When:22:02:50Z We’re happy to welcome the newest member of the Advocacy Advance team. Darryl Turner joined us in January 2013.  As the research and tracking intern, he will be tracking how federal money is being utilized in states and examining the flexibilities federal law provides to states under MAP-21.  Darryl is currently a School of Public Policy student at the University of Maryland and holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Northwestern University.

  What’s your first memory of riding a bike?

  My first memorable biking experience occurred when I was about six years old. At the time, my favorite television show was the Viper series. I rode my bike around the entire neighborhood pretending it was a Dodge Viper and I was a crime fighter. I enjoyed every minute of it, scrapes and all.

  What got you interested in public policy and where did you go to school?

  I became interested in public policy when the U.S. economy collapsed in 2007-08. I decided to study Political Science and Business as an undergraduate at Northwestern University to examine alternatives to the policies that resulted in the Great Recession. As a matter of public policy, I became concerned about how proposed budget cuts would affect biking and pedestrian funding, and consequently, social wellbeing. I am currently enrolled in the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, where I specialize in International Development.

  What are you excited to work with Advocacy Advance?

  I spent a semester abroad in France and was quite astonished by the number of bikers and pedestrians filling the streets and sidewalks. The environment was cleaner, the atmosphere less stressful, and the people more carefree. I realized that biking and walking are much more sustainable as well as being a boon to health. I wanted to promote these types of experiences back home in the United States, in lieu of the discourse on shrinking the federal budget.

  What will you be working on for the next 3 months?

  As the Advocacy Advance Intern, I will be working on a number of projects, fromtracking how federal money is being utilized to examining the flexibilities federal law provides to states under MAP-21 to planning and investing in bicycling and walking projects.

  What inspires you about cycling?

  Biking or walking, I feel I can appreciate nature a bit more than I used to. These activities have been calming and detoxifying to me. They provide opportunities to exercise, explore new places, and relax after a demanding week.

   

  Welcome to the team, Darryl!

  ]]> Member News 2013-01-31T22:02:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_leaders_develop_local_funding_campaign_in_atlanta/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_leaders_develop_local_funding_campaign_in_atlanta/#When:17:50:57Z This past weekend, the board and staff of Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) received hands-on coaching to develop a local funding campaign.

  ABC is the recipient of a 3-year Advocacy Advance Model Grant, working to triple the bicycle mode share and double spending on bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs in the Atlanta region. To meet this ambitious funding goal in the era of MAP-21, advocates are looking to crack into federal safety funds and to unleash local sources of investments. In a city deflated by the recent failure of a transportation sales tax measure, T-SPLOST, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is leading the charge in developing a “plan B.”

  The Advocacy Advance team joined the leadership of ABC for a day and a half customized Winning Campaign Training, the Alliance’s signature training. Supplemented with a crash-course in campaign development with technical assistance and best practices, participants had the tools to map out a campaign to increase off-street private parking lot fees in the city (currently a mere $3 per year per space) and use a portion of that revenue stream to fund bicycle and pedestrian projects.

  This is a major campaign with a potentially significant win for bicyclists in Atlanta. It is a big undertaking for the group, and the development of partnerships will be key. To enlist the feedback and involvement of dedicated members and key allies, the group hosted a community forum.

  Over 60 advocates, elected officials and agency staff spent their Saturday evening discussing bicycle funding. Americans for Transit joined the group in Atlanta to talk about trends around the country in communities were bond measures failed at the ballot box, and Advocacy Advance shared stories around the country of how bicycle and pedestrian advocates are becoming part of the conversation. The City of Atlanta presented their goals and ABC shared the organization’s vision and role, eliciting dialogue on ways to move forward.

  “The Winning Campaigns Training really helped our leadership team focus, providing the structure we needed to accelerate group genius,” ABC board member Jenn Graham said. “This has given me so many ideas about structuring both our strategic plan as well as our marketing plan that we’re putting together for the first time,” added another board member, Jett Marks.

  Advocacy Advance is currently developing resources on local funding streams that are an important element of federal funding. If your organization is working on a bond measure or related campaign, contact . We can work with you to develop your campaign, share your story, and even fund your efforts.

  Read more about the customized training in Atlanta.

  ]]> Member News 2013-01-29T17:50:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/save_the_date_for_the_2013_advocacy_awards/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/save_the_date_for_the_2013_advocacy_awards/#When:20:19:36Z Will you be in Washington, DC for the National Bike Summit? If so, save the date for the Alliance’s 2013 Advocacy Awards reception!

   

  
  Advocates from BikeTexas, winners of 2012’s innovation award

  Since 2009, the Alliance has solicited public nominations and recognized the individuals, organizations and business leaders who are propelling our People Powered Movement.

  This year, the awards will be held at 8:30 on Monday, March 4, 2013 at RFD, located at 810 7th St NW in Washington, DC — just a short walk away from the National Bike Summit hotel.

  Come see which organizations and advocates will take away awards for all of this year’s categories:

  • Advocacy organization of the year - Last year, WalkBoston carried this award back to Beantown in recognition of their work to organize and advocate for pedestrian rights. WalkBoston has set a high bar for success with a long list of infrastructure and policy victories, successful public events, and the innovative “Good Walking is Good Business” campaign. Which state or local advocacy organization will take the mantle?
  • Advocate of the year - Each year, a dedicated advocate is awarded this hard-earned award for their persistent efforts in the movement. Tireless Missouri advocate Eric Rogers of BikeWalkKC was declared Advocate of the Year in 2012 for dedicating countless hours to being a “constant, persistent, passionate voice” for biking and walking advocacy. Nominees for 2013 include movers and shakers from across the U.S. and Canada.
  • Business advocate of the year - This award is given each year to a company that goes above and beyond in supporting biking and walking advocacy initiatives. Last year, CLIF Bar took home the prize to celebrate their innovative 2 Mile Challenge, which spurred thousands of people to log their bike trips in the name of supporting bicycle advocacy.
  • Winning campaign of the year - Our work centers around setting ambitious goals for more walkable, bikeable communities, then achieving those goals through hard-earned campaign wins. This award will go to the advocacy organization that tackled and won the most impactful biking and walking campaign in the past year. Bike Delaware earned this award last year for their successful campaign to dedicate more state transportation funds to biking and walking projects and programs. 
  • Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award - Awarded in memory of Alliance co-founder Susie Stephens, this award goes to an advocate who embodies Susie’s perseverance as an advocate and passion for biking and walking as a fun, economical means of transportation. 2012’s award went to Julie Field, founder of Undriving, for her successful and artistic efforts to empower citizens to reimagine travel habits.
  • Innovation Award - The innovation award goes to an organization that is pioneering or inventing new ways to promote biking and walking. Last year, BikeTexas took the award back to the Lone Star State for their works to cultivate support among the full spectrum of political perspectives and communities stakeholders.
  • Lifetime achievement award - A new award in 2013, this award honors an individual advocate’s lifelong efforts to promote bicycling and walking.

  We hope to see you there!

  ]]> Member News 2013-01-28T20:19:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_report_webinar_tracking_federal_funding_in_your_community/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_report_webinar_tracking_federal_funding_in_your_community/#When:16:04:16Z How is my state spending its share of federal transportation funds? How much is my community investing in bicycling and walking?

  These common questions can be difficult to answer.

  Data on federal funding is vital to understanding the range of programs that fund bicycle projects — and let you know if your state is effectively tapping into federal dollars to make biking better in your community.

  To help you navigate this complex landscape and find information for your area, Advocacy Advance has created a helpful new report — “Key Data Sources: Federal Investments in Bicycling and Walking in Your Community” — that provides a list, summary and links to 11 sources of funding data.

  Adding to the report, Advocacy Advance is also hosting a webinar next week on “Tracking Data on Bicycling and Walking Investments.” Join us on Tuesday, January 29th, at 2 p.m. Eastern as we explore sources of funding outside of new Transportation Alternatives programs and explain what’s being done to track bicycle funding.

  Andrea Milne, the Alliance’s new Benchmarking Project Manger, will be speaking on the call; along with Ken McLeod, Legal Specialist with Advocacy Advance and Renata Silberblatt, staff analyst with the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

  Click here to register for the webinar.]]> Member News 2013-01-24T16:04:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/scramble_is_on_to_save_a_marin_ca_pedestrian_crossing/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/scramble_is_on_to_save_a_marin_ca_pedestrian_crossing/#When:15:29:45Z Advocacy Advance, the collaborative advocacy team composed of staff from the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, recently awarded a series of Rapid Response Grants. These quick-turnaround grants help state and local advocacy organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

  In this series of blog posts, we talk with recipients of the grants about their advocacy campaigns.

  Without a safe crossing, a highway can turn a perfectly nice walk or bike ride into a dead end. So when a transportation agency decided to take out a bike and pedestrian crossing over the busy 101 freeway in Marin County, CA, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition had to get involved.

  

  This pedestrian flyover in the “Twin Cities” of Larkspur and Corte Madera in Marin County, CA provides a safe, accessible way for people biking and walking to cross Highway 101. But as part of a new interchange project, the Transportation Authority of Marin proposes tearing down the crossing, requiring instead that people walking and riding bikes use a highly congested and far more dangerous undercrossing.

  “They’re going to reroute pedestrian crossing to an existing undercrossing,” explained Andy Peri, Advocacy Director of MCBC. “When they finish construction, the undercrossing will have several freeway onramps and offramps intersecting it that pedestrians will need to cross. In terms of safety, there is no comparison with having a completely separate-from-cars overcrossing.”

  For the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, that’s an unacceptable solution. The undercrossing would require children and elderly residents to navigate multiple surface streets, onramps and off-ramps in order to get across the freeway.

  “MCBC doesn’t support any projects that create an impediment or a total barrier for people to walk and bike,” Andy said.

  
  Marin County residents bike along one of the county’s popular paths

  
  Before bringing their campaign to local officials, the Coalition enlisted pro bono help from a world-class engineering and design firm. When designers found several potential locations for a new safe overpass, Andy and his team knew that “what’s lacking is not physical geography and space, but will and creativity on the part of the agency.”

  Now, Andy and fellow Marin advocates are asking the county to replace the existing crossing with an equally accessible overpass.

  “The scramble is on,” said Andy.

  The Coalition created an online petition for the campaign to garner public support. “Using signatures from petitions for campaigns that dated back to 2006, we assembled a database with about 5200 names,” said Andy. “From that list, we’ve now gotten over 1,000 signatures on this current petition in less than a month — a 20% return rate.”

  The petition demonstrates public support, a boon when the Coalition approaches local elected officials to discuss the project. The Coalition also sends updates to petition-signers with updates about the campaign information about how to help. Advocates have met with officials on the 16-member Transportation Authority of Marin agency to explain the importance of a safe crossing, and the Coalition expects to drive a strong turn-out to a public hearing scheduled for later this month.

  The Advocacy Advance rapid response grant helps keep the campaign going. “The grant primarily support our staff team, but also pays for the tools that we use, including Survey Monkey for the petition and Constant Contact for our email to members,” Andy explained. “This campaign is going to continue on for up to 6 months at a very high level.”

  “Until I get the answer that I want from the Transportation Authority board, we are going to continue to push for a safe crossing of Highway 101” he said.

  ]]> Member News 2013-01-17T15:29:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/with_rapid_response_grant_bicycle_coalition_of_greater_philadelphia_champio/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/with_rapid_response_grant_bicycle_coalition_of_greater_philadelphia_champio/#When:13:18:05Z Advocacy Advance, the collaborative advocacy team composed of staff from the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, recently awarded a series of Rapid Response Grants. These quick-turnaround grants help state and local advocacy organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

  In this series of blog posts, we talk with recipients of the grants about their advocacy campaigns.

  The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia faces a giant opportunity to boost Pennsylvania’s support for biking and walking in the state transportation system.

  Impending legislation to fund transportation has been a major topic of conversation in Pennsylvania for the past three years. The nonprofit Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition submitted a series of recommendations for funding transportation to PA governor Tom Corbett in 2010, and the governor’s own transportation funding advisory committee released its PennDOT-sanctioned report in 2011. After two rounds of recommendations, Governor Corbett has finally suggested that he will tackle a new state transportation law in 2013.

  “Our governor has signaled that transportation will be one of the three things he’ll focus on this budget season,” said Sarah Clark Stuart, policy director at the Bicycle Coalition.

  Now that the time looks ripe for a new law, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia plans to act quickly. As a member of the nonprofit Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition — a group representing a wide range of stakeholders including manufacturers, engineers, health groups, and transportation stakeholders — the Bicycle Coalition is working to educate state legislators on Pennsylvania’s transport needs — including biking and walking, of course.

  
  Transportation options abound along the Schuylkill river near Philadelphia.

  “Members of the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition have been fanning out and meeting with every state representative and senator,” said Sarah. “Even though there’s nothing yet to examine, the effort is to make the case in these individual meetings that now is the time to tackle transportation funding.”

  

  The Bicycle Coalition, in conjunction with Pennsylvania advocates such as PA Walks & Bikes, will encourage state officials to incorporate biking and walking into a new law. The Bicycle Coalition’s legislative goals for the 2013 bill include increased dedicated state funding for biking and walking grants and projects, a Bicycle & Pedestrian office within the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and language to tie state safety fund allocation to fatality rates by mode.

  “We’re trying to build up support across party lines and see what we can do to make sure that biking and walking are incorporated into this legislation,” Sarah said.

  Working within the Keystone Coalition has also helped the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia form more robust connections with other groups throughout the state.

  “We’re building up relationships with organizations we normally haven’t had relationships with” explained Sarah. “Members of the biking and walking community feel that it is important to be at the table, and we’re trying to make the case that biking and walking should be addressed more comprehensively.”

  Sarah noted that this campaign also provides a chance to educate state officials on biking and walking issues. “We’ve been using this as an opportunity to build a relationship with Penn DOT. We hope to be able to work with PennDOT on transportation policies down the line.”

  Advocacy Advance’s Rapid Response Grant proved useful to support staff time, finance printed materials for state legislators, and pay for travel to district office and to Harrisburg, the state capital.

  “That’s a huge help,” said Sarah.

  ]]> Member News 2013-01-16T13:18:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/idaho_wyoming_groups_use_advocacy_advance_grants_to_protect_biking_and_walk/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/idaho_wyoming_groups_use_advocacy_advance_grants_to_protect_biking_and_walk/#When:15:55:09Z Advocacy Advance, the collaborative advocacy team composed of staff from the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, recently awarded a series of Rapid Response Grants. These quick-turnaround grants help state and local advocacy organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. In this series of blog posts, we follow up with advocates on the ground to check in on their campaigns and see how the grants worked out.

  Under the new transportation bill (MAP-21), most states saw a decrease in the amount of funding designated for bicycling and walking improvements — even though overall transportation dollars remained level.

  In Idaho and Wyoming, advocates had to act fast if they wanted state transportation agencies to save biking and walking funds.

  Faced with a short timeline and high stakes, statewide advocacy organizations Idaho Pedestrian and Bicycle Alliance and Wyoming Pathways both applied for and received Rapid Response grants from Advocacy Advance. Both organizations hoped to preserve as many funds as possible for local communities hoping to make their streets more walkable and bikeable.

  Idaho: A Reinvigorating Setback

  Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance advocates knew that any decisions about walking and biking funds would need to go through the Idaho Transportation Board, a group of seven decision-makers appointed by the governor.

  The Board was considering devastating cuts to biking and walking funding in the state — without Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance action, the board would transfer half of Transportation Alternatives funds away from local communities and into highway construction and eliminate the state’s successful Safe Routes to School program.

  In response, the Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance launched a campaign to encourage the Board to fully fund the Transportation Alternatives program and preserve Safe Routes to School.

  “We’ve built a really good partnership – Idahoans for Bike and Pedestrian Funding Under the New National Transportation Bill. We’ve got people all over the state talking to their own transportation board member,” said Molly O Reilly, a board member for the Idaho Pedestrian and Bicycle Alliance.

  Funds from the Rapid Response grant enabled the organization’s executive director, Cynthia Gibson, to travel throughout the large state to garner support.

  “These small towns all see the importance of walking and biking,” said Cynthia of her travels around the state. “I went to a little town called Weippe that received Transportation Enhancements funds to build a sidewalk between their school and their library. Those funds were huge for them. Mayors see this as something they want in their communities, but it might be harder to see at the state level.”

  Funds to support Cynthia’s travel have helped propel Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance’s campaign. “We’re a huge state geographically for a relatively small population,” explained Molly. “The advocacy grant has been just extraordinarily important.”

  Thanks to the organization’s efforts to create new partnerships throughout the state, walking and biking supporters have submitted over 50 letters and unknown dozens of phone calls to the Transportation Department and Board in support of saving Transportation Alternatives and Safe Routes to School.

  “I am really excited with the progress we’ve made,” said Molly. “We’ve built more than I had thought we might and in a way more diverse way.”

  As for a final decision from the Board, the group has delayed its decision. “We think they’re going to vote in February,” Cynthia explained.

  For now, Molly and her fellow Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance advocates are not worried. “Who knows how it’ll come out, but we’re way better positioned for the long term even if we lose this round.”

  “Setbacks sometimes can reinvigorate, and this setback has been important,” Molly clarified. “This campaign has been extraordinarily important for us as an organization to build, to reach a new level, and tackle something that our members and donors consider very important. None of this would have happened without that grant!”

  Wyoming: Building a Base for Future Wins

  Meanwhile, advocates at the newly formed Wyoming Pathways faced similar issues. The new transportation bill would mean a 40% cut for biking and walking programs in the state unless the Wyoming Department of Transportation decided otherwise.

  
  Armed with a Rapid Response grant, Wyoming Pathways got to work.

  “We’ve had good progress meeting with the director of the Department of Transportation,” said Tim Young, executive director of Wyoming Pathways. “We secured confirmation that Wyoming will hold biking and walking funding at 2012 SAFETEA-LU levels — a total of $6 million per year — rather than accepting a cut.” Wyoming’s DOT will transfer funds into the Transportation Alternatives program to compensate for MAP-21’s cuts.

  Tim considers this a major victory. “It was really a nice win for Wyoming communities and for Wyoming Pathways,” he said.

  The Rapid Response funds from Advocacy Advance helped Wyoming Pathways pay for Tim’s travel to the state legislature in Cheyenne and for online tools to boost organizational communications.

  Tim says that the Department of Transportation’s actions are part of a broader shift in the state towards recognizing the benefits of investing biking and walking. “I’ve testified at several legislative hearings, and we’ve been making a really successful economic case.”

  In fact, three major statewide departments — Transportation, Parks, and Health — have now expressed support for walking and biking investments.

  “Our state’s travel and tourism folks now recognize that outdoor recreation includes bicycling,” noted Tim. “The governor has allocated Recreational Trails funds to the state’s Parks department, so that’s moving through.”

  The Health Department is on board, too. “We’re hosting Wyoming’s first state bicycling summit in June, and we have signed up the Wyoming Health Department to be a lead sponsor. We’re hopeful that Senator Barrasso will be a keynote speaker.”

  Overall, says Tim, “the rapid response grant was super helpful. Wyoming Pathways is a brand new statewide advocacy organization — there’s never been a statewide group here previously — and we’ve got a lot of base-building to do. Thanks to the grant, we’ve done outreach to groups around Wyoming. I’ve been to six cities in meetings with clubs, leaders, and supporters.”

  This particular campaign lays groundwork for federal advocacy, too. “These are the people who will write to Senator Barrasso down the road. We’re building a base for the future.”

  Photo credits: Idaho - Cynthia Gibson, Idaho Pedestrian and Bicycle Alliance; Wyoming - Tim Young, Wyoming Pathways

  ]]> Member News 2013-01-11T15:55:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/why_congresss_fiscal_cliff_antics_could_mean_a_tough_battle_for_biking_and_/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/why_congresss_fiscal_cliff_antics_could_mean_a_tough_battle_for_biking_and_/#When:20:42:01Z It should come as no surprise to those who track politics in the U.S. that biking and walking advocates can expect to fight hard to defend active transportation funding in 2013. In yesterday’s federal policy webinar with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, Caron Whitaker of the League of American Bicyclists taught us that Capitol Hill’s recent dangles off the so-called “fiscal cliff” could put biking and walking funds at risk this year.

  Fiscal what? For the unacquainted, lawmakers in Congress recently engaged in political brinksmanship to avoid a series of deep automatic cuts to government programs and steep increases in taxes that would have lent a dour note to the new year.

  Caron noted that just a month ago, many government watchers were feeling optimistic that the White House and Congress could strike a “grand bargain” to tackle the nation’s fiscal instability. A successful deal would resolve the nation’s most pressing money issues and would free the new 113th Congress to focus on governing rather than on avoiding fiscal collapse.

  Instead, though, Congress and the White House approved a band-aid two-month deal that temporarily delays fiscal deadlines until early spring.

  Approval ratings for biking and walking are way up. Approval ratings for Congress? Not so much, and it’s not hard to see why.

  Congress’ decision to punt rather than compromise could put lots of funding in danger — including biking and walking funds. If Congress does not make a fiscal deal, lawmakers will be eager to find opportunities to slash spending. Each upcoming deadline — sequestration, the debt ceiling, and a new budgeting process — represents a potential battle to protect biking and walking funding from the chopping block.

  If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take heart in the knowledge that biking and walking advocates have come out on top in similar fights over the past several years.

  Caron offered a few prime examples. In 2009, the full Senate faced a vote to cut a key federal biking and walking funding program. We got organized, rallied supporters around the country, and successfully voted down that amendment in the full Senate. Two years later, the Senate debated cutting Transportation Enhancement funding. We mobilized, to show elected officials why these funds matter, and the amendments to defund biking and walking died.

  How do we win? Caron emphasized that we can protect biking and walking by doing what we do best: mobilizing popular support.

  Here are Caron’s top suggestions of how biking and walking advocates can save bike/ped funding in 2013:

  • Organize local events to show politicians a popular bike/walk facility, a booming bicycle-friendly business district, or infrastructure that has provided great safety benefits. For guidelines to organize “show me” events, see America Bikes’ tips in the Resource Library.
  • Send a delegation to the National Bike Summit in March. Be prepared to discuss the economic benefits of biking and walking back at home and ask your elected official to visit a bike or walk facility at home.
  • Show elected officials why biking and walking benefit their local constituency. For members of Congress, economic messages are especially effective.

  Thank you to everybody who joined the federal policy call and to Caron for lending her expertise. Alliance members can access Caron’s presentation in the Alliance Resource Library.

  To participate in our next federal policy webinar with APBP, join the Alliance for Biking & Walking today.

  ]]> Member News 2013-01-09T20:42:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_guide_to_fundraising_part_three_available/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_guide_to_fundraising_part_three_available/#When:15:29:57Z Many of the most reliable, sustainable and fruitful sources of financial support for bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations come from your backyard.

  How can you turn your members and supporters into major donors? How can you incorporate planned gifts into your organization’s fundraising plan, and protect yourself from potentially harmful gifts? How can you use events and rides as sustainable sources of income? How can you tap into community foundations and get government and business support through sponsorships?

  Part three of Alliance’s Guide to Fundraising series explores each of these funding sources and shares tips and examples from Alliance member organizations and nonprofit fundraising experts. The strategies within this guide will help you successfully maximize local resources and support your efforts to increase biking and walking in your community.

  This guide is supplemented with two upcoming mutual aid calls:

  • Sponsorships are Partnerships: Working with Corporations (Jan. 16 at 2:00 p.m. EST) Join this call to learn about corporate giving and how to develop partnerships with corporations in your community. You will hear from Alliance leaders and experts about the trends in corporate giving, how to approach local businesses for sponsorships and support, and tips for cultivating and maintaining partnerships. Panelists include Jay Ferm from Planet Bike, Marilyn Hoyt from the Foundation Center and Amanda White from the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. Register here
  • Approaching and Working with Your Local Foundations (Feb. 20 at 2:00 p.m. EST) Most cities and regions have foundations that fund local projects. However, community and family foundations often exist under the radar and do not accept unsolicited requests for funding. All of the speakers on this call are foundation staff and will provide suggestions for how to maximize the funding resources in your own community and develop relationships with local foundations. Panelists include Patricia Pasqual, Director of the D.C. office of the Foundation Center, Janis Foster Richardson, Executive Director of Grassroots Grantmaking, and a foundation grant officer. Register here

  This guide builds upon the foundation of Part 1: Creating and Implementing an Effective Fundraising Plan and Part 2: Anatomy of a Winning Proposal. Members, click here to visit the Resource Library and check out these guides.

  Don’t underestimate what the power of cultivating local supporters can do for your advocacy efforts; Alliance members exist and thrive because of the communities they operate in.

  The Guide to Fundraising series is meant to evolve with your feedback. If you would like us to include examples, tips or resources to continue to improve and develop these publications, please don’t hesitate to contact Brighid O’Keane at .]]> Member News 2013-01-08T15:29:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/mary_lauran_hall_to_join_the_alliance_as_communications_manager/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/mary_lauran_hall_to_join_the_alliance_as_communications_manager/#When:19:00:04Z
  The Alliance for Biking & Walking is pleased to announce that Mary Lauran Hall will join us as our new Communications Manager in January of 2013.

  Mary Lauran comes to the Alliance from America Bikes—the coalition of national bike advocacy organizations working together for bicycling in federal legislation and policy—where she organized press outreach, social media, web site development, and strategic communications.

  Mary Lauran has played many important roles at America Bikes, including some important coordination with state and local leaders and organizations on the Federal transportation reauthorization and subsequent education and guidance. As a board member of America Bikes, I have worked closely with her and seen how well respected she is by the leaders of our national partners, as well as many leaders of Alliance member organizations. It’s clear that Mary Lauran has gained a strong appreciation for the work of the Alliance and our members in making improvements on the ground and influencing national campaigns. Her communications skills, social media savvy, analytical experience and passion for our movement all have stood out to me and I am delighted that Mary Lauran will be joining our staff team.

  Indeed, Mary Lauran shares: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to support communications for this essential network of biking and walking leaders and organizations.”  She adds: “While working on communications for federal policy issues, I learned that members of Congress are very sensitive to the needs of their constituencies, especially local leaders. When biking and walking organizations are individually strong and collectively networked, we can win at the local, state, and federal level. I’m excited to be a part of the movement for safer, more accessible streets.”

  “One of Mary Lauran’s main tenets has been that we better connect with local advocacy, ensuring that we are communicating and working in sync,” said Caron Whitaker, Vice President of Government Relations at the League of America Bicyclists (formerly Campaign Director at America Bikes.) “I am pleased to know that her passion and savvy will stay with the bicycling and walking movement as she moves over to the Alliance. I am personally thrilled that Mary Lauran and I will continue to work together as part of the America Bikes coalition.”

  Mary Lauran will continue to do some work to support America Bikes with communications and other coalition coordination.

  More and more communities are realizing the benefit of creating great places to walk and bike, and the People Powered Movement continues to grow. Going forward, the Alliance will continue to foster, strengthen, and unite advocacy leaders across North America. With Mary Lauran’s support, we will also continue to collaborate well with partners on the national level in order to create a truly united national biking and walking movement.

  Welcome, Mary Lauran!]]> Member News 2012-12-19T19:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/youth_bike_summit_2013/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/youth_bike_summit_2013/#When:15:00:08Z Join Recycle-A-Bicycle for the third annual Youth Bike Summit! This three-day event is geared toward youth, bikes education, and advocacy. Whether you’re a student, educator, or advocate, there is much to be learned though this dynamic, inter-generational exchange. By creating a space where ideas from bicyclists of all ages can be heard, we seek to create a more inclusive national dialogue that addresses the issues, rights, and concerns of all bicyclists.

  WHEN: February 15-17, 2012 WHERE: The New School 66 W 12th Street NY, NY 10011

  Click here for more information about the Youth Bike Summit or to submit a proposal to lead a workshop.

  ]]> Member News 2012-12-12T15:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/intern_with_advocacy_advance_this_winter/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/intern_with_advocacy_advance_this_winter/#When:20:58:09Z Advocacy Advance - the partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists - is looking for an intern this Spring. The intern will gain knowledge and skills related to federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects and the advocacy efforts to secure and utilize this funding at the state and local level nationwide.  Work includes research of federal transportation funding, outreach to member organizations, collecting best practices of bike/ped organizations, and tracking data to compile state profiles.

  Specific tasks for the Advocacy Advance Intern:

  • Pilot original and innovative research to accurately measure federal expenditures on bicycle and pedestrian projects by accessing and analyzing state documents
  • Conduct data-mining and perform anecdotal research into state bicycle-related laws, policies and practices
  • Track relevant data including: Current project lists; Cycling and safety numbers; Policies; Funding history
  • Gather examples of how advocates and agency staff have successful won and used public funding for bike/ped projects
  • Collect data on bikeway networks from US cities
  • Review grant reports and member activities to develop ways to share best practices among advocacy members
  • Conduct outreach to member organizations on applicable issues, including writing blogs
  • Coordinate database records and tools related to grants, trainings, and outreach
  • Perform other administrative duties as needed including database entry

  Skills and Knowledge to be Gained:

  • Knowledge of transportation funding programs
  • Knowledge of bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs nationwide
  • Hands-on work with state and local advocacy organizations and agency staff across North America
  • Specific experience working with national non-profit organizations

  Requirements:

  Essential

  • Interest in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy
  • Interest in national transportation policy / federal funding
  • Strong research skills
  • Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
  • Strong oral and writing skills
  • Track record of working well on team projects
  • Cheerful, friendly, upbeat outlook

  Helpful

  • Graphic design and/or data presentation skills
  • Familiarity with the web, content management, and databases
  • IT skills
  • Familiarity with biking and walking issues How To Apply:

    Please send a letter of interest, resume, one sample of work (research, writing and/or design), & 2-3 references to Brighid O’Keane, Advocacy Advance Program Manager at Brighid@PeoplePoweredMovement.org. Applications are due by January 18th 2012.  Anticipated start date will be in late January.

    This internship offers a flexible schedule with a fifteen-hour-a-week minimum commitment for a total of 180 hours (3 months). This position is based in Washington, DC. The Advocacy Advance intern will receive a $1500 / month stipend. We can work with academic requirements you may have, to help you earn course credit, and give you a unique opportunity to connect to a growing network of organizations making significant community improvements. This internship offers a flexible schedule with a fifteen-hour-a-week minimum commitment for a total of 180 hours (3 months). This position is based in Washington, DC. The Advocacy Advance intern will receive a $1500 / month stipend. We can work with academic requirements you may have, to help you earn course credit, and give you a unique opportunity to connect to a growing network of organizations making significant community improvements.]]> Member News 2012-12-11T20:58:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/campaigns_around_transportation_ballot_measures/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/campaigns_around_transportation_ballot_measures/#When:18:27:02Z
    Ballot measures are an increasingly successful way to fund transportation improvements at the local level. Biking and walking advocacy organizations can form campaigns around ballot initiatives to promote awareness, show popular support and secure funding for infrastructure improvements. This past election season saw several transportation measures on ballots across the U.S., and a majority of these measures passed.

    The American Road and Transportation Builders Association tracked 31 ballot measures across the U.S. and found that nearly 70% of them passed. Transportation Issues Daily also compiled a good list of ballot measure results after the election last month.

    East Bay Bicycle Coalition supported Measure B1, a high-profile measure in Alameda County that would extend and augment a half-cent sales tax to improve multimodal transportation with an unprecedented 11% of funding allocated to bicycle and pedestrian projects. Requiring a two-thirds supermajority, the measure failed to pass by only 0.14%, and a recount is currently underway. Whatever may come of the recount, support generated around Measure B1 has shown officials that the majority of Alameda County residents are in favor of funding better transportation options.

    BikeTexas also outlined the ballot measures that passed in three Texas communities last month. Read about these measures and how they improve biking, walking and transit at BikeTexas.org.

    Taking action for or against ballot measures counts as lobbying, so 501c3 organizations should be aware of their limits. To learn more about the extent to which a 501c3 organization can engage in activities around ballot measures, read this Alliance for Justice tip sheet.]]> Member News 2012-12-05T18:27:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/call_for_proposals_national_bike_summit/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/call_for_proposals_national_bike_summit/#When:13:46:09Z The League of American Bicyclists has just opened its call for proposals for the 2013 National Bike Summit. They are looking for proposals on the following themes:

    • Making the economic case for bicycling
    • MAP-21 Implementation: Lessons learned
    • Making cycling relevant in rural, small town and suburban communities
    • Developing an effective strategy for the NEXT transportation bill

    The League will prioritize equity and diversity in ALL session submissions, and encourage creative proposals that go beyond the standard powerpoint / panel presentation format.

    Proposals are also accepted now for sessions at the Women Mean Business event, hosted by the League’s new Women Bike program, on March 4 — immediately preceding the start of the Summit.

    Submit your proposal by December 13.

    See you there!]]> Member News 2012-12-04T13:46:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/promote_active_transportation_join_the_2013_climate_ride/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/promote_active_transportation_join_the_2013_climate_ride/#When:15:00:16Z Investments in biking and walking are critical to meeting the transportation and energy challenges of the 21st century. Show your support for the advocates that push those investments by signing up for the 2013 Climate Ride!

    Climate Ride supports sustainability, renewable energy, and bicycle advocacy with two rides each year. Join Climate Riders for the California ride from May 19-23, 2013, or ride from New York City to Washington, DC September 21-25, 2013. Mark your calendar and register today!

    To participate in the Climate Ride, you’ll pay the registration fee of $75 and then raise $2,400 for organizations committed to work on clean energy, sustainability, climate education and bicycle advocacy. This year, Climate Ride raised $6,000 for the Alliance for Biking & Walking and a total of over $300,000 for the environment, green energy and active transportation. You can designate the Alliance and any number of Alliance member organizations as your beneficiaries in 2013!

    Daunted by the fundraising requirement? Don’t be! The Climate Ride is a fantastic opportunity to hone your fundraising skills and raise valuable dollars for your favorite advocacy organization. And - it’s a great way for organizations to engage membership and supporters. Read this fundraising tip sheet for organizations and riders - brought to you by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. Sign up and start fundraising today!

    ]]> Member News 2012-11-30T15:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/vbt_tour_winners_south_american_adventure/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/vbt_tour_winners_south_american_adventure/#When:15:00:09Z

    

    Photos from VBT of their Machu Picchu tour.
    Next April, our VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations tour winner David Lamb and his wife will be hiking the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley in Peru.

    
    “We’re ready to go!” says David. The couple’s first ever VBT trip will include eight days of cross-cultural experiences, breathtaking vistas and hiking through the Andes in the footsteps of the Inca. And, as with all VBT tours, the world travelers don’t have to hassle with making reservations for travel, food or accommodations.

    “VBT has been great to work with,” says David. “They went above and beyond simply applying the value of a U.S. tour to our trip. The customer service for first-time VBT travelers like us has been great.”

    David has pledged to become a lifelong supporter of the Alliance’s work. “I’m an avid bicyclist, and I support the Alliance for its mission,” says David. “I have also known Jeff Miller for a long time, and I really admire his dedication.”

    Make your gift to the Alliance before December 31st, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a fabulous VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacation tour good for any trip in the U.S. (worth up to $2,245) – or you can do what David did and apply the value of the trip you win to one of VBT’s outstanding bicycling and walking tours abroad.

    “It’s not like the lottery,” says David. “When you make a gift to the Alliance, you know for sure someone is going to win a vacation like this.”

    Donate to the Alliance for Biking & Walking today!

    Congratulations again to David, and we know your trip to Peru will be an outstanding, once-in-a-lifetime experience! I hope we’ll all get to see some pictures from your trip next spring. ]]> Member News 2012-11-29T15:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/a_big_year_for_advocacy_advance/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/a_big_year_for_advocacy_advance/#When:18:10:36Z
    Over $10 million for biking and walking programs in eight communities across the U.S., new and promising partnerships among advocates and leaders, and commitments to work toward better, more walk- and bike-friendly communities. I’d say it’s been a good year for Advocacy Advance.

    A partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance, Advocacy Advance has facilitated Action 2020 Workshops to boost funding for biking and walking in eight communities this year. Read all about the victories these communities have achieved this year on the Advocacy Advance blog. Your community could be next—apply to host a workshop in 2013!

    Next year, with their new and improved Navigating MAP-21 Workshops, the Advocacy Advance team will be ready to help even more communities take advantage of funding opportunities in the new transportation law.

    Act quickly, and Advocacy Advance could help you accelerate bike/ped funding in your community. Apply to host a Navigating MAP-21 Workshop in 2013!

    Congrats again to the Advocacy Advance team for their hard work—and for amazing results.]]> Member News 2012-11-28T18:10:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/a_cornucopia_of_communications_resources/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/a_cornucopia_of_communications_resources/#When:19:00:53Z Photo by Tom Wald

    An hour-long workshop is really great about starting more conversations than you can finish and for producing more questions than you can possibly answer.

    This past September at the Alliance Leadership Retreat, I helped facilitate several of the workshops on the communications track. Participants enjoyed the session with Mary Lauran Hall from America Bikes on developing infographics to show the results of your efforts or to explain the benefits of biking. If you weren’t able to attend the retreat, you can log in and access notes and the presentation from that session here.

    In another session, Mike Samuelson and I met with leaders from community bike shops across the country to discuss the communications outlets and messaging strategies that work for them. Check out the follow-up from the discussion.

    I’ll admit that a later session I helped facilitate on telling your organization’s story – in appeals, at events, in newsletters and media – wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I’d like to supplement the notes from that session with some source material I’ve uploaded to the Alliance Resource Library.

    One last communications highlight from this year’s Alliance Retreat was the session on planning for publications and reports that help organizations improve their arguments for pro-biking and pro-walking policies and infrastructure. The Alliance has its Benchmarking Project, Advocacy Advance and the League have an array of reports, and several organizations have commissioned economic impact studies as well. Mark Wyatt from the Iowa Bicycle Coalition talked about their economic impact report during the retreat session. You can read about the discussion we had here.

    Of course, the Alliance Resource Library also has tons of communications resources. Check them out here.

    An advocacy leader also approached me at the retreat with an idea to start a new communications forum for sharing tips and resources quickly with a more focused audience. She suggested a Facebook group. We currently have the Alliance’s PeoplePowered listserv, but if there were another outlet, would you use it? What kind of forum would you prefer?]]> Member News 2012-11-19T19:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/2_million_win_for_biking_and_walking_in_harrisonburg/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/2_million_win_for_biking_and_walking_in_harrisonburg/#When:19:00:29Z In September, Advocacy Advance Workshop participants - including four of the five City Council members and Mayor of Harrisonburg - claimed that Harrisonburg will become the bicycling capital of Virginia. Since then, they have taken a giant leap towards meeting that goal: over $2 million was invested in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in 24 hours.

    How did it happen?

    First, advocates got their projects on the list of beneficiaries of the city’s $6.7 million surplus. $443,000 was proposed to go to the Bluestone Trail and $600,000 to the Northend Greenway – a multiuse path and important connector to downtown.

    Second, advocates rallied the troops, organized and communicated through social media to get community members to attend the public hearing and support the city’s proposal of how to spend the $6.7 million surplus funds. The City Council unanimously approved the plan in its standing-room-only chambers.

    And that’s not all!

    Before the meeting, Suzy Carter, Program Director of the Northend Greenways, learned that both bike/ped projects qualify for Virginia DOT’s revenue sharing program. This means that the City could use its investment and apply for 1:1 matching funds from the state.

    At the end of the Council meeting, the City Manager proposed that Council allow him to apply for the matching funds - giving credit to the Northend Greenway for discovering this opportunity - and Council approved it unanimously.

    Once VDOT approves the matching funds, the total investment will be over $2 million, funding both the Bluestone Trail and Northend Greenway, a major success for local advocates.

    Photo: Aaron Harper Johnston Photography]]> Member News 2012-11-14T19:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/anchorage_advocates_close_in_on_1.3_million_federal_funds_for_bikes/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/anchorage_advocates_close_in_on_1.3_million_federal_funds_for_bikes/#When:15:00:10Z
    Earlier this month, Anchorage advocates celebrated a major step towards implementation of the region’s bike plan - increasing the budget for funding projects from $1 million to $2.3 million.

    The Anchorage Metro Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) is the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). AMATS has been reviewing how it would distribute federal dollars to transportation projects in Anchorage through 2014.

    Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage (BCA) saw the proposed budget and noticed that bicycles were largely left out of the equation, despite a bike plan they helped to develop. The plan was unanimously passed by the Anchorage Assembly in 2010, but implementation of it was not widely reflected in the budget.

    Over one hundred members and supporters of the Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage sent letters to the MPO’s Technical Advisory Committee—the committee that votes on the budget. Thirty-five bicyclists attended a Thursday afternoon meeting of the Committee on November 1.

    In letters and in person, community members told their stories, “highlighting that the way (they) spend federal money is important to every day lives; that it can make (them) safer, improve traffic congestion, improve motorist awareness of bicyclists and how to share the road, support healthier lives, create a more livable and desirable city, and support businesses,” said BCA President Brian Litmans.

    At the meeting, Committee member Lance Wilber, Director of People Mover (Anchorage’s transit system), proposed that by moving some of the $19 million around, $1.3 million could be shifted to implementation of the bike plan. The other Committee members approved the revised budget.

    However, it is not the end. The AMATS Policy Committee must confirm the final budget. Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage will continue to mobilize community support for the budget. If successful, $2.3 federal funds will be used for bicycle infrastructure in Anchorage.

    Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage—along with Alaska Trails, Alaska State Parks, and the National Park Service’s Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program—hosted an Advocacy Advance Workshop in May. Participants learned opportunities to tap federal dollars at the local level, and how to craft an advocacy campaign to do so.]]> Member News 2012-11-13T15:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/hurricane_sandy_and_bike_relief/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/hurricane_sandy_and_bike_relief/#When:19:44:28Z
    This post is from Helen Ho, Development Director at Recycle-A-Bicycle in New York City:

    Thank you so much to everyone from near and far who is helping to support efforts in the clean up and recovery of Hurricane Sandy and keeping us in your thoughts. In New York City, Recycle-A-Bicycle’s own warehouse and job training center received three feet of water in the storm surge that came with the hurricane and caused an electrical fire in the building. Though we still have no heat at any of our locations, we are keeping our fingers warm by fixing up bikes for our partners and friends helping with hurricane relief.

    Here are some short videos from Staten Island and the Rockaways that give you some idea of the devastating impact of Sandy. The recovery effort will take months if not years, and Recycle-A-Bicycle is actively helping in the recovery.  Even now, most impacted locations have no heat, water, power and very little cell phone service. There is a severe gas shortage and bicycles can play an important role in delivering food, supplies, transportation and information. In Red Hook, Brooklyn right now bike messengers travelling from building to building are the primary way residents in the neighborhood are receiving information about where hot food and supplies are being distributed on a day to day basis.

    In our own way we are trying to make a contribution to our neighbors recovery. This week we’ve delivered 8 bikes, racks and baskets to 2 neighborhoods for food and supply distribution. This Saturday, we’ll be setting up a mobile bike shop in Red Hook.  We’ve been actively talking to our partners about how to help and will continue to donate and repair bikes for organizations that need them.

    Our friends [at Bicycle Transportation Alliance] in Oregon reached out and very generously set this page up for us so that we can work overtime to put together more bikes to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Please help us spread the word and help us support relief efforts if you can. Thanks so much.

    ]]> Member News 2012-11-09T19:44:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/communities_drive_budgeting_process_in_chicago/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/communities_drive_budgeting_process_in_chicago/#When:12:50:48Z The Active Transportation Alliance seeks to engage Chicago residents as part of a community-driven budgeting process to increase local funding for walking, biking and transit infrastructure projects.

    Last month, Chicago launched a multi-district (“ward”) Participatory Budgeting pilot project that will give residents more power in deciding how to spend local infrastructure funds. Each ward has a budget of $1 million to spend, for a total of $4 million.

    The process is centered on residents’ identification of infrastructure needs and proposed projects for their wards that would be prioritized to receive “Menu Money” for construction/implementation. In May, 2013, the wards’ residents vote for those projects they believe best meet community needs, and the aldermen submit the top projects to the city for implementation.

    ActiveTrans will host a Better Blocks Workshop to assist residents with identifying barriers to biking and walking in their community, and with proposing solutions for the Participatory Budgeting ballot. They will also host a Transportation Proposal Session in each of the four wards to help community committees develop residents’ ideas into full project proposals.

    Advocacy Advance awarded ActiveTrans a Rapid Response Grant from to support their work to maximize this unique opportunity to secure more funding for local active transportation infrastructure.

    Engaging their supporters in Participatory Budgeting could increase local funding for biking and walking infrastructure. Results of the budgeting vote will be announced in May 2013 and Active Trans will monitor funds allocations and project implementation to measure success.]]> Member News 2012-11-08T12:50:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_leadership_retreat_share_innovation_and_best_practices/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_leadership_retreat_share_innovation_and_best_practices/#When:18:44:57Z
    With 116 advocacy leaders of 80 organizations from 36 states and provinces across North America, the 2012 Leadership Retreat was the largest and most successful Alliance gathering to date. The group gathered for 3 days in early September in Long Beach, CA to regroup, recharge and learn from the successes of their peers. The Retreat featured 30 workshop sessions divided into various tracks, including communications, fundraising, board development, broadening our movement and more. Along with these workshops, advocates also had plenty of time to connect with each other during unstructured periods of the Retreat.

    One of the themes throughout the Leadership Retreat was engaging new communities and groups around biking and walking. One workshop that addressed this critical topic was centered around Open Streets—and how organizations can use Open Streets initiatives to work with new partners. Participants identified potential partners and what roles they might play during Open Streets. For example, organizers might engage a dance studio to provide free classes along the route, while local businesses may serve as supporters and advocate for Open Streets with local politicians.  You can view the full list of potential partners that was developed in the Resources Library (and we also did a similar workshop at a conference this past May). You can view the outputs from that meeting here.

    We know that not everyone could attend the Leadership Retreat, and even those of you who did attend weren’t able to attend all of the workshop sessions that you were interested in. Fortunately, we were able to capture the discussions at many of the sessions, and we are excited to share these notes with Alliance member organizations. You can view all the notes that were collected in our Resources Library.]]> Member News 2012-11-07T18:44:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_across_borders_at_the_georgia-lina_summit/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_across_borders_at_the_georgia-lina_summit/#When:18:18:36Z

    Photos of the Georgia-lina Bike Summit from Georgia Bikes! This past month, advocates from both sides of the Savannah River came together at Augusta State University in Augusta, GA, for the Georgia-lina Bike Summit.

    
    This Peach-Palmetto gathering is the first of its kind and marks the first state summit for South Carolina and the third statewide summit for Georgia. Georgia Bikes!, Palmetto Cycling Coalition, Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, Wheel Movement, and the Augusta Sports Council co-hosted the event.

    Representatives from state and local government, from universities, planning and engineering professionals, and leaders of the bicycle community – advocates, club members and the business community – came together to network, learn from each other and share their excitement about the possibilities for improving biking in their communities and states.

    Brent Buice, Executive Director of Georgia Bikes!, was enthusiastic about the crowd that the summit brought together. “I was very pleased to see how diverse the group was,” said Brent. “People from different backgrounds and locations, men and women, and folks of all ages came to share their excitement for biking and how to make improvements in both states.”

    Discussions at this summit focused on eliminating the gender gap in bicycling, engaging sport and competitive cyclists in advocacy and showcasing the victories in communities in both states. The summit also included a session on moving from tragedy to proactive advocacy led by Peter Wilborn of BikeLaw.com and a keynote speech from the Alliance’s own Jeff Miller.

    “Summits like this inspire people to action,” said Amy Johnson, Executive Director of Palmetto Cycling Coalition. “They feel connected and get new ideas and energy.”

    “One advocate from Greenville saw Brent’s presentation on their Complete Streets policy – and now he wants to bring that idea back to his own community,” said Amy. “As a result of this summit, we’re building a volunteer base to push Complete Streets across the state.”

    This first summit connecting advocates across state lines holds promise for future gatherings.

    “There are so many border cities where the work we do impacts people across state lines,” said Brent. “We’re definitely exploring ways we can collaborate with other states for future summits.”

    For more information on the Georgia-lina Bike Summit, check out GeorgiaBikeSummit.org.]]> Member News 2012-11-02T18:18:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/North_Carolina_Bike_Summit/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/North_Carolina_Bike_Summit/#When:18:00:37Z A group of participants at the North Carolina Bike Summit.

    Over 180 bike advocates of all stripes brought their enthusiasm and energy to the inaugural North Carolina Bike Summit in Raleigh, NC, in mid-October.

    This first statewide bike summit has been years in the making and is the result of building momentum across North Carolina. Plans for regional workshops within the Raleigh-Durham Triangle became part of a broader discussion with bicycle advocacy leaders in communities across the state. Growing from the energy of those who attended the National Bike Summit and encouraged by the Alliance’s coaching and support, the NC Bike Summit brought enthusiastic attendees together to meet, connect, socialize, learn from each other and ride together.

    East Coast Greenway Alliance, New Belgium Brewing and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) provided support for the event, as did several representatives from the bike industry from across the state. Andy Clarke from the League of American Bicyclists gave a well-received keynote address. NCDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Division director Lauren Blackburn was also on hand to present progress on the state’s updated bike/ped master plan.

    “The timing for the summit couldn’t have been better,” said Jennifer Baldwin, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Raleigh. “NCDOT presented their updated bike/ped master plan and had the opportunity to gain tons of feedback from advocates across the state.”

    The summit convened representatives from the advocacy community, bike clubs, local government, nonprofits, law enforcement, planning and engineering professionals, and the business community (including industry and bike shops).

    “It wasn’t just advocates,” said Steven Hardy-Braz, who sits on the board of the North Carolina Active Transportation Alliance, an Alliance member organization. “It wasn’t just bike store owners, or planners, or government officials. People of all different backgrounds attended, and there was a nice blend of programming for everyone.”

    “I’ve seen the progress other states have made once they bring everyone together at a summit,” said Claudia Nix, owner of Liberty Bicycles in Asheville and local advocacy leader. “This summit shows that we really want to make a difference as a state, and taking this huge step was exhilarating!”

    Participants in this year’s summit are already getting geared up for next year’s event. In the future, the organizers hope to expand the program to include more offerings for youth programs and bike education, bike tourism and sport and recreational riding.

    “We’re really interested in hosting this in identified bicycle friendly universities and communities so people from all over the state can see what their ideas look like as they’re implemented,” said Steven. “We also want to be able to show that bicycling means good business for the community and to point out the return on investment in bicycle facilities.“

    “The City of Raleigh was an incredible host for the summit and provided great support toward its success,” Steven added. “Their greenway system and on-road improvements were admired by many, and summit attendees will be back for more.”

    Information on the North Carolina Bike Summit is coming soon and will be located at NCBikeSummit.org.]]> Member News 2012-10-31T18:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/campaigns_training_pushes_advocacy_in_the_midwest/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/campaigns_training_pushes_advocacy_in_the_midwest/#When:10:53:53Z Fifteen advocates from three states roll up their sleeves to take action on campaigns they planned at the most recent Winning Campaigns Training in Kansas City, Missouri. Eight organizations were represented including KanBikeWalk, Tulsa Hub, Trailnet and the Sierra Club.

    Hosted by BikeWalkKC, participants of the Alliance’s signature training gained the tools to craft and manage their powerful advocacy campaigns. Participants experienced the results of BikeWalkKC’s advocacy efforts on a bike share ride to the Heart of America Bridge, Riverfront Heritage Trail, and new facilities on Southwest Boulevard.

    This affordable training wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Planet Bike, VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, SRAM, Bikes Belong, AARP, Alta Planning + Design, Clif Bar, Team Estrogen, Sun Bicycles and Specialized.

    Stay tuned for the 2013 Winning Campaigns Schedule!]]> Member News 2012-10-30T10:53:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/family_biking_workshops_in_marin_county/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/family_biking_workshops_in_marin_county/#When:17:48:10Z

    

    Photos from the Family Biking Workshop Series As part of a continuing focus on educating and encouraging families to bike together, Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) is working with Alta Planning + Design to offer the free Family Biking Workshop Series.
    

    Building off of MCBC’s previous work with family trainings and “Riding with Youth,” the series takes kids and parents through four hands-on sessions where they can learn with guided practice.

    As the series progresses, students move from learning indoors to outside and from the bike rodeo to the street. Starting with the basics of safety and riding techniques, MCBC provides interactive lessons to teach parents and kids together.

    “By teaching the whole family, you create a family memory around biking,” says Wendi Kallins, Safe Routes to School Program Director at MCBC. “Kids and parents learn and practice together, and, as a result, they’re more likely to continue to ride together.”

    To fund the program, the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission has taken advantage of CMAQ funding to offer mini-grants for short-term project implementation.

    For more information on the Family Biking Workshop Series by Marin County Bicycle Coalition and Alta Planning + Design, click here. Check out their poster, too.]]> Member News 2012-10-29T17:48:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/welcome_andrea_our_new_benchmarking_project_manager/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/welcome_andrea_our_new_benchmarking_project_manager/#When:17:00:35Z Today, the Alliance is proud to announce that Andrea Milne is succeeding Kristen Steele (Swanson) as the Benchmarking Project Manager.

    Beginning in 2010, Milne worked as the Benchmarking Project Research Assistant and provided research and production support for the current Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report. In her new role as Benchmarking Project Manager, Andrea will coordinate the many partners, officials and academic reviewers to produce the 2014 Benchmarking Report.

    “I’m looking forward to working more closely with advocates, researchers and implementers around the country and continuing to produce a high-quality Benchmarking Report that the biking and walking community has come to appreciate and use,” said Andrea.

    The Benchmarking Report has proven an essential tool for advocates, agency staff, elected officials, and media across the U.S. After a national search we are delighted to have Andrea step up into this leadership role with her significant experience needed to make this a top notch resource used by communities across the U.S.

    After earning a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan, Andrea worked as a freelance researcher and publication designer, producing reports and informational materials on numerous urban planning initiatives, including biking and walking developments. She serves on her community’s bicycle advisory committee and seeks out ways to participate in local, state and national conversations on improving mobility for people of all ages and abilities.

    “After growing the Benchmarking Project for nearly six years and producing three Benchmarking Reports, I’m delighted to have a trusted colleague with fresh ideas and significant experience taking charge,” said Kristen Steele (Swanson), author of the Benchmarking Reports in 2007, 2010, and 2012. “Andrea played a critical role in the success of the 2012 Benchmarking Report, and I know she will do a fantastic job coordinating the many partners, advisors and agencies who help make this resource possible.”

    Welcome, Andrea!]]> Member News 2012-10-26T17:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocates_agency_staff_local_electeds_u.s._senator_agree_bikeability_counts/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocates_agency_staff_local_electeds_u.s._senator_agree_bikeability_counts/#When:23:02:50Z Rochester, New York was the location for Advocacy Advance’s first Action 2020 Workshop since the new transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) went into effect. Forty participants collaborated on ways to maximize active transportation dollars available to the region.

    U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Rochester Cycling Alliance, City of Rochester, and Genesee Transportation Council (Rochester’s Metropolitan Planning Organization) hosted the workshop. The Senator’s support for maximizing federal bicycle and pedestrian funding in New York State was echoed by Rochester mayor Thomas Richards, who stressed the need for livability improvements to revitalize the rustbelt city in its post-Kodak era.

    “The most useful part of this workshop was understanding the way funding has changed, what is expected (of applications), who to talk with and what can be funded,” said Rudolph Harris from Conkey Cruisers, a grassroots organization working to utilize bicycling to get neighbors moving towards a more active healthy lifestyle.

    Two exciting announcements were made at the workshop that recognize and bolster Rochester’s active transportation efforts. The League of American Bicyclists presented Mayor Richards with a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community award – the only city other than New York City to receive a BFC designation in the state. Additionally, the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency announced the much-anticipated Transportation Specialist position, funded by the Center for Disease Control. Monroe County’s partnership with the CDC and commitment to professionally promote active transportation is a model for communities and states around the country.

    “This workshop - and seeing the support for active transportation - re-energizes me,” said Steve Beauvais from the New York State Department of Transportation.  “It was the discussion we wanted and needed to have” added Rich Perrin, Executive Director of the Genesee Transportation Council.

    After collaboratively developing local priorities, participants left with a plan to organize local decision makers throughout the state to ask Governor Andrew Cuomo to spend federal transportation funds on bicycle and pedestrian projects.

    Advocacy Advance workshops are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and resources to access untapped or under-utilized federal funding sources at the state, regional and local level to build bicycling and walking infrastructure and programs. With a focus on navigating the new federal transportation bill, MAP-21, workshop participants learn how to maximize funding in the new Transportation Alternatives program and utilize all MAP-21 funding programs for bicycle and pedestrian projects at the state and local levels.

    for information on applying for or attending a workshop in your community.]]> Member News 2012-10-25T23:02:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/navigating_map-21_workshop_applications_due_october_26/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/navigating_map-21_workshop_applications_due_october_26/#When:21:47:49Z There are two weeks left to apply to host an Advocacy Advance Navigating MAP-21 Workshop in 2013.

    Advocacy Advance has facilitated workshops to over 500 participants around the country since 2011. These workshops are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and resources to access untapped or under-utilized federal funding sources at the state, regional and local level to build bicycling and walking infrastructure and programs. With a focus on the new transportation bill, Navigating MAP-21 Workshop participants will learn how to maximize funding in the new Transportation Alternatives program and utilize all MAP-21 funding programs for bike/ped at the state and local levels.

    “This workshop provided excellent resources, and most importantly, empowered the attendees to take action to improve the funding picture.”  - Sandy Fry, Capital Region Council of Governments (Hartford, CT), Principal Transportation Planner

    “I’m going to be more effective at a base level because I have more knowledge. On another level, I expanded my group of contacts, from the federal down to local levels. I’ve got a lot more tools in the toolbox for our next discussion with GDOT.”  - Brent Buice, Georgia Bikes

    Who should attend?

    Navigating MAP-21 Workshops are intended to bring together bicycle and pedestrian advocates, government agency staff, and elected officials.

    How long is the training?

    Navigating MAP-21 Workshops are one day.

    How much does it cost?

    Navigating MAP-21 Workshops are offered for free, thanks to the generous support of SRAM Cycling Fund.

    What are the goals of Navigating MAP 21 Workshops?

    During the workshops, participants will:

    • Learn how to maximize funding in the new Transportation Alternatives program
    • Learn how to utilize all MAP-21 funding programs for bike/ped at the state and local level
    • Learn the key characteristics, requirements, and opportunities of these programs
    • Discuss favorable factors for bicycling and walking investments
    • Understand the important role of advocates, agency staff, and elected officials in securing this funding
    • Share knowledge and experiences in the local context, working together to develop a list of local priorities and strategies for funding bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs

    How do I apply to host a Navigating MAP 21 Workshop?

    If you are interested in applying to host a workshop in 2013, dowload the application here. Applications are due October 26, 2012. If you have any questions, or want to include an abbreviated curriculum in a state bike summit or other event, contact Brighid O’Keane at .

    Register to attend our final workshops in 2012 in New Orleans, LA on Friday, November 2. Click here for Advocacy Advance’s Navigating MAP-21 campaign resources and learn how you can get involved in your state’s campaign. ]]> Member News 2012-10-16T21:47:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/progress_and_promise_in_lee_county_florida/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/progress_and_promise_in_lee_county_florida/#When:20:04:03Z
    In their new report, BikeWalkLee is shedding some sunlight on the bike/ped improvements Lee County has made in the past two years as well as some of the projects in the works.

    With both quantitative and qualitative accounts, the report shows results in terms of linear miles of improvements as well as of the way improvements connect existing infrastructure, enhance safety or provide wayfinding. The report is available in its entirety here, or you can check out the BikeWalkLee blog for installments that feature each area of the county.

    In the past three years, the county has worked to implement its complete streets policy (adopted in 2009), and last year the MPO completed a master plan that identifies existing and planned biking and walking facilities as well as gaps in service.

    “The county is making impressive progress towards the goal, as adopted in the Lee County MPO countywide bicycle and pedestrian master plan, of filling the many gaps in our bike/ped network,” said Darla Letourneau of BikeWalkLee’s Steering Group.

    In addition to its role in documenting the county’s progress, the report serves as an educational and promotional tool to get people out biking and walking. The report breaks down the improvements in each of the municipalities within the county so that residents can easily learn about the improvements near them.

    “One of our goals in issuing this report is to inform our residents and visitors about the new walking and biking opportunities throughout the county and to encourage them to get out there and have an active lifestyle,” says Darla.

    For more information, visit BikeWalkLee.org.]]> Member News 2012-10-16T20:04:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/planet_bike_donates_products_to_community_bike_shops_across_the_continent/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/planet_bike_donates_products_to_community_bike_shops_across_the_continent/#When:15:00:48Z
    Community bike shops are preparing for a busy fall with a little extra product to give to participants in their youth programs. Planet Bike, working with the Alliance, has donated over $20,000 worth of gear to community bike shops across North America to support their important work.

    “These products will be so amazingly helpful for our programs!” said Ren Barger, of Tulsa Hub. “And perfect timing, since we are about to kick-off the youth activities again now that school is starting.”

    Through their working in teaching the fundamentals of bike maintenance, community bike shops have shown that they are an important part of getting people on bikes and empowering communities to take control of their transportation needs.  In recognition of this important role, Planet Bike offered a selection of lights, fenders, pumps and more to community bike shops.  Planet Bike was particularly interested in the work that community bike shops do to help children, including youth earn-a-bike programs and education.

    “Our country is hurting right now and helping every child find that right bike to ride, no matter their parent’s economic circumstances, is one small way to get things going in the right direction,” said Jay Ferm, Advocacy Director for Planet Bike.

    This is the second time in the last year that the Alliance has helped to facilitate a donation of merchandise from one of our sponsors.  Last December, Specialized donated product to community bike shops just in time for Christmas.

    “We are so excited to work with Planet Bike, one of the Alliance’s strongest supporters over the years, to donate merchandise to these deserving shops,” said Jeff Miller, Alliance President/CEO. “The Alliance is continuing to develop new ways we can serve community bike shops.”

    In-kind donations to nonprofit community bike shops are tax-deductible. If your business has product it would like to donate to these community programs, please contact Mike Samuelson at .]]> Member News 2012-10-15T15:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bike_delaware_pushes_candidates_to_support_bicycle_and_pedestrian_funding/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bike_delaware_pushes_candidates_to_support_bicycle_and_pedestrian_funding/#When:11:53:59Z Election day is less than one month away; do you know where your candidates stand on bicycle and pedestrian issues? Bike Delaware is on its way to find out, with support from an Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant.

    Delaware is known for its bike-friendly Governor, Jack Markell, and we’ve shared their success story of winning unprecedented state dollars for bike/ped. However, one big win is not enough. Because of the turnover in the Delaware legislature, it is critical to identify and elect champions that will maintain previous – and unprecedented – funding levels for bicycle and pedestrian programs and projects.

    Bike Delaware will use the $3,000 Rapid Response Grant to conduct a survey of every candidate running for general assembly and governor and get as may state legislators as possible on record on the specific issue of authorized state capital funding for bike/ped for FY2014. With a budget of only $15,000, this grant will support critical activities of a dedicated, burgeoning organization.  The campaign is certainly urgent, with elections less than one month away.

    Bike Delaware’s distributed membership base will ensure that nearly all legislators will receive a direct request for a response from within their district.

    The candidate survey will build off of their 2010 survey, which has been used as a best practice in the recent Advocacy Advance report, “An Advocate’s Guide to Elections: Making Campaigns Work for Bicycling & Walking”, and was used to launch their successful “Walkable, Bikeable Delaware” campaign.

    “Candidate questionnaires and surveys can help advocacy groups gauge the level of knowledge and commitment of candidates on bicycling and walking issues,” says Darren Flusche, Policy Director of the League of American Bicyclists and Advocacy Advance. “Surveys educate candidates and can inform the activities of advocates after the election.”

    For the state’s FY2013 budget, Bike Delaware won over $13 million in authorized state-dedicated bike/ped funding. However, state funding is just the first step; the second step is using state funding to compete for matching federal transportation dollars. Bike Delaware estimates that a win for FY2014 could be as much as $20 million in total funding.

    “Strong elected leaders, who support bicycling and walking, are critical to the work of advocates and to the lives of everyone who bikes and walks,” says Darren Flusche. “Elections matter.”

    The Advocacy Advance report continues with key tips for developing your survey:

    • Select questions that cover a variety of issues.
    • Select questions that matter to the community in terms of bicycling and waling and related transportation issues.
    • Questions that focus on issues of importance to your organization may be included so long as they are not biages, i.e. not worded so as to indicate the “right” response or otherwise reflect your organization’s agenda.
    • Consider whether you want the candidate’s response to be yes/no, support/oppose, multiple choice, or in an open-ended format. This will be determined by how you intend to use the information.
    • Give all candidates for the office an equal opportunity to participate
    • In general, if you think the question is biased or will elicit a response that will clearly indicate your preference for or against a particular candidate, you probably shouldn’t ask it.

    Thanks to the support of SRAM Cycling Fund, Advocacy Advance - the dynamic partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists - has $18,500 remaining to fund organizations met with urgent and unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. There is no application deadline for these rolling grants and accepted proposals will be funded within one month. Visit the Advocacy Advance website or for more information.

    ]]> Member News 2012-10-12T11:53:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/thank_you_jeremy/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/thank_you_jeremy/#When:18:24:48Z
    For over five years, Jeremy Grandstaff has coached, facilitated, and trained state and local advocates in hundreds of communities across North America.

    Jeremy is leaving the Alliance today. As the Member Services Director, Jeremy played the lead role in core Alliance programs that have grown and benefited nearly every state and local organization.

    “Jeremy’s contagious enthusiasm and passion for making our communities better places to walk and bike has been a driving force within the Alliance,” says Jeffrey Miller, President/CEO of the Alliance. “This has resulted in stronger biking and walking organizations leading better campaigns and focusing their resources to bring about real results. I know hundreds of leaders around the continent join me in thanking Jeremy for his commitment and skills,” Miller adds.

    While at the Alliance, Jeremy helped grow membership to just over 200 organizations (70% growth), increased coaching, tripled trainings, and developed the strategic planning program.

    “Indeed many of us are not only grateful for his commitment and energy but are inspired by Jeremy.” shares Miller. “We wish him the very best.”

    We encourage you to share your appreciation by emailing Jeremy at .]]> Member News 2012-10-01T18:24:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/indycog_partners_with_local_brewery_to_educate_both_cyclists_motorists/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/indycog_partners_with_local_brewery_to_educate_both_cyclists_motorists/#When:17:00:01Z
    

    INDYCOG is partnering with Sun King Brewing Company to deliver a message of mutual respect on our roadways.  The Coaster Safety messaging, which is part of an overall campaign known as Riders in the Know, consists of six messages: three focused on motorists and three on cyclists. These messages are designed to educate and mitigate conflict on our roadways.

    Sun King will be printing these messages on 20,000 drink coasters that they will distribute to bars and restaurants in the Indianapolis-area who carry their product. The first two messages began circulating in early September, while the other four messages will be released with other local breweries over the fall and winter months.

    “Sun King is focused on making our community a better place to live and work. We love working with INDYCOG to spread the word about bicycle advocacy and this coaster project is a great way to get the word about bicycle safety out all over Indy,’ said Clay Robinson, Brewer/Co-Owner of Sun King Brewing Company.

    “While crashes between bicycles and automobiles are not common (17% of all bicycle crashes), we would like to reduce that number to zero. We feel by concentrating our messaging on 6 of the most common causes for collisions between these two groups, we can contribute to working towards that goal,” said Kevin Whited, Executive Director, INDYCOG.

    For more information on the Riders in the Know project or other information on bicycle safety, please visit INDYCOG.]]> Member News 2012-10-01T17:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/navigating_map-21_webin/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/navigating_map-21_webin/#When:15:53:53Z States have a lot of flexibility in how they spend their transportation funds. Bicycling and walking projects can be built using funds intended for safety, congestion mitigation and air quality, and general transportation purposes.

    Last week’s Advocacy Advance webinar, “Maximizing Eligibility for Bicycling and Walking Projects under MAP-21,”  shared examples of how advocates have taken advantage of the full range of transportation programs in the new transportation bill, MAP-21.

    You can hear a recording of the webinar and download slides here.

    Also available are the past webinars in the Navigating MAP-21 series:

    • “The ABCs of MAP-21”
    • “Navigating MAP-21: The Safe Routes to School Edition”
    • “Winning Bike Funding under Transportation Alternative”

    Advocacy Advance has been joined by advocates from America Bikes, Safe Routes to School National Partnership, Bike Delaware, Bicycle Alliance of Washington, League of Illinois Bicyclists, Active Transportation Alliance, and Wyoming Bicycle & Trails Association for this webinar series.

    ]]> Member News 2012-10-01T15:53:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/improving_messaging_around_walking/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/improving_messaging_around_walking/#When:17:14:02Z

    A common challenge discussed at the Alliance Leadership Retreat and ProWalk/ProBike this year was creating effective messaging to promote walking. It’s difficult to form a communication platform around walking. How we naturally move from place to place is something so simple and fundamental that talking about it should be easier.

    Two new resources out of California are helping to promote discussion around walking for advocates. This summer, California WALKS Network released Messaging for Walkability as a guide for pedestrian advocates. Messaging for Walkability includes messaging statements, supporting facts and personal accounts that support the messaging statements for sixteen walking topics, including:

    • Walking for public health
    • Walking in rural communities
    • Walking and older adults
    • Walking to nearby destinations

    
    To download a PDF copy of the guide, visit CaliforniaWalks.org.

    Another resource out of the Golden State, Communication for Pedestrian Safety: Risk, Response and Change from the California Department of Public Health Pedestrian Safety Program discusses and provides case examples on walking messaging in two parts, Communicating for Change and Risk Communication for Pedestrian Safety. In addition to providing examples of effective messaging, this guide goes into detail on planning and executing a successful communication campaign. The resource also provides sample press releases and other templates to help you improve your communication strategy. View and download a PDF of Communication for Pedestrian Safety.

    Additionally, WalkBoston has produced some really great pamphlets and publications to get their message across. In particular check out:

    • About Walking
    • Good Walking is Good Business
    • Walk Your Way to Health

    
    For more information, visit WalkBoston.

    Hopefully these resources will assist walking and walk-bike organizations in crafting appropriate messaging in walking campaigns.]]> Member News 2012-09-28T17:14:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/living_streets_alliance_focuses_on_pedestrian_safety_comfort/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/living_streets_alliance_focuses_on_pedestrian_safety_comfort/#When:17:00:35Z
    Photos from LSA’s Pedestrian Safety & Comfort Forum
    

    Living Streets Alliance (LSA) has pledged “to make the simple act of walking safe, comfortable, and convenient in the greater Tucson area” with the launch of their Pedestrian Safety & Comfort campaign.

    This summer, LSA hosted a Pedestrian Safety & Comfort Forum with local leaders and government agency staff. During the forum, the group reviewed the results of the Walk Friendly Communities Assessment Tool to gauge the current state of Tucson’s walkability, both to understand improvements the city might make and to provide the baseline to measure the impact of such improvements.

    The forum generated several concrete steps the city is beginning to take to make Tucson more comfortable and safe for walking, and LSA has prioritized six initiatives in their campaign:

    1. Pedestrian Friendly Policies
    2. Neighborhood Walking Audits
    3. Community Walking Promotion, including the “I Want to Walk” campaign
    4. Pedestrian Master Plan
    5. Pedestrian Improvement Funding
    6. A Safe, “Walk Friendly” Community

    For more information on the LSA Pedestrian Safety & Comfort Campaign, visit LivingStreetsAlliance.org.

    To bolster this campaign and support the work of Living Streets Alliance, Advocacy Advance, a partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists, has awarded the organization a 2012 Capacity Building Grant.]]> Member News 2012-09-27T17:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/webinar_today_maximizing_eligibility_in_map-21/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/webinar_today_maximizing_eligibility_in_map-21/#When:09:12:22Z Register now for this afternoon’s Navigating MAP-21 webinar, “Maximizing eligibility for bicycling and walking projects under MAP-21”. This Advocacy Advance webinar will discuss states’ flexibilities to build bicycling and walking projects using funds intended for safety, congestion mitigation and air quality, and general transportation purposes.

    Join Blake Trask, Statewide Policy Director for the Bicycle Alliance of Washington; Caron Whitaker, Campaign Director of America Bikes; James Wilson, Executive Director of Bike Delaware; and Darren Flusche, Policy Director for the League of American Bicyclists to hear and share examples of how advocates have taken advantage of the full range of transportation programs.

    The webinar is today at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Register now! ]]> Member News 2012-09-26T09:12:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/register_today_navigating_map-21_eligibility_webinar/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/register_today_navigating_map-21_eligibility_webinar/#When:15:27:07Z States have a lot of flexibility in how they spend their transportation funds. Bicycling and walking projects can be built using funds intended for safety, congestion mitigation and air quality, and general transportation purposes.

    Join us for the next webinar in our Navigating MAP-21 series: “Maximizing eligibility for bicycling and walking projects under MAP-21”. The webinar will be next Wednesday, September 26 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. This webinar will share examples of how advocates have taken advantage of the full range of transportation programs. Register now!

    Recordings and slides from the previous webinars in the Navigating MAP-21 series can be found here:

    1) The ABCs of MAP-21

    2) Navigating MAP-21: The Safe Routes to School Edition

    3) Winning Bike Funding under Transportation Alternatives]]> Member News 2012-09-20T15:27:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/now_available_steps_to_a_walkable_community/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/now_available_steps_to_a_walkable_community/#When:16:30:33Z
    America Walks and Sam Schwartz Engineering have just released a new publication: Steps to a Walkable Community: A Guide for Citizens, Planners, and Engineers. This guide features tactics to create more walk-friendly communities from across the disciplines of advocacy, land use, policy, design and engineering, encouragement and enforcement.

    The comprehensive guide also provides vignettes and case studies to demonstrate effective practices for a built environment, policies and programs that encourage walking and make healthier communities.

    Download a free copy of the report, or order a $40 hardcopy by emailing . Additionally, the WalkSteps.org website will be launching in October as a forum to discuss best practices in creating more walkable communities.

    With material from the Winning Campaigns Training curriculum, the Alliance for Biking & Walking co-authored the Advocacy section of this guide, and we are partnering with America Walks on other aspects of the Walking Action Network. Stay tuned for more information in the coming month on this collaborative initiative.]]> Member News 2012-09-19T16:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/apply_to_host_an_advocacy_advance_navigating_map-21_workshop/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/apply_to_host_an_advocacy_advance_navigating_map-21_workshop/#When:10:53:55Z Applications are now available to host an Advocacy Advance workshop in your community.

    Advocacy Advance - the partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists - has facilitated Action 2020 Workshops (now called “Navigating MAP-21 Workshops”) to over 500 participants around the country since 2011. These workshops are designed to provide the knowledge, skills and resources to access untapped or under-utilized federal funding sources at the state, regional and local level to build bicycling and walking infrastructure and programs.

    “This workshop provided excellent resources, and most importantly, empowered the attendees to take action to improve the funding picture.”  - Sandy Fry, Capital Region Council of Governments (Hartford, CT), Principal Transportation Planner

    With a focus on the new transportation bill, Navigating MAP-21 Workshop participants will learn how to maximize funding in the new Transportation Alternatives program and utilize all MAP-21 funding programs for bike/ped at the state and local levels.

    “I’m going to be more effective at a base level because I have more knowledge. On another level, I expanded my group of contacts, from the federal down to local levels. I’ve got a lot more tools in the toolbox for our next discussion with GDOT.”  - Brent Buice, Georgia Bikes

    Who should attend?

    Navigating MAP-21 Workshops are intended to bring together: bicycle and pedestrian advocates, government agency staff, and elected officials

    How long is the training?

    Navigating MAP-21 Workshops are one day.

    How much does it cost?

    Navigating MAP-21 Workshops are offered for free, thanks to the generous support of SRAM Cycling Fund.

    What are the goals of Navigating MAP 21 Workshops?

    During the workshops, participants will:

    • Learn how to maximize funding in the new Transportation Alternatives program
    • Learn how to utilize all MAP-21 funding programs for bike/ped at the state and local level
    • Learn the key characteristics, requirements, and opportunities of these programs
    • Discuss favorable factors for bicycling and walking investments
    • Understand the important role of advocates, agency staff, and elected officials in securing this funding
    • Share knowledge and experiences in the local context, working together to develop a list of local priorities and strategies for funding bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs

    How do I apply to host a Navigating MAP 21 Workshop?

    If you are interested in applying to host a workshop in 2013, dowload the application here and submit it to Brighid O’Keane at Brighid@PeoplePoweredMovement.org. Applications are due October 26, 2012. Online registration is open for our final two workshops in 2012:

    • Rochester, NY October 17
    • New Orleans, LA November 2

    Click here to learn more about Advocacy Advance’s Navigating MAP-21 campaign.

    ]]> Member News 2012-09-18T10:53:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_advocacy_advance_report_the_economic_benefits_of_bicycling_infrastructu/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_advocacy_advance_report_the_economic_benefits_of_bicycling_infrastructu/#When:09:04:17Z Bicycling means business.

    From revitalizing a disinvested avenue in Memphis to pumping money into the economies of small towns along the Great Allegheny Passage, bicycling is breathing economic life into America’s communities. From quantifiable health benefits in Iowa to health insurance cost savings for Bicycle Friendly Business Quality Bicycle Products in Wisconsin, bicycling is boosting America’s economic health. From Portland, where the city built its entire bicycling network for the cost of one mile of urban freeway, to Baltimore, where bicycling projects create twice as many construction jobs per dollar as road projects, cities are discovering that bicycling investments are a cost-effective way to build infrastructure and create jobs.

    These benefits add up. Every year new studies demonstrate the economic impacts of bicycling – recent examples include Iowa, Minneapolis, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

    The new Advocacy Advance report “Bicycle Means Business: The Economic Benefits of Bicycle Infrasture” - updated from the 2009 report - highlights the impact the bicycle industry and bicycle tourism can have on state and local economies, discusses the cost effectiveness of investments, points out the benefits of bike facilities for business districts and neighborhoods, and identifies the cost savings associated with a mode shift from car to bicycle. The evidence demonstrates that investments in bicycling infrastructure make good economic sense as a cost-effective way to enhance shopping districts and communities, generate tourism and support business.

    Download the report and contact Darren Flusche, Policy Director for the League of American Bicyclists, if you have any questions.

    ]]> Member News 2012-09-17T09:04:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/capacity_grant_supports_record_funding_in_delaware/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/capacity_grant_supports_record_funding_in_delaware/#When:21:54:50Z Breaking state funding history, Bike Delaware wrapped up their successful Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grant this month.

    Bike Delaware received a $10,000 matching grant in 2011 for their Walkable, Bikeable Delaware campaign to create a national model to increase state bicycle and pedestrian funding in Delaware. Success! On June 30, the Delaware General Assembly passed its FY 2013 campaign budget, which included a $13.25 million state authorization for walking and bicycling.

    Starting with a $3,000 budget and hands-on assistance from the Advocacy Advance team, Bike Delaware’s board of 12 directors and one staff member initiated a campaign to access federal CMAQ program funds for a cycling project for the first time in Delaware’s 20-year CMAQ history. In March 2011, the Walkable Bikeable Delaware campaign was recognized by the Alliance’s “Winning Campaign of the Year.”

    Last September, Delaware’s largest MPO voted to program $480,000 of FY2012 federal CMAQ funds for a bike project. In July, the same MPO agreed to drastically reprogram Delaware’s FY2012 CMAQ funds and add another $6.4 million for bike and pedestrian improvements statewide. For 20 straight years, between 1992 and 2011, Delaware spent 0% of its available CMAQ funds on cycling.  In 2012, however, bike/ped now is 70% of Delaware’s entire CMAQ program. Since Delaware has only about 900,000 people, that represents a $15 per capita commitment by the state for FY2013.  “Change is hard.  But, when it does come, it can be fast,” says Bike Delaware’s Executive Director James Wilson.

    How did they do it? First, they built a coalition of civic and business groups to support breaking the 20-year barrier to cycling projects in Delaware’s CMAQ program. Second, they uncovered the process that Delaware’s largest MPO uses to amend the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), especially the role of its Technical Advisory Committee. Third, they deciphered the jargon that was part of the necessary paperwork and literally filled out the MPO’s paperwork. Finally, they powermapped a key decision maker to submit the TIP amendment to the Technical Advisory Committee.

    Advocacy Advance advises advocates to learn the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, HOW of the selection process:

    • Who makes the selection decisions?
    • What are the rules and requirements governing the selections (ie. Application form, criteria) and what are the barriers that negatively impact bike/ped?
    • When are applications due and selections made?
    • Why do some projects get selected and not others?
    • How do bicycle and pedestrian projects compete with motorized projects?

    Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grants, funded by Planet Bike, support the development and professionalization of state and local advocacy organizations to increase rates of biking and walking. The next round of Capacity Building Grants will be announced in early 2013. In the meantime, see the first two resources in the Alliance Guide to Fundraising series to help your organization create and implement a fundraising plan and write successful grant proposals.

    Advocacy Advance still has $21,000 in Rapid Response Grants available to fund organizations met with urgent and unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. There is no application deadline for these rolling grants and accepted proposals will be funded within one month. Visit the Advocacy Advance website or email Brighid@PeoplePoweredMovement.org for more information on our grant program.

    Since 2009, Advocacy Advance – a partnership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists – has awarded $780,000 in direct grants to over 40 state and local advocacy organizations that have used those dollars to achieve powerful improvements for biking and walking in their communities.]]> Member News 2012-09-05T21:54:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/capacity_building_grantee_celebrate_successes_in_los_angeles/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/capacity_building_grantee_celebrate_successes_in_los_angeles/#When:11:45:44Z Making major strides in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) wrapped up their Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grant this month.

    The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition received a $15,000 matching grant in 2011 to bolster their bilingual education and outreach program to empower Spanish-speaking residents who lack access to bike safety and advocacy tools. LACBC has long been seeking ways to improve the conditions for the large population of underserved Latina/o cyclists in Los Angeles and a boost in funding helped them to reach out to the part of the cycling community that rides because they can’t afford cars and are transit dependent.

    They have been actively engaging the bi-lingual community regarding Bike Plan implementation in their neighborhoods through workshops and rides, largely in South Los Angeles.  With Spanish-speaking educators, they will continue to to do this kind of outreach and deliver bike safety education information in two languages, with even more locations and community partners.  They will use this initiative as a model, and expand bike safety education in additional languages as appropriate for the communities in which they are working.

    A PSA video and poster were created with the theme “Cuidado – your family rides bikes too.” Featured on bus bench shelters throughout the city, the message reached many L.A. neighborhoods and was also used by the mayor’s office to promote the CicLAvia community event.  Additionally, LACBC was successful in their 7th Street bike lane campaign – the first actual bike lane into downtown Los Angeles runs right through an economically and culturally diverse neighborhood and is an important step in building a downtown network.

    LACBC leveraged their grant funds to raise an additional $50,000 and continues to build political power for improved bicycling in L.A. by better including populations of color.

    Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grants, funded by Planet Bike, support the development and professionalization of state and local advocacy organizations to increase rates of biking and walking. The next round of Capacity Building Grants will be announced in early 2013. In the meantime, see the first two resources in the Alliance Guide to Fundraising series to help your organization create and implement a fundraising plan and write successful grant proposals.

    Advocacy Advance currently has $21,000 in Rapid Response Grants available to fund organizations met with urgent and unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. There is no application deadline for these rolling grants and accepted proposals will be funded within one month. Visit the Advocacy Advance website or email Brighid@PeoplePoweredMovement.org for more information on our grant program.

    Since 2009, Advocacy Advance – a partnership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists – has awarded $780,000 in direct grants to over 40 state and local advocacy organizations that have used those dollars to achieve powerful improvements for biking and walking in their communities.

    ]]> Member News 2012-09-05T11:45:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/minnesota_advocates_wins_state_safe_routes_program/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/minnesota_advocates_wins_state_safe_routes_program/#When:18:17:57Z The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN) recently wrapped up an Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant to win state funding for Safe Routes to School in the 2012 capital investment / bonding bill. No dollars were appropriated, but at a result of BikeMN’s advocacy, Minnesota Legislature included the creation of a state level Safe Routes to School program within the MN Department of Transportation (MnDOT). This authorization includes all schools – even high schools, which are typically excluded from funding eligibility.

    Although not funded in the 2012 bonding bill, a SRTS request is on route to be included in the Governor’s budget proposal and with the structure of a state Safe Routes to School program in place, BikeMN proposes millions of dollars for infrastructure and non-infrastructure grants in 2013.

    Lessons Learned? Advocates in Minnesota learned that this is a very bipartisan issue – especially when you include both public and private schools and all grade levels. BikeMN was able to bring together powerful partners, which led to resolutions of support from almost 40 communities across the state. Working closely with the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society increased their standing with the MN Legislature and increase visibility of the issue. BikeMN learned that safety needs to be the primary message, and they used health as a secondary argument.

    Minnesota shares an example of a state Safe Routes to School program at a time when the new federal transportation bill, MAP-21, changes the SRTS funding landscape. Watch the webinar, “Navigating MAP-21: the Safe Routes to School Edition” for more information on what the new bill means for SRTS and its opportunities to fund your projects.

    Advocacy Advance is a partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists with the goal to double federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs and projects by supporting advocacy efforts and agency collaboration at the state and local levels. Our Rapid Response grants can be used to fund campaigns that involve all types of public funding: federal, state, regional and city.

    Funded Rapid Response campaigns included Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin’s successful campaign to restore $2 million of the state’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program, the BTA’s bike sharing success in Portland, and bridge accommodations campaigns in Minnesota and New York.

    Thanks to the support of SRAM Cycling Fund, Advocacy Advance has $21,000 remaining to fund organizations met with urgent and unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. There is no application deadline for these rolling grants and accepted proposals will be funded within one month. Visit the Advocacy Advance website or for more information on our grant program.]]> Member News 2012-09-01T18:17:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/next_navigating_map-21_webinar_september_5_register_today/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/next_navigating_map-21_webinar_september_5_register_today/#When:13:00:26Z We’re starting to hear some good news from advocates across the country who are leading their statewide MAP-21 implementation efforts, and the Advocacy Advance team is committed to working with state and local advocacy organizations ensure that states and regions use every opportunity in the new law to increase the safety and convenience of biking and walking. If you’re looking for an opportunity to get involved, get in touch with your state contact.

    This week our partners at the Safe Routes to School National Partnership hosted the webinar ““Navigating MAP-21: The Safe Routes to School Edition,” and next Wednesday, September 5, we’ll continue the webinar series with “Winning Funding under Transportation Alternatives.” Register here!

    To help explain the MAP-21 Transportation Alternatives program, we have created one-page resources on the TA program and the campaign asks to fully fund, fully staff, fully implement TA, and to fully spend existing funds. Be sure to contact your state’‘s lead organizer to coordinate efforts and see how you can support their work.

    In addition to MAP-21 resources, we rolled out two new reports this week:

    • An Advocate’s Guide to Elections: Making Campaigns Work for Bicycling and Walking. Download PDF
    • Making Bicycling and Walking A Norm for Transportation Agencies: Best Practices for Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committees. Download PDF

    As always, to review the Navigating MAP-21 materials and webinars and to access other Advocacy Advance resources, visit www.AdvocacyAdvance.org. And remember to register for our “Winning Funding under Transportation Alternatives” webinar next Wednesday, September 5 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

    the Advocacy Advance team if you have any questions or updates.]]> Member News 2012-08-31T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_report_economic_benefits_of_outdoor_recreation/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_report_economic_benefits_of_outdoor_recreation/#When:13:24:31Z
    The Outdoor Industry Association just released a new report entitled “The Outdoor Recreation Economy,” which demonstrates the economic impact of biking, camping and other outdoor activities. In all, the report concludes that the outdoor recreation industry employs 6.1 million Americans and that, in total, Americans spend over $645 billion annually on outdoor recreation equipment and trip-related sales.

    The breakdown by category of activity shows that bicycling injects over $81 billion into the American economy each year, with equipment sales of over $10.5 billion alone. According to this report, bicycling employs over 770,000 people directly, with further calculated induced benefits that translate to another 700,000 jobs for those in supporting industries. By the numbers, bicycling has the third greatest economic impact of the included outdoor activities, behind camping and water sports.

    Also highlighted in the report and online are case studies of the local economic impacts of outdoor recreation. If your organization is interested in conducting an economic impact analysis of biking and/or walking in your community, this report and the accompanying case studies are great references.

    Check out the full report and other Outdoor Industry Association publications online at OutdoorIndustry.org.]]> Member News 2012-08-30T13:24:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_advocacy_advance_report_an_advocates_guide_to_elections/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_advocacy_advance_report_an_advocates_guide_to_elections/#When:14:27:44Z Elections matter. Strong elected leaders, who support bicycling and walking, are critical to the work of advocates and to the lives of everyone who bikes and walks. During the election cycle, campaigns give bicycling and walking advocacy organizations the opportunity to educate candidates on bicycling issues, increase the focus on bicycling and walking issues in campaigns, and ultimately build a more bicycle-friendly America.

    To provide clarity and inspiration for bicycle advocates, Advocacy Advance - the partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists - has a new report, “An Advocate’s Guide to Elections: Making Campaigns Work for Bicycling & Walking.” Authored by Darren Flusche, Policy Director at the League, this report includes campaign guidelines for 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s and biking‐ and walking‐related examples of candidate surveys, candidate forums, legislative score cards and more.

    Visit the Advocacy Advance resources page to download this report, as well as “Making Bicycling and Walking a Norm in Transportation Agencies: Best Practices in Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committees” - another new resource from Advocacy Advance.

    ]]> Member News 2012-08-29T14:27:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_guide_to_fundraising_part_2_available/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_guide_to_fundraising_part_2_available/#When:17:00:27Z
    Part two of Alliance’s Guide to Fundraising series is now available in the Resource Library. In this installment, we discuss best practices for writing funding proposals to win funding for programs and projects.

    To build upon the foundation of Part 1: Creating and Implementing an Effective Fundraising Plan, Part 2: Anatomy of a Winning Proposal guides you through a six-step process to help you craft a proposal and provides tips and best practices for successful grant applications.

    Members, click here to visit the Resource Library and check out parts one and two of the Guide to Fundraising.

    The Guide to Fundraising series is meant to evolve with your feedback. If you would like us to include examples, tips or resources to continue to improve and develop these publications, please don’t hesitate to contact Brighid O’Keane at .]]> Member News 2012-08-27T17:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_bike_ped_advisory_committee_resource/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_bike_ped_advisory_committee_resource/#When:18:00:41Z
    Working from different sides of the policy table, advocacy organizations and bicycle and pedestrian advisory committees (BPACs) both help guide decision makers toward better outcomes for bicycling and walking. A new Advocacy Advance report discusses the benefits and responsibilities of BPACs in the process of planning and implementing bike- and walk-friendly policies and projects.

    Written by Matt Wempe, the League’s State and Local Advocacy Coordinator and Advocacy Advance team member, Making Bicycling and Walking a Norm in Transportation Agencies: Best Practices in Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committees is available now. Click here to download the report.

    Earlier this month, the Alliance hosted a Mutual Aid call on Building Effective BPACs (see the Resources Library for the call recording and notes), and Matt was a panelist on that call as well. This is the report he referenced throughout the call, and this resource shares best practices and case studies to continue the conversation around institutionalizing bike- and pedestrian-focused input in the planning process.

    View the report and other resources from Advocacy Advance at AdvocacyAdvance.org/resources.]]> Member News 2012-08-24T18:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/navigating_map-21_update/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/navigating_map-21_update/#When:18:53:46Z
    Last week Advocacy Advance hosted a Navigating MAP-21 webinar on “The ABCs of MAP-21,” which provided examples of changes in the new law and strategies for maximizing funding for biking and walking. If you were unable to attend or would like to review the material, don’t worry – the recording is available at AdvocacyAdvance.org/MAP21.

    In addition to the webinar recording and presentation slides, Advocacy Advance and our partners in the Bikes Belong coalition have compiled resources and funding tables for your reference.

    The next webinar “Navigating MAP-21: The Safe Routes to School Edition” will be next Monday, August 27 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Register here!

    Ready to get involved? We have identified contacts in each state to coordinate efforts around the country and track each state’s plan for implementing MAP-21. These contacts will lead their state-wide effort – often in coordination with other partners – to encourage DOTs to fully fund, staff and implement Transportation Alternatives; use all available eligibility in MAP-21; and spend down SAFETEA-LU funds.

    If there is not a lead identified for your state or contact information listed, you can contact , and we will assist with your efforts.

    If you are an individual or a local group interested in supporting the MAP-21 campaign efforts, please email the state lead listed in the contact list first. They are informed about the most up-to-date information, your state’s unique circumstances, the advocacy campaign priorities and how you can plug in. They are your conduits for action.

    Please contact if you have any questions or comments.]]> Member News 2012-08-22T18:53:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/a_model_action_2020_workshop_in_missouri/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/a_model_action_2020_workshop_in_missouri/#When:13:00:10Z
    The new federal transportation law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), poses plenty of challenges for bicycling and walking. For the past four years, Advocacy Advance has been working to demystify the federal funding process and help advocates and agency staff maximize funding opportunities. So it only made sense that, with the launch of the Navigating MAP-21 campaign, we expanded our popular Action 2020 workshops to help agency staff and advocates understand and utilize MAP-21.

    Last week, we held the first of the MAP-21 Action 2020 trainings in Concordia and Jefferson City, Missouri. More than 100 advocates, agency staff, and elected officials met to learn more about the opportunities and challenges of MAP-21, funding sources and best practices, how to make bicycles and pedestrians a priority, and network with other professionals. The workshops were hosted by the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation and the Missouri Association of Councils of Government (MACOG).  Here are some highlights from the week:

    • First MAP-21 Action 2020 workshops: The new information about MAP-21 stirred some excellent discussions at both workshops. Advocates spoke highly of the progress the Missouri Department of Transportation has made towards accommodating bicycles and pedestrians. Luckily, Missouri is already a model for sub-allocating its STP and CMAQ funds — which will make it easier to direct dollars to bicycling and walking projects through the new Transportation Alternatives state grant process. We look forward to great things coming out of MAP-21 in Missouri.
    • Rural communities walk and bike, too: The workshops were also unique because the Advocacy Advance team spent a week in the state. This allowed us the time to host two workshops, as well as visit some of the smaller rural communities in central Missouri. We visited Warsaw (population 2,100) to ride the mountain, road and water trails. Mac Vorce and Randy Pogue, both with the city of Warsaw, were gracious hosts and very proud of their community’s efforts to increase walking and bicycling. Check out the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation blog for a picture tour of the day.  (And visit Warsaw soon; it was great!)
    • Train the trainers: We also used the extra time to “train the trainers” during the workshops.  Approximately half of Missouri’s population lives outside the major cities (Kansas City and St. Louis) in small communities and rural areas. It’s often challenging for these communities to apply for federal funds, due to a lack of resources or knowledge about the opportunities. Our host organizations had the great idea to train agency staff and advocates on the MAP-21 Action 2020 curriculum so they can share it with rural and small communities. Regional planning commission staff and advocates learned how to run a successful workshop and had time to practice speaking about funding in front of the group. If you’re interested in a future workshop in Missouri, contact Brent Hugh with the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation.

    
    
    The Advocacy Advance team was really impressed with the progress Missouri is making already. After a whirlwind week of traveling throughout the state, we left energized and positive that we’ll soon be sharing best practices from Missouri. To learn more, visit AdvocacyAdvance.org.

    ]]> Member News 2012-08-22T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/walk_friendly_ontario_encourages_walkable_communities1/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/walk_friendly_ontario_encourages_walkable_communities1/#When:17:38:02Z
    WALK Friendly Ontario, a new project of Canada Walks, will promote walkability across the province by rating cities and towns on pedestrian infrastructure and amenities, planning, policies and the five Es.

    Set to launch in 2013, WALK Friendly Ontario will include an assessment tool and application that will help communities demonstrate walk friendliness and earn recognition as a bronze, silver, gold or platinum walk-friendly community.

    Similar to the Walk Friendly Communities program by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center in the U.S., the assessment tool also helps communities understand potential improvements they can make to increase walkability.

    In preparation for the program launch, Canada Walks is calling for communities to be part of the pilot to test the WALK Friendly Ontario assessment tool. Additionally, the new interactive WALK Friendly Ontario website already includes resources and presentations organized around topics included in the assessment tool. For more information and to get involved in the pilot program, visit WALK Friendly Ontario.]]> Member News 2012-08-21T17:38:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/Community_Cycling_Center_Addresses_Barriers_to_Bicycling/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/Community_Cycling_Center_Addresses_Barriers_to_Bicycling/#When:15:00:42Z
    Community Cycling Center has just released Understanding Barriers to Bicycling, a full report on their three-year effort to work at the intersection of equity, transportation and health issues to make northeast Portland a better environment for everyone to ride a bicycle. The report chronicles the community bike shop’s evolving role in the area it serves, from direct service provider to a representative voice for change in the community.

    As their name would suggest, it all starts with community. In 2009, Community Cycling Center (CCC) reframed their strategy to focus on neighborhoods within a five-mile radius of the shop rather than the whole Portland area. In refining their mission, they came to realize that many people, particularly people of color and low-income individuals and families in the area, were not benefitting equitably from Portland’s vision of a sustainable transportation system. They went one step further to ask questions like, “If more people in our community are interested in bicycling, what are the barriers preventing them from getting on a bike?”

    Working with partners in community development, CCC organized surveys and focus groups to gather data on bicycling in focus neighborhoods and to understand some of the perspectives and external barriers that keep people from riding bicycles more often. Various concerns such as safety and cost were common, and some survey and focus group participants cited cultural barriers as well.

    Understanding the barriers that prevent more people from bicycling, CCC has refined their programming to address needs like secure bike parking and events to promote access to biking for all.

    “This change has not been easy,” says Alison Hill Graves, Executive Director of the Community Cycling Center. “It has taken a long time to build the relationships and develop shared goals. But now that we have a foundation to build from, we are making very quick and exciting progress.”

    For more information about the Understanding Barriers to Bicycling project, visit CommunityCyclingCenter.org.]]> Member News 2012-08-17T15:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/three_national_bike_advocacy_groups_affirm_shared_goals_decide_to_remain_se/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/three_national_bike_advocacy_groups_affirm_shared_goals_decide_to_remain_se/#When:17:24:39Z
    After months of steady dialogue and face-to-face meetings, the leaders of the Alliance, Bikes Belong and League of American Bicyclists have decided not to pursue full unification at this time. The three groups continue to operate independently, in close collaboration, to make bicycling safer and more enjoyable for all Americans.

    These unprecedented unification discussions were marked by goodwill and an open exchange of ideas. They helped U.S. bike advocacy leaders agree on a shared vision, goals and strategies that will advance the movement and improve bicycling coast to coast. The three groups continue to work together and have committed to achieving the following benchmark goals by 2020:

    1. The nationwide percentage of trips made by bike will increase to five percent (from one percent in 2012), and the diversity of people on bikes will mirror the diversity of America;
    2. Traffic injuries and fatalities (in all modes) will decrease by 50 percent;
    3. Half of all Americans will have front-door access to a bicycling network that will take them to destinations within two miles exclusively on low-stress streets, lanes, and trails—protected from high-speed traffic.
    
    

    The League and Alliance are developing plans to help state and local advocates get the most out of MAP-21, the new, two-year federal transportation bill, and will work with Bikes Belong on this, and other projects. Bikes Belong has initiated a strategic discovery process to review its overall goals and to refine its focus, and is engaging the League and Alliance to help shape its future direction.

    The leaders of all three groups began the unification discussion fully aware of the challenges of blending unique legal structures, membership bases, project priorities, and headquarters locations. While these talks didn’t produce a merger, the groups will continue to work together to engage, represent and connect the many different elements of the bicycling movement. They will focus on federal, state, and local projects that best improve bike infrastructure and safety in the United States.]]> Member News 2012-08-16T17:24:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/complete_streets_policies_on_the_rise/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/complete_streets_policies_on_the_rise/#When:15:52:04Z
    According to a report released today by the National Complete Streets Coalition, over 350 communities across the U.S. now have Complete Streets policies, 146 of which were adopted last year alone. The 2011 Complete Streets Policy Analysis documents the widespread adoption in a variety of communities and reflects the growing sentiment that streets should be so much more than conduits for motor vehicle traffic.

    “As residents of communities across the country increasingly desire the ability to walk, bike or take transit to and from jobs, shops and schools, we’re seeing more and more localities understand the importance of providing for all transportation network users,” says National Complete Streets Coalition Director Roger Millar. “This is not something that is limited to big or coastal cities — in fact, what we’re seeing is that over one-third of all policies have been adopted in suburban communities with fewer than 30,000 residents, and nearly one in five policies are in small, rural towns.”

    Establishing policies is the first step in the process of implementing Complete Streets, and it is encouraging to see so many communities taking that step. In addition to listing the policies on the books, the 2011 Policy Analysis assesses each policy and highlights noteworthy examples. Complete Streets advocates across the nation will continue to benefit from the updated Complete Streets Local Policy Workbook, which the Coalition also released today.

    “Now more than ever, the Complete Streets policies we’re seeing are inclusive, diverse and accountable,” Millar says. “That’s a good thing no matter which form of transportation you prefer.”

    Visit CompleteStreets.org and download the 2011 Complete Streets Policy Analysis and Local Policy Workbook.]]> Member News 2012-08-15T15:52:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_seeks_advocacy_advance_intern_for_fall_2012/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_seeks_advocacy_advance_intern_for_fall_2012/#When:10:00:18Z The Advocacy Advance Intern will gain knowledge and skills related to federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects and the advocacy efforts to secure and utilize this funding at the state and local level nationwide.  Work includes research of federal transportation funding, outreach to member organizations, collecting best practices of bike/ped organizations, and tracking data to compile state profiles.

    Position Description

    Specific tasks for the Advocacy Advance Intern:

    • Develop and execute creative ways to accurately measure federal expenditures on bicycle and pedestrian projects by accessing and analyzing state documents
    • Track relevant data including: Current project lists; Cycling and safety numbers; Policies; Funding history
    • Gather examples of how advocates and agency staff have successful won and used public funding for bike/ped projects
    • Administer survey of bike/ped coordinators
    • Conduct data-mining and perform anecdotal research into state bicycle-related policies and practices
    • Gather and compile photographs of completed projects
    • Review grant reports and member activities to develop ways to share best practices among advocacy members
    • Conduct outreach to member organizations on applicable issues, including writing blogs
    • Coordinate database records and tools related to grants, trainings, and outreach
    • Perform other administrative duties as needed including database entry

    Skills and Knowledge to be Gained

    • Knowledge of federal transportation funding programs
    • Knowledge of bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs nationwide
    • Hands-on work with state and local advocacy organizations and agency staff across North America
    • Specific experience working with national non-profit organizations

    Position Requirements

    Essential:

    • Interest in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy
    • Interest in national transportation policy / federal funding
    • Strong research skills
    • Strong interpersonal and organizational skills
    • Strong oral and writing skills
    • Track record of working well on team projects
    • Cheerful, friendly, upbeat outlook

    Helpful:

    • Graphic design and/or data presentation skills
    • Familiarity with the web, content management, and databases
    • IT skills
    • Familiarity with biking and walking issues

    How To Apply

    Please send a letter of interest, resume, samples of work (research, writing and/or design), & 2-3 references to Brighid O’Keane, Advocacy Advance Program Manager at . Applications are due by August 27th 2012.  Anticipated dates of the internship are September 17 through December 14.

    This internship offers a flexible schedule with a fifteen-hour-a-week minimum commitment for a total of 180 hours (3 months). This position is based in Washington, DC. The position offers a small stipend. We can work with academic requirements you may have, to help you earn course credit, and give you a unique opportunity to connect to a growing network of organizations making significant community improvements. The internship will be administered by the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

    Advocacy Advance is a dynamic partnership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists to boost local and state bicycle and pedestrian advocacy efforts. With support from SRAM, Advocacy Advance provides targeted trainings, reports, grants and assistance to equip advocates with the specific tools they need to increase biking and walking in their communities.]]> Member News 2012-08-13T10:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/the_abcs_of_map-21_webinar_register_today/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/the_abcs_of_map-21_webinar_register_today/#When:12:53:50Z In the past few weeks, we’ve been working to make sense of the new transportation law MAP-21. Although it isn’t the law we were hoping for, we know that biking and walking are still very much in the game, thanks to you and thousands of other advocates who called, wrote and e-mailed Congress as the bill was being written.

    With our friends in the America Bikes coalition, we are charting a way forward. Advocacy Advance - a partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists - is developing an action plan and working with advocacy leaders to coordinate our efforts for the best results in every state. Through Navigating MAP-21, Advocacy Advance will provide a suite of tools and resources to help advocates ensure that biking and walking programs are fully staffed, fully funded and fully implemented.

    Join us for our first webinar, The ABCs of MAP-21 next Monday, August 13 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. This session will explain the basics of the new law, what it means for bicyclists and how we can harness the opportunities to fund biking and walking projects and programs. Join Caron Whitaker, campaign manager for America Bikes; Randy Neufeld, director of SRAM Cycling Fund; and Darren Flusche, policy director for the League of American Bicyclists and Advocacy Advance. Register now! ]]> Member News 2012-08-09T12:53:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/transit_walking_biking_advocates_are_champions_of_change/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/transit_walking_biking_advocates_are_champions_of_change/#When:21:14:05Z This week, the White House recognized fourteen new Champions of Change for their innovative approaches to responding to evolving transportation challenges in the U.S. Not surprisingly, the list of Champions includes a healthy number of advocates for better and more sustainable transportation systems that promote public transit, walking and biking.

    In particular, we’d like to recognize:

    • Bob Sloane of WalkBoston was recognized for his commitment to improving walkability in downtown Boston. From advocacy for pedestrian-friendly development to developing self-guided walking maps of the downtown area, Bob has worked for over two decades to make Boston a better place to walk.
    • Veronica Davis was also recognized as a Champion of Change. Veronica works as a civil engineer to promote sustainable communities and is a co-founder of Black Women Bike DC, a community of DC women promoting the use of bikes for recreation and transportation.

    
    Congratulations to Bob, Veronica and all the Champions!

    ]]> Member News 2012-08-02T21:14:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_organizations_receive_30000_in_better_bicycling_community_grants/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_organizations_receive_30000_in_better_bicycling_community_grants/#When:20:26:32Z In celebration of its 30th Anniversary, Performance Bicycle has awarded $30,000 in Better Bicycling Community Grants. Ten advocacy organizations around the country received $3,000 to support local efforts to boost the accessibility of bicycling in communities where there are Performance stores. The grants are administered in collaboration with the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

    “It was a tough decision to narrow it down to 10 recipients,” said Performance Bicycle Chief Executive Officer David Pruitt. “We want to thank all the terrific organizations dedicated to making cycling more accessible. Each one is a vital part of their community and we appreciate their hard work and commitment.”

    From rejuvenating a mountain bike trail to raising support for better bike lane infrastructure, each grant will address a critical local cycling need.

    “It’s been great working with Performance on this initiative,” said Alliance for Biking & Walking President / CEO Jeff Miller. “Promoting safe and enjoyable bicycling is one of our top priorities, and to have a company like Performance help advance cycling at this level is fantastic. We are honored to be working with each of the community groups and looking forward to seeing the final results of their efforts.”

    The ten organizations that will receive a Better Bicycling Community grant are spread across the country. Each will involve the community and will work with their local Performance store to achieve their grant goals. . The funded campaigns are as follows:

    • Bike Austin (Austin, Texas): North MoPac Bike Highway Commuter Route Campaign

      Bike Austin is working to establish a 10-mile shared-use path in the MoPac Expressway corridor. The grant will support direct lobbying of elected officials and government staff and outreach to neighborhood associations, residents and schools along the corridor.

    • Bike Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland): Bicycle Friendly Maryland Campaign

      Bike Maryland is devoted to improving the overall bikeability of Maryland by implementing the guidelines laid out by the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) program. Working closely with businesses, universities, and communities throughout the state, they strive to make Maryland a more bicycle friendly place to live, work, and play.

    • Bike Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah): CiSLClovia - Open Streets Initiative

      Bike Utah will work with local partners to develop and implement the 2013 CiSLClovia Open Streets event in Salt Lake City and use the success of this template to help other Utah communities organize similar events. The primary role of the CiSLClovia – Open Streets campaign is to build cycling awareness and to get more people out biking, walking, and partaking in community activities.

    • Carrboro Bicycle Coalition (Chapel Hill, North Carolina): Chapel Hill - Carrboro Open Streets Initiative

      Carrboro Bicycle Coalition will host an Open Streets event in Carrboro, NC to meet the city’s public health, social, economic, and environmental goals by allowing residentsthe opportunity to use the street—a public good—in safe, active, and socially engaging ways.

    • Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation (Seattle, Washington): Advocacy Leadership Institute

      Cascade’s Advocacy Leadership Institute in Seattle will empower community leaders with the tools, knowledge and confidence they need to run and win campaigns of various types and scales. The program will leverage Cascade’s resources while also fostering the community buy-in that will lead to improvements to bicycling infrastructure on the ground in Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound region.

    • Central Ohio Mountain Biking Organization (Westerville, Ohio): Rejuvination of Alum Creek Phase 1 Campaign

      Central Ohio Mountain Biking Organization (COMBO) will use grant funding to update and repair Phase 1 (P1), the oldest mountain bike trail in Central Ohio and make the trail more accessible to intermediate level riders, ensuring their safety while helping to sustain the fragile ecosystem of our wooded areas.

    • Community Bikes (Charlottesville, Virginia): Charlottesville Open Streets Initiative

      Community Bikes will celebrate Charlottesville’s bikeable and walkable Jefferson Park Avenue corridor and encourage and support a neighborhood desire to bike and walk to these businesses.

    • East Bay Bicycle Coalition (Oakland, California): Yes on Measure B Campaign

      East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s “Yes on Measure B” campaign seeks to ensure voter passage in November 2012 of a ballot reauthorization of the Alameda County Transportation Sales Tax Measure. This ballot measure is a 30-year, $7.8 billion transportation plan for the County that includes over one billion dollars for bike/ped projects, representing a 4-fold increase over current bike/ped funding.

    • Living Streets Alliance (Tucson, Arizona): Kidical Mass Tucson 2013 Campaign

      Living Streets Alliance will promote family friendly bicycling in the greater Tucson region through four Kidical Mass events in 2013. Kidical Mass is a group ride that provides a safe, fun, and social setting for families to explore urban bicycling riding, for parents to grow more comfortable riding with small children, and for small children to gain confidence and skills in a loosely supervised group ride.

    • Santa Monica Spoke (Santa Monica, California): Community Outreach for Better Biking in Santa Monica

      To assist in the implementation of Santa Monica’s newly adopted Bicycle Action Plan, Santa Monica Spoke will take the lead on grassroots community outreach. Working with community groups, neighborhood associations and merchant groups, they will focus on two key bikeway projects: bicycle boulevards on the Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway, and protected bike lanes on Broadway.

    Alliance members are encouraged to contact your local Performance store for additional support, such as providing Bike Doctors at events and rides, hosting meeting space, and posting information about your organization.

    ]]> Member News 2012-08-01T20:26:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/we_are_not_going_to_let_20_years_of_progress_in_biking_and_walking_come_to_/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/we_are_not_going_to_let_20_years_of_progress_in_biking_and_walking_come_to_/#When:00:30:32Z It’s true that the transportation bill, MAP-21, slashed guaranteed funding for biking and walking. But thanks to you and thousands of other advocates who called, wrote, and e-mailed Congress as the bill was being written, we are still very much in the game.

    Our partners at the America Bikes coalition are committed to ensuring that states and local governments use every opportunity in the new law to increase the safety and convenience of biking and walking.

    Together, we can maximize biking and walking investments — both under MAP-21’s new Transportation Alternatives program and under the larger core transportation and safety funds.

    We expect every state to:

    • Fully fund, staff, and implement the new Transportation Alternatives program. Specifically, states should:
    • Fully fund: Do not transfer any funds away from Transportation Alternatives or opt-out of the Recreational Trails program
    • Fully staff: Preserve or increase staff support for Transportation Alternatives by maintaining state Safe Routes to School coordinators and bike/ped coordinators
    • Fully implement: Promptly award Transportation Alternatives grants with participation of relevant stakeholders
    • Fully maximize the state’s investments in safe, accessible streets: utilize all MAP-21 funding programs — including HSIP, CMAQ, and STP — to include biking and walking in all transportation projects
    • Fully spend remaining funds from the Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails programs

    We are developing an action plan to coordinate our collective efforts for the best results in every state. We are already working on a suite of tools and resources to help you and your organization take full advantage of MAP-21. We will alert you as those resources become available.

    With your help and dedication over the coming weeks and months, the national renaissance in biking and walking will continue in communities all across the country.

    Thank you for all that you do for biking and walking.]]> Member News 2012-07-27T00:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/vbt_3_in_the_worlds_best_tour_operators/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/vbt_3_in_the_worlds_best_tour_operators/#When:16:00:18Z
    Congratulations to Alliance sponsor VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, who were named among the top tour operators by Travel + Leisure magazine. This 2012 World’s Best Award marks the third consecutive year VBT has been rated at the top of the charts.

    “All of our associates—from here in our offices in rural Vermont to every corner of the world—are committed to providing travelers with life-changing experiences, unforgettable personal encounters with local people, and valuable cultural highlights,” VBT President Gregg Marston said. “It’s so rewarding to know that our work has taken root in the lives of our travelers.”

    VBT offers deluxe, small group bicycling and walking tours worldwide, including destinations in Europe, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Peru, Argentina and the U.S.A. Each trip includes all accommodations, many meals, two expert local trip leaders, unique sightseeing and cultural activities, full vehicle support, and international round-trip airfare.

    “We strive to offer the highest quality travel experiences for the mind, body, and spirit,” Marston said, “an active vacation that rewards all the senses. To receive recognition that our travelers appreciate our efforts is a wonderful reward. We are so pleased and truly humbled by being named an industry leader.”

    Learn more about VBT and their vacation packages at vbt.com. ]]> Member News 2012-07-23T16:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/complete_streets_for_canada/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/complete_streets_for_canada/#When:12:00:03Z
    Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) has just launched the Complete Streets for Canada website, a source for up-to-date policy information, research, news and case studies on Complete Streets programs and policies across Canada. Featured resources include TCAT’s Complete Streets Gap Analysis and Complete Streets by Design report.

    “The Complete Streets for Canada Policy and Design Hub will act as the ‘go to’ for information on the growing Complete Streets movement in Canada, with a particular initial focus on Ontario communities,” said TCAT in their press release.

    “We are quite excited about the growing Complete Streets movement in Canada and will be busy developing content and workshops as the movement grows across the country,” said Ryan Anders Whitney, TCAT’s Complete Streets Researcher and Project Manager.

    Visit Complete Streets for Canada for more information and resources.]]> Member News 2012-07-20T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_law_now_what/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_law_now_what/#When:15:03:44Z New Realities, Challenges and Opportunities of the Federal Transportation Law

    
    There is a lot of bad news for biking and walking advocates in MAP-21. Coordinating closely with many and diverse partners, we worked very hard to maintain the already disproportionately low funding dedicated for biking and walking and get some key policy reforms. The conference negotiation process resulted in a transportation law that is several steps back rather than forward.

    Looking back over all our efforts the past four years, it is easy to ask “What if ... ?” but MAP-21 passed because it was so craftily packaged that even champions of biking and walking were compelled to vote for and help pass the bill.

    Dedicated funding for biking and walking are gone, and the shadow of those former programs is smaller and weaker. Here are a few points about the new law and the changing reality for state and local advocates:

    1. Programs have been consolidated so they now compete for the same funding pot
       “Transportation Alternatives” (TA) is the new catch all funding program that includes Transportation Alternatives (yes, there is “Transportation Alternatives” – formerly TE – within TA), Safe Routes to School (SR2S) and the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). Worse though is that it is a catch all – any environmental mitigation projects, some former scenic byways projects like turnouts, and even a few other roadway projects are eligible. These new uses are capable of using up the whole TA funding pot.
    2. There is less money in this funding pot
       So even with all this competition, the shark tank is even more dangerous because there is less money. How much less money is there? Off the top there is 30-40% less, but it gets worse…
    3. States can pour up to half of the money out
       “Flexibility” may be good for your muscles and it is brilliant framing, but what it means for us is no certainty and no dedicated funding. With MAP-21, states are allowed to “opt out” or put as much as 50% of the TA funding into other programs such as building new or bigger highways. This will magnify the funding cut, probably doubling it overall.

    The Result: Biking and walking funding may collectively see 60-70% cuts. America Bikes (a national coalition which the Alliance is part of) estimates this largely based on the likelihood that some states will opt out and spend the money on other categories. Some states could cut bike/ped funding 100%. Dedicated funding for SR2S Coordinators, clearing houses – it’s all gone. There is little denying this new law is a big setback, but we did survive.

    Not only do our programs still exist at a basic level, but the Cardin-Cochran language survived. This language suballocates a large percentage of Transportation Alternatives to MPOs and gives local governments better access to the funding. In addition, biking and walking are still eligible for much larger funding pots like the Surface Transportation Program (“STP” one of the largest funding programs in MAP-21), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), and the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). In fact, HSIP has increased in funding, and biking and walking now have a stronger foothold in this funding source. These programs are a large part of where our opportunities lie, and these represent billions of dollars of opportunity.

    The challenge of course is getting the states and MPOs to obligate some of these funds to biking and walking programs. This is why state and local organizations are now the most important players on the field. The battle for federal funds is in each state and every MPO, not neatly contained in the halls of Congress. This is good for us — we know that when decisions are made locally, they are more likely to support biking and walking.

    There are a lot of amazing, talented and experienced organizations at the local and state level. Bicycle and pedestrian advocates are a passionate group with remarkable stamina and persistence (those hills and headwinds do us a lot of good after all). And there is no better opportunity than the one that a challenge poses.

    Citizens who support bicycling and walking must unite. Whether it is working with your local organizations or forming a new organization if one doesn’t exist, through organizing we will be most effective. State and local advocacy organizations must continue to develop relationships with state officials and elected leaders to ensure they do not opt out of using these key funding programs for biking and walking projects. In particular, each organization needs to meet with the state department of transportation as soon as possible to discuss maintaining or increasing funding and securing their agreement.

    While the funding climate from the federal government is bleak, there are lots of opportunities for state and local groups. Many of our organizations also have great success getting state and local funding dedicated to biking and walking. With the new emphasis on local control in Transportation Alternatives, those relationships can help ensure federal funds go to biking and walking.

    The power is truly in our hands. This challenge presents a real opportunity for each of our organizations to mobilize, build membership and raise funds on one of the most important campaigns we’ve had to tackle. Let’s continue to organize, mobilize and win!

    Leaders of state and local organizations are invited to join the Alliance and APBP for our Federal Policy Webinars – Join us today, Thursday, July 19th at 1pm EST by signing up here.

    For more information on the new transportation law, visit America Bikes.

    In addition to his role as President and CEO of the Alliance, Jeff serves on the board of directors for America Bikes, America Walks and the Adventure Cycling Association. ]]> Member News 2012-07-19T15:03:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/san_francisco_advocates_respond_to_pushback/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/san_francisco_advocates_respond_to_pushback/#When:13:00:48Z
    Last week in their latest Tube Times quarterly newsletter, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC) addressed the question “What are you doing about scofflaw cyclists?” with a thorough, respectful and enlightening response. In the article, SFBC clarified the factors that make streets more accessible to and welcoming for all road users — as well as what they’re doing to help encourage civility and safety on San Francisco streets.

    This article is a timely discussion of the sort of pushback advocates might see, even as we work to make the streets more friendly and expound upon the substantial benefits walking and biking provide for communities. SFBC’s answer frames the discussion around what they see on the streets and what they’re doing to make improvements for all road users.

    We know that people on bikes are more exposed and more visible than other road users, and SFBC reminds us that “when we ride a bike, we are ambassadors for biking.” After highlighting the importance of individuals modeling good behavior on the roadways, SFBC then discusses several of their programs aimed at education and enforcement for bicyclists and motorists. Then they pronounce their vision for the future of their Connecting the City campaign and how individuals can help make San Francisco streets more welcoming for all.

    In their response to “What are you doing about scofflaw cyclists?” SFBC takes the opportunity to call on individuals to lead by example, to highlight their work and vision for the future, and to recruit new volunteers and new members to help make things better. All in all, their response is a great example of how to respond to negative feedback with positive, mission-oriented messages.

    Click here to read the article on the SFBC blog.]]> Member News 2012-07-19T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/jevon_newman_and_why_every_bicyclist_counts/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/jevon_newman_and_why_every_bicyclist_counts/#When:17:52:21Z There are few people in this world who live truly storied lives. Jevon Newman was one of them.

    Despite the time and distance passed since our graduation from the University of Colorado, I followed the line of Jevon’s life through the stories of people he loved: the time he saved a man drowning in the Amazon River; how he flew 19 hours from abroad to attend a friend’s wedding; how he became the proud owner of several hectares of rainforest in Ecuador to protect them from deforestation; how he cycled 160 miles from Dublin to Cork instead of getting on the train.

    A passionate cyclist and environmentalist, Jevon was tragically killed on July 7 while riding his bike in Little Rock. He had just graduated from Medical School at University College Dublin in Ireland and moved to Arkansas to start his residency in Emergency Medicine. He was looking at apartments on his new roadbike when he was struck by a pickup truck. Jevon passed away a few hours later.

    Over 700 cyclists are killed in traffic crashes each year. With a combined modeshare of 11.5%, bicylists and pedestrians account for a disproportionate 13.5% of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. Earlier this year, the League of American Bicyclists launched a new website called Every Bicylist Counts. This site tracks bicyclist fatalities and is a place to honor those cyclists and to ensure that their death is not in vain. It is a memorial, a gathering place, and home for everyone that has lost a friend of family member. The League will also be using the data to highlight trends and advocate for safer policies and conditions for bicyclists.

    Too many of us have a tragedy to tell and these are constant reminders of why our advocacy is essential and that is it unacceptable to continue designing and building roads that are not safe for all users.

    Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas has been joined by the family of Jevon Newman in establishing a memorial fund in his honor. The fund will be used to work to improve conditions for cyclists in Arkansas, recently ranked as the 50th state for cycling in the League’s 2012 Bicycle Friendly State program.

    Everyone who has been fortunate to know Jevon is mourning the loss of a true adventurer. The stories of his life will keep us laughing, awed and inspired well beyond the years.]]> Member News 2012-07-15T17:52:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/finding_a_route_forward_under_map-21/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/finding_a_route_forward_under_map-21/#When:13:30:09Z This post originally appeared on the Advocacy Advance blog.

    Last week, Congress did what many thought impossible – they passed a new transportation authorization bill. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday. Unfortunately, that achievement came at the cost of a balanced bill that keeps strong dedicated funding for biking and walking projects. The new bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), weakens and cuts dedicated bicycle and walking programs. This is certainly going to slow progress towards a bicycle friendly America.

    Many people are asking “What do we do now?” The answer is in the language of the bill itself and, perhaps, in an advocacy model we’ve been developing over the past several years.

    Despite the best efforts of some extreme members of Congress – and thanks to the efforts of our congressional champions – bicycling and walking projects are still eligible for federal transportation funds. This means bicycling and walking projects can be built with some of the largest pots of money, like the Surface Transportation Program (STP) and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ), as well as the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). This critical point is the key to making the most of the new bill.

    But this is not new. Bike/ped projects have been eligible project types in those programs for 20 years. We have long known that creating a transportation network that includes active transportation infrastructure will require more than the 1.5 percent that was set-aside for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School (now combined into “Transportation Alternatives”). That’s why the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists, with funding from SRAM, created Advocacy Advance.

    The Advocacy Advance program holds Action 2020 workshops for advocates and transportation agency staff to share best practices for maximizing funding under the eligible funding programs. We’ve been to Texas, Connecticut, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Alaska, and we have upcoming workshops in Missouri, Virginia, New York and Louisiana. Learn more about the workshops and consider applying to bring an Action 2020 workshop to your community.

    We’ve already seen the tactic of fighting for eligible funds paying off.

    BikeDelaware recently scored a major win and set an excellent example for advocates in other states. They teamed up with Nemours Health and Prevention Services (a health group), several bike-friendly members of the General Assembly, and Delaware’s bike-friendly Governor, Jack Markel, to pass and fund Walkable Bikeable Delaware an initiative to dedicate state funding to vastly expand the state’s trail network. After securing $5 million in the state budget last year, the Assembly recently passed next year’s budget which included a whopping $13.25 million for walking and bicycling.

    This is in and of itself a major win. But the leadership in Delaware has the vision and ambition to use the state dollars as a match for federal funds. They have already used Walkable Bikeable Delaware funds from last year’s budget to secure the first ever Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds for a bike project in state history. Delaware is pointing the way forward for bicycling both in its state-level commitment to funding infrastructure and in its use of federal funds that have bicycling eligibility, like CMAQ.

    See our reports on CMAQ, HSIP and 402 safety grants for more information.]]> Member News 2012-07-09T13:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/remove_mcgrath_neighborhoods_not_highways/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/remove_mcgrath_neighborhoods_not_highways/#When:12:00:58Z LivableStreets Alliance, the latest recipient of an Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant, was awarded $1,000 to support advocacy efforts of their “Remove McGrath” campaign. They have been working to stop the proposed repair of the McCarthy Overpass on the McGrath Highway and have MassDOT redirect funds to create a biking, walking and transit corridor in Boston.

    The McGrath/O’Brien Highway is a section of Massachusetts State Route 28 that passes through densely populated residential areas of Cambridge and Somerville. The McCarthy Overpass is due for repair as part of the Commonwealth’s $3 billion Accelerated Bridge Program (ABP). There are no safe bicycle or pedestrian accommodations in the corridor connecting a dozen neighborhoods and business districts. At this point, assuming the likely possibility that the temporary repair contract will move forward, advocates are engaged in insisting that the $11 million be re-scoped and at least 10% redirected to immediate surface improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians.

    After hundreds of residents signed postcards and spoke out at a public meeting on May 31, MassDOT announced that the overpass will be removed. But officials insist it will not happen until at least 2022, and in the meantime they want to spend $11 million to repair it.

    “I’ve walked, biked, taken transit and driven around McGrath,” said one Somerville resident, “and no matter what mode I use, I feel unsafe.”

    The Rapid Response Grant funds will support LivableStreets’ efforts to continue to put pressure on MassDOT to commit to a shorter timeline and grow the Re-visioning McGrath Corridor Coalition to build consensus to speak as one powerful voice. The Re-Visioning McGrath Corridor Coalition is working to shape streets in the McGrath /O’Brien Corridor to make the surrounding communities more livable, healthy, and prosperous. The unified coalition has formulated a set of five common values that each of its member groups will push for:

    • Reunite neighborhoods cut apart by the highway;
    • Humanize the space by lowering traffic speeds, reducing noise and pollution, narrowing lane width, and reducing the current six (or more) lanes to four;
    • Safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and bus riders must be improved to make traveling across and along the corridor more inviting;
    • Green the corridor with more trees, grass, storm-water drainage, and other green features;
    • Economic development will flourish, encouraging local retail and job-creating businesses; including crafts-based and green-economy enterprises.

    After planning is underway, the next step will be to shift focus to pressure MassDOT to identify funding source(s) for the highway bridge removal. It is expected that a significant portion of these funds will come from the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), a highly political process. LivableStreets’ role will be to build support from the voting MPO members for the allocation of the needed funds.

    Advocates will host a tour of the corridor with transportation leaders and legislators to raise awareness about the current issues, mobilize citizens in the community through public events, grassroots outreach, and social media, and deploy Street Ambassadors this summer to talk to citizens and businesses and get 1,000 postcards signed addressed to Massachusetts Transportation Secretary and Somerville Mayor.

    As the known vocal advocate to MassDOT and the City of Somerville, LivableStreets has taken the lead in being the voice for comprehensive change of the McGrath Highway corridor.

    Advocacy Advance is pleased to offer an additional $21,000 of Rapid Response Grants in 2012 to help state and local organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

    The Advocacy Advance partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, funded by SRAM, has awarded over $800,000 in grants and scholarships to member organizations since 2009. In addition to grants, the Advocacy Advance team provides necessary resources, technical assistance, coaching, and training to bike/ped advocacy organizations around the country.

    If you have any questions, contact Brighid at or 202-621-5442.]]> Member News 2012-07-05T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/community_bike_shop_leaders_gather_to_swap_stories_and_celebrate_success/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/community_bike_shop_leaders_gather_to_swap_stories_and_celebrate_success/#When:19:32:22Z Two weekends ago, leaders from community bike shops across North America gathered in Vancouver for the 9th annual Bike!Bike! conference, and I was fortunate enough to attend on behalf of the Alliance.  The conference was held over four days and featured workshops of a variety of topics related to community bike shops, ranging from demystifying disk brakes to discussing the best ways to manage the financial side of a shop.

    The conference brought together over 150 community bike shop volunteers and staff, with about half from Canada and half from the USA, as well as five leaders from Mexico. Along with 35 scheduled workshops and a handful of “pop-up” workshops, there was also plenty of time for networking, including a group ride in Vancouver.

    One of the themes throughout the conference was determining how community bike shops can become more financially sustainable. Several shops, including BICAS (Tucson), Bike Works (Seattle) and Plan B (New Orleans) touted the benefits of hiring staff, as opposed to relying solely on volunteers, while other shops talked about the increased income and draw of selling some basic parts and bike accessories.

    There was also a discussion, facilitated by the Alliance, on the role of community bike shops in the larger realm of advocacy, which revealed some of the excellent partnerships that shops have established with their local advocacy groups. The conversation also revealed some of the ways the Alliance can further work with community bike shops in the future, with the goal of continuing to spread the work that community bike shops are doing to get more people on bikes.

    Throughout the weekend, the conference was filled with energy reflective of the young, diverse group of attendees and the decision making process of the conference, which is consensus-based and gives all attendees a chance to express their thoughts. The last day featured the selection of next year’s site, with attendees sorting through a few cities and deciding on New Orleans.]]> Member News 2012-06-29T19:32:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/nominate_a_champion_of_change_today/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/nominate_a_champion_of_change_today/#When:14:22:26Z Here’s another opportunity for state and local advocates to stand out.

    On July 31st, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the White House Office of Public Engagement will host a White House Champions of Change event to honor Transportation Innovators. Transportation Innovators are individuals or organizations who have provided exemplary leadership and vision in transportation issues at the local, state or regional level. This describes Alliance organizations and leaders to a tee, and we encourage you to submit a nomination for an outstanding leader or organization before the July 3rd deadline.

    Each week, the White House Champions of Change program highlights the stories and examples of citizens across the country who are working to move their communities forward with innovative and inspiring projects and initiatives.

    A Transportation Innovation Champion’s work may entail:

    • Leading the implementation of viable transportation initiatives that promote and facilitate economic growth and job creation
    • Developing a comprehensive and holistic approach to livability to ensure that communities have access to a range of transportation options that are in proximity to housing and other community services
    • Building intermodal connectivity that reduces congestion and increases efficiencies
    • Developing and/or implementing transportation safety technologies or innovative transportation safety programs
    • Pioneering mobility management strategies for moving people and/or goods
    • Developing or implementing state of the art technologies that are critical to improving the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of transportation systems and services
    • Integrating strategies to eliminate significant barriers to ensure that transportation services and systems are accessible for all Americans
    • Establishing innovative strategies for addressing the unique transportation needs for individuals and families in rural America
    • Implementing environmentally friendly and sustainable transportation systems and services
    • Demonstrating effective strategies for strengthening the transportation career pathway

    
    
    Submit a nomination for a state or local advocate or organization using this PDF form no later than July 3, 2012 to . Note: You can also submit a nomination in a text document, but all of the questions and information requested in the nomination form must be included in your submission.

    Good luck!]]> Member News 2012-06-29T14:22:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/top_10_reasons_sen._boxer_must_keep_her_word_on_bike_ped_programs/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/top_10_reasons_sen._boxer_must_keep_her_word_on_bike_ped_programs/#When:14:56:03Z by Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists

    This post originally appeared on the League of American Bicyclists blog.

    For the past 20 years, local elected officials have been given rare access to state transportation funds through a handful of programs administered by state Departments of Transportation as grant programs. These also happen to be the primary sources of funding for bicycling and walking initiatives: Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements and Recreational Trails. They account for just 1.5 percent of the overall federal transportation bill and have all been heavily over-subscribed since their creation.

    Despite the overwhelming success and popularity of these programs, House Republican leadership and a handful of influential Senators have waged an unexplained and inexplicable vendetta against these programs — not to save the government any money, just to prevent state or local governments spending their money on these specific programs and activities, removing any vestige of local control over transportation investments into the bargain.

    The threat of elimination provoked a rare display of bipartisanship in both the House and Senate — a bi-partisan effort to preserve these programs was narrowly defeated in a heavily-whipped House committee vote by just two votes (29-27) and the equally bi-partisan Cardin-Cochran amendment to the Senate transportation bill was successfully adopted.

    Remarkably, the single-minded attacks on even the bi-partisan Cardin-Cochran compromise continue. House leadership entered the conference committee process to hammer out a transportation bill (something they couldn’t even get passed in the House itself) with the elimination of funding for bicycling and walking as a top priority. Senate conferees are struggling to hold the line against these attacks, desperate as they are to get a transportation bill — a jobs bill — completed before the summer.

    Here are our top ten reasons why Senator Boxer must hang tough, keep her word, and lead the transportation committee conferees to reject these small-minded and vindictive attacks:

    • There is overwhelming bi-partisan support among the American public for continued or increased federal funding for bicycling and walking programs. At least, we think 83 percent is overwhelming, across party lines, and all geographic, demographic, and ethnic divides.

    • This is so much more than just a bicycling and walking issue. Transportation stakeholders in support of Cardin-Cochran include mayors, AARP, the American Heart Association, Transportation for America, Sierra Club, The National Council of La Raza, NAACP are just a handful of the dozens of groups from the health, environmental, equity, local government and transportation sectors that signed a letter of support to conferees.

    • If this is about jobs, we’ve made the jobs case. Transportation investment in bicycling, pedestrian and trail projects are more effective in creating jobs, per million dollars spent, than traditional road projects.

    • We’ve proven these programs are in the national interest. Just yesterday, Transportation for America provided even more compelling and detailed data showing the terrible safety record of national highway system roads for the most vulnerable users: pedestrians. Congress can’t simply turn their backs on this problem and expect local governments to literally pick up the pieces.

    • Reducing congestion and easing the morning commute: We’re doing it. Even small reductions in vehicle miles of travel in recent years have resulted in 30%-plus reductions in congestion in our major metro areas. We can do even more with a very small investment.

    • Replacing short car trips with bike or walk trips improves air quality and saves energy: It’s self evident. A 77% increase in bicycle commuting since 2000 in cities that have invested in bicycling programs shows that these voluntary behavior changes are actually happening.

    • Worried about efficient project delivery? Small-scale projects to improve the safety, functionality and operation of highway system for all users — those projects funded by the TE, SRTS and RT programs — are popular, successful, and get done quickly. Unpopular, 1950′s-era mega-highway projects with dubious actual benefits will still take years to get built even through a streamlined process… because they are still unpopular, ineffective, and unnecessary.

    • There are so many benefits beyond transportation to investing in more walkable, bike-friendly communities. Highway agencies may not care about health or livability but the American public does.

    • Military readiness? Yes, we can even play that card. The U.S. military is so concerned about the general lack of physical fitness among kids that they are big supporters of the Safe Routes to School program as one way to get our children moving again. Really, who wouldn’t be in favor of Safe Routes to School?

    • Last but not least, there is still an underlying fairness and equity argument underpinning this whole issue. Bicycling and walking make up 12% of all the trips that are made by Americans; 14% of traffic fatalities are bicyclists or pedestrians; but only 1.5% of federal transportation funds address these issues.

    Now even that tiny investment is under serious threat. I really don’t get it: What else do we have to do or say to make the case for continued investment in bicycling and walking; for preserving some minimal level of local involvement and control in major investment decisions? Senator Boxer, Chairman Mica…what do we have to do?

    ]]> Member News 2012-06-22T14:56:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/performance_grant_applications_due_monday/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/performance_grant_applications_due_monday/#When:18:54:11Z Apply now for a Performance Better Bicycling Community Grant.

    In celebration of its 30th Anniversary, Performance Bicycle will recognize advocacy organizations that are making a difference by granting a total of $30,000 in 10 communities. These Better Bicycling Community Grants will support local efforts to make cycling more accessible in the cities and towns where there are Performance stores. The grants are awarded and administered in collaboration with the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

    Applications for these $3,000 grants are due Monday, June 25 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Click here for the grant application criteria, recommended campaigns, and to download an application. Contact before Monday if you have any questions. Good luck!]]> Members, Grants 2012-06-21T18:54:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_advance_awards_25000_in_grants/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_advance_awards_25000_in_grants/#When:16:09:04Z With $25,000 in grants, Advocacy Advance will boost the growth of young advocacy organizations and dramatically increase biking and walking in Mississippi and Tucson, Arizona.

    Since 2009, Advocacy Advance – a partnership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists – has awarded more than $750,000 in direct grants to 40 state and local advocacy organizations that have used those dollars to achieve powerful improvements for biking and walking in their communities.

    In 2012, the grants program specifically targets capacity building efforts and will help grow and professionalize two energetic and promising organizations: Bike Walk Mississippi and Living Streets Alliance in Tucson, Ariz.

    “Receiving this grant is a real game-changer for Living Streets Alliance,” says Emily Yetman, Founder and President of Living Streets Alliance. “It will provide us with the resources we need to expand our programs and reach out to entirely new audiences in the greater Tucson region and beyond. Our Pedestrian Safety & Comfort Campaign will make our city a safer, more enjoyable and more convenient place to walk.”

    “Although a state typically ranked high in obesity and low in bicycle friendliness, Bike Walk Mississippi believes that local communities have both the drive and passions to do their part to transform Mississippi into a healthier, happier and more bicycle friendly state,” says Melody Moody, Executive Director of Bike Walk Mississippi. “With the help of the Advocacy Advance matching grant, Bike Walk Mississippi will launch a grassroots movement to connect citizens in the public, private and voluntary sector to the resources and tools needed to take action toward becoming more livable communities.”

    Advocacy Advance received 47 applications with project proposals requesting a total of $560,000. Capacity Building Grants in 2012 are made possible with generous funding by Planet Bike.

    2012 Capacity Building Grants

    Bike Walk Mississippi (BWM) will receive a $10,000 matching grant to hire a second staff person to increase their effectiveness throughout the state with targeted campaigns. The new campaign manager will work with communities to develop action plans to increase bicycle friendliness. BWM will create a toolkit of resources leading to increased infrastructure, policy and programs on the local level while increasing representation on and ownership of Mississippi’s statewide Bike/Ped Plan. Learn more about Bike Walk Mississippi.

    Living Streets Alliance (LSA) will receive a $15,000 matching grant to hire their first full-time executive director to strengthen bicycle and pedestrian advocacy in Tucson. With 23 pedestrian fatalities in the region in 2011, LSA aims to address pedestrian safety through grassroots mobilization to galvanize support for their 2012-2013 Pedestrian Safety & Comfort Campaign. The goal of this multi-tiered campaign is to make walking a safer and more desirable transportation choice through the inclusion of a $25 million county bond package to create “safe neighborhood streets” in 2013. LSA will also supplement their successful bicycle programs and events with Cyclovia Tucson, the city’s open-streets event. Learn more about Living Streets Alliance.

    Ongoing Grants

    In addition to the new round of Capacity Building Grants, Advocacy Advance also continues to support local groups through Model and Rapid Response Grants.

    Rapid Response Grants

    In 2012, Advocacy Advance will grant $25,000 in Rapid Response Grants throughout the year to help state and local organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. Apply now!

    Model Grants

    This year sees continued support for Advocacy Advance Model Grantees. These three-year grants, awarded in 2011, support advocacy organizations for strategic efforts to significantly increase federal investment for biking and walking at state, regional, and/or local levels.

    Bike Pittsburgh is receiving $40,000 per year to leverage partnerships and associations, identify key bicycle and pedestrian projects and get them funded.

    Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is receiving $35,000 per year to double federal funding to bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs in the Atlanta region and to triple the bicycle mode share.

    To meet these ambitious goals, both organizations are working with their cities, regional metropolitan planning organizations and State Departments of Transportation to tap into federal funding streams currently underutilized for bicycle and pedestrian projects.

    Click here to read the full press release.]]> Members, Grants 2012-06-20T16:09:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/seven_new_campaigns_launched_at_houston_winning_campaigns_training/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/seven_new_campaigns_launched_at_houston_winning_campaigns_training/#When:14:30:36Z Over the second weekend in June, the Alliance held the third Winning Campaigns Training of the year in Houston, Texas. The training, hosted by BikeHouston and Citizens’ Transportation Coalition, had participants representing nine different organizations from across the state.

    The training was a great way for the participants to kick off this summer, with seven outstanding campaigns geared towards improving biking and walking in communities across Texas. Marissa Taler from Bike Houston, who created a campaign to launch an open streets initiative in Houston, stated that the Winning Campaigns Training “turned a daunting project into a manageable campaign.” Some of the other campaigns developed at the training include:

    • Creating a Houston Bikeshare System
    • Increasing dedication of funding for Safe Routes to School throughout Texas
    • Having the Metro Referendum passed in November to fund rail expansion
    • Building funding for free rides for all students at Texas Tech

    Take a look at participants announcing their campaigns at the end of the training:

     

    Alliance Member Services Director Jeremy Grandstaff, one of the training’s facilitators, was excited about the participants’ energy throughout the weekend, “I am really happy with how this training turned out. It was a great group of people who had different roles within their organizations, and the overall diversity of each organization made for good conversations. I’m looking forward to seeing these campaigns in action.”

    The Alliance is holding one more Winning Campaigns Training this year in Kansas City, Missouri. Anna Kong from Bike Austin, whose campaign aims to create the North MoPac Bike Highway, believes that the “Winning Campaigns Training will help you win your campaign and increase super advocacy power! So do it!” Learn more about the Missouri training here. ]]> Member News 2012-06-20T14:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/active_transportation_is_good_business_sense/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/active_transportation_is_good_business_sense/#When:12:31:47Z Biking to work is good for employees and businesses.

    We’ve heard it before. Transportation policy is health care policy, and reduced health care costs are a boon to all of us. But now businesses are beginning to do the math and realize that, for their employees’ health and productivity, pennies toward promotion are worth dollars in cure.

    Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), the Minnesota-based distributor, is achieving lower health care costs through incentives that encourage active transportation. In March, Streetsblog’s Ben Fried captured their story, complete with facts and figures from QBP’s presentation at the National Bike Summit.

    QBP pays out about $45,000 annually to reimburse employees who bike to work, and it provides secure bike parking and showers. Participating employees have saved nearly $200,000 in health care claims, which translates to lower insurance premiums (which meant a 4.4% reduction in QBP’s health care costs from 2009-2011, a period in which average American corporate health care costs rose 24%).

    Improved health reduces absenteeism and improves productivity, for an estimated additional benefit worth $300,000. If less than one-fourth of QBP employees take advantage of the program, imagine the benefits that a 50 or 75 percent participation rate would produce.

    What QBP has done is ground-breaking work and shows just how much bicycling can benefit a business’s bottom line. Our friends at the League of American Bicyclists are beginning to see these calculations in health impact assessment studies (here and here) that gauge the health benefits of bicycling and walking. The League hopes to see more of the sort of analysis QBP has done in applications for Bicycle Friendly Businesses.

    Healthy employees make a healthy business. Local advocates can take these examples to businesses to encourage them that investments bike- and walk-friendly facilities and programs for employees pay off. Health insurance providers that design wellness programs around active transportation might also be prompted to perform health impact assessments.]]> Member News 2012-06-19T12:31:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/making_the_equity_case_working_with_transit/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/making_the_equity_case_working_with_transit/#When:13:46:51Z Last week, the Alliance hosted a Mutual Aid conference call focused on the opportunity for bicycle and pedestrian organizations to work with transit advocates on collaborative, comprehensive efforts to build just, inclusive communities of transportation opportunity. Thanks to our panelists for sharing their valuable insight.

    Anita Hairston, Senior Associate for Transportation Policy at Policy Link started the call with an overview of the nation’s changing demographics and the importance to understand current and projected trends:

    • It is predicted that by 2042, the majority of Americans will be people of color, which is already the case in 49 metro regions and four states. (“America’s Tomorrow”, Policy Link)
    • Safety for vulnerable users is not equitable. African Americans represent 18 percent of pedestrian deaths but account for 13 percent of the total population and Latinos make up 19 percent of pedestrian deaths and account for 14 percent of the population. (“Dangerous by Design”, Transportation for America)
    • About 7.5 million American households do not own – many without access to – a motor vehicle and rely on walking, biking and public transportation. Nearly 3/5 of the households without vehicles have income below 80 percent of the regional median income. Almost 700,000 households without vehicles have no transit service available to them. (“Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households”, Brookings Institute)

    Ya-Ting Liu, Transit Campaign Manager at Transportation Alternatives then discussed transit as a political problem and ways that bike/ped advocates can use an equity lens to frame their grassroots campaigns: “If the goal is to make sure everyone in your city has access to safe, affordable transit options, the next question is, ‘Who doesn’t have that?’ Then we can lift up and empower specific neighborhoods to get better access to biking, walking, and transit options.”

    Cheryl King, Assistant General Manager of Planning at the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) provided some key tips for advocates from the agency perspective: “Work with transit agencies, Community Improvement Districts (CIDs), Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), local jurisdictions and metropolitan planning organizations to identify local and federal funding available. Also, find an elected official to be your advocate and carry your cause.”

    In 2010, the Atlanta Regional Onboard Transit Survey found that 73 percent of transit users in the 20-county area either walk or bike to get to transit, which underscores the demand for pedestrian and bicycle amenities in the region. Seventy-nine percent of individuals with annual household income less that $20,000 walk to transit and 50 percent with an annual household income of $75,000 or more walk to transit – a gap that demonstrates how critical it is for low-income communities to have access to good sidewalks, crosswalks and signage for safety and convenience.

    We must also consider the transportation obstacles our aging population and people with disabilities face and make it easier and safer for people with limited mobility to get to transit stops.  A report  by AAPD and the Leadership Conference shows that 31 percent of people with disabilities have “insufficient transportation” compared to 13 percent of the general population, with more than 500,000 people never leaving their homes because of the lack of transportation options.

    Last month, America Bikes released the results of a 2012 Princeton Survey that showed that 83 percent of Americans favored maintaining or increasing federal funding for sidewalks and bikeways. African American and Hispanic respondents reported support at a higher rate than white respondents: 88 percent of Black respondents and 85 percent of Hispanics support maintain or increasing funds. Additionally, 81 percent of respondents with an income level under $30,000 year support maintain or increasing funds.

    The content of this Mutual Aid Call was inspired by the Alliance’s involvement in the Equity Caucus at Transportation for America. The Caucus was formed by the nation’s leading civil rights, community development, racial justice, economic justice, faith-based, health, housing, labor, environmental justice, tribal, public interest, women’s groups and transportation organizations to drive transportation policies that advance economic and social equity in America.

    As pedestrian and bicycle advocacy organizations, it is imperative to ensure that our processes are inclusive, accessible and transparent. As Anita points out: “Ask yourself whether your organization, network and meetings have representation from communities of interest, with opportunities to lead and speak out. Make sure people of diverse backgrounds feel comfortable and engaged. Be transparent about how the engagement process influences decision making and who is ultimately accountable.”  From an equity standpoint, it is important to make sure all transit riders can safely and conveniently access the system, whether riders get to transit by walking, biking or driving.

    Click here to listen to the call recording, and download the call tip sheet for more information.]]> Member News 2012-06-13T13:46:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/cdc_grant_letters_of_intent_due_june_18/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/cdc_grant_letters_of_intent_due_june_18/#When:11:29:28Z Letters of Intent for 2012 Community Transformation Grants (CTG) are due June 18. This grant program, run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports non-governmental, community based organizations in addition to State and local government agencies in the “implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based community health activities in order to reduce chronic disease rates, prevent the development of secondary conditions, address health disparities, and develop a stronger evidence-base of effective prevention programming.”

    CDC will award $70 to communities with fewer than 500,000. Applicants should address the promotion of healthier lifestyles through policy, environmental, programmatic and infrastructure interventions. Transportation projects that address trails, access and active living are eligible.

    In 2011, $103 million was awarded in communities around the U.S. Read more about the grant projects and visit the CDC’s FAQ page to learn more about how to submit a letter of intent. Full applications will be due July 31. ]]> Member News 2012-06-08T11:29:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/in_tucson_biking_is_a_family_affair/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/in_tucson_biking_is_a_family_affair/#When:14:15:25Z
    
    Kidical Mass in Tucson, Living Streets Alliance

    Kids taking to the streets en masse on bicycles are always a welcome sight to behold. Imagine the joy and hope in the air at Tucson’s Kidical Mass, where nearly 150 kids of all ages and abilities (parents included) took to the streets for a three-mile jaunt along local parks, down a bicycle boulevard, through the University of Arizona and back.

    Living Streets Alliance, in collaboration with other local organizations like El Grupo, a nonprofit group that empowers teens through biking, organized the event. El Grupo volunteers helped make the event a success – the teens were positive role models for younger kids throughout the ride, and they also helped fit kids with free helmets provided by Living Streets Alliance.

    “It was great to see people of all ages out biking together,” says Emily Yetman, Founder and President of Living Streets Alliance. “Some of the kids on push bikes even went the whole three miles.”

    Events like Kidical Mass are part of Living Streets Alliance’s effort to bring their message to the whole spectrum of riders, from young to old and new to experienced. At their Bikes & Tykes Expo, local parents, kids and representatives from bike shops came together to share commuting experiences, discuss routes and show off equipment that makes biking as a family easier. Additionally, Living Streets Alliance just hosted their third annual Cyclovia Tucson. Despite less than ideal weather, the event brought hundreds of Tusconan kids and grownups out for “Arizona’s Biggest Block Party.”

    “These family-friendly events help people learn what they need to know to have fun and be safe on a bicycle,” says Yetman, “and then they get the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned.”

    Learn more about Living Streets Alliance’s Bike Fest events and other happenings at livingstreetsalliance.org.]]> Member News 2012-06-07T14:15:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/apply_now_for_a_performance_better_bicycling_community_grant/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/apply_now_for_a_performance_better_bicycling_community_grant/#When:13:00:09Z In celebration of its 30th Anniversary, Performance Bicycle will recognize some of the bicycle advocacy organizations making a difference by granting a total of $30,000 in 10 communities. These Better Bicycling Community Grants will support local efforts to make cycling more accessible in the communities where there are Performance stores. The grants are awarded and administered in collaboration with the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

    An organization may apply for a Performance Bicycle Grant if it:

    • Is located in a community where there is a Performance store
    • Is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization; grants will not be awarded to individuals
    • Proposes a campaign that is winnable with measurable results
    • Proposes a campaign that will celebrate and enhance bicycling in a Performance community

    Recommended Campaigns Include:

    • Introducing Open Streets to your community
    • Working with local agencies to update / implement a Bike Plan, Bike Map, etc.
    • Training new community advocacy leaders
    • Promoting bicycling (e.g. audits, awareness campaigns)
    • Developing a bicycling economic impact report for the community / state
    • Passing / implementing bicycle-friendly ordinances (e.g. complete streets, safe passing, bike parking requirements, bicycle access to buildings)
    • Launching infrastructure campaigns to build bike lanes, trails, and parking

    Performance Bicycle will not fund safety events, fundraising rides or races with these grants, but would look forward to talking with you about these types of events and how our store associates can help. Contact your local Performance Bicycle store about local support for these types of activities.

    Download an application and submit it to Brighid@PeoplePoweredMovement.org by 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Monday, June 25. All grant requests must be for $3,000.]]> Member News 2012-05-29T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/separate_but_eco_livable_communities_for_whom/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/separate_but_eco_livable_communities_for_whom/#When:13:00:52Z Last week, members of Los Angeles’ City of Lights published: “Separate but Eco: Livable Communities for Whom?” This article addresses how the working poor and environmentalists can come together to affordably revitalize urban communities.

    “The point is not to criticize the flourishing of environmentally conscious lifestyles in LA, but to recognize that sustainable practices such as bicycling can take more than one form…In practice, though, the ‘livable places’ created by developers for affluent residents are seen as more worthy of public investment than those utilized by immigrants and people of color.” - Authors Adonia Lugo and Allison Mannos

    Presenting examples of the divide between green and low-income families, this article emphasizes the importance of understanding the power structures that impact transportation planning and the role that class and race privileges play in the placement of cycling amenities in certain neighborhoods and not others. It asks the bicycle movement how we can support both the rights of working people and promote affordable housing and environmental amenities like bike lanes.

    Watch out for an upcoming series of articles to come on “Equitable Environmentalism.” This series will draw on the authors’ experiences in the bicycle and environmental movements to shed light on the unfortunate divides they have noticed between urban sustainability communities and low-income communities of color.

    The mission of City Lights is to provide these cyclists with bike lights and safety information, with the aim of cultivating future advocates in this community.  The objective of City of Lights is to increase working-class Latino immigrant bicyclists’ safety and empower them to educate and spread bicycle safety information and advocacy to their communities.

    ]]> Member News 2012-05-28T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/road_to_nowhere_nah_bike_paths_to_everywhere1/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/road_to_nowhere_nah_bike_paths_to_everywhere1/#When:13:00:44Z May in Alaska boasts 18 daylight hours to ride a bike. The next best way to spend a day and a half of spring is figuring out how to make riding a bike easier for more people – and getting it funded!

    Anchorage was the site of the most recent Advocacy Advance Action 2020 Workshop. Hosted by Alaska Trails, Alaska State Parks, and the National Park Service’s Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA), participants came from Juneau, Fairbanks, Kodiak, Barrow and the Kenai Peninsula to learn how federal transportation funds can pay for biking and walking projects in their communities.

    U.S. Senator - and former mayor of Anchorage - Mark Begich joined via teleconference to give an update on the transportation reauthorization process in D.C. and share his support and need for bicycle advocacy in Alaska. State Bike/Ped Coordinator Bob Laurie presented additional information on upcoming opportunities and timelines for bicycle and pedestrian projects and funding programs.

    “I learned some new twists about the familiar (federal funding sources) like STP and CMAQ, and others I didn’t know about like Section 402 grants,” said Jack Mosby, board member of Alaska Trails.  “I also enjoyed meeting (and hopefully working with in the future) a bunch of passionate folks who are striving hard to provide safer conditions for those that walk or bike to school, to work, to the store, with the family, for exercise, or just for the fun of it.”

    “The diversity of interests represented at the workshop was wonderful,” agreed Heather Rice, Outdoor Recreation Planner with RTCA. “The workshop enabled all of us interested in trails to get to know one another and learn from and build on our different perspectives as we work together to enhance and expand Alaska’s bike/ped opportunities.”

    Prior to the workshop, advocates participated in a customized Alliance Winning Campaigns Training that provided a framework for developing bicycle and pedestrian advocacy campaigns through the lens of increasing federal funding at the state and local levels. Alaska Trails and Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage hosted the training and will work with the Advocacy Advance team to further develop their campaigns.

    Dialogue and collaboration at the Action 2020 Workshop highlighted unique and urgent opportunities for bicycle and pedestrian programs and projects. In the next two weeks to two months, applications for Section 402 funds are due; public comments for STIP project criteria will be accepted; the Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan, Comprehensive Plan, and Anchorage Trails Plan will be developed; and HSIP nominations can be submitted.

    Additionally, there is $3 million in Safe Routes to School funds available for application for reimbursable grants and advocates are urged to contact Safe Routes to School Program Coordinator Steve Soenksen – who gave a short presentation at the workshop – to apply.

    The workshop presentation and priorities developed by the participants are available on Alaska Trail’s website. The Alaska Funding Profile and additional resources can be downloaded from AdvocacyAdvance.  A segment on Advocacy Advance was included in the Bike Week special of Alaska Public Radio’s Talk of Alaska.

    Action 2020 Workshops are facilitated by Advocacy Advance – a partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and Alliance for Biking & Walking. These workshops are designed to ensure advocates, agency staff, and elected officials have the knowledge, skills and resources to access untapped or under-utilized federal funding sources at the state, regional and local level to build bicycling and walking infrastructure and programs.

    We invite advocates and agency staff to register for the nearest workshop, which are offered for free, thanks to the generous support of SRAM Cycling Fund. For more information about Advocacy Advance and the Action 2020 Workshops, or to apply to host a future workshop, contact .]]> Member News 2012-05-25T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_advance_summer_internship/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocacy_advance_summer_internship/#When:13:00:10Z Advocacy Advance is a dynamic partnership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists to boost local and state bicycle and pedestrian advocacy efforts. With the goal of maximizing federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects at the state and local level, Advocacy Advance provides targeted trainings, reports, grants and assistance to equip advocates with the specific tools they need to increase biking and walking in their communities.  To find out more, please visit www.AdvocacyAdvance.org.

    Position Description

    The Advocacy Advance Intern will gain knowledge and skills related to federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects and the advocacy efforts to secure and utilize this funding at the state and local level nationwide.  Work includes research of federal transportation funding, outreach to member organizations, collecting best practices of bike/ped organizations, and tracking data to compile state profiles.

    Specific tasks for the Advocacy Advance Intern

    • Develop and maintain state profiles with information related to federal funding programs, such as CMAQ, HSIP, STP, 402
    • Track relevant data including: Current project lists; Cycling and safety numbers; Policies; Funding history
    • Research how bike/ped projects are eligible and competitive for target programs
    • Gather examples of how advocates and agency staff have successful won and used public funding for bike/ped projects
    • Conduct data-mining and perform anecdotal research into funding practices
    • Compile photographs of completed projects
    • Review grant reports and member activities to develop ways to share best practices among advocacy members
    • Outreach to member organizations on applicable issues, including writing blogs
    • Coordinate database records and tools related to grants, trainings, and outreach
    • Perform other administrative duties as needed including database entry

    Skills and Knowledge to be Gained

    • Specific experience working with national non-profit organizations
    • Hands-on work with state and local advocacy organizations and agency staff across North America
    • Knowledge of federal transportation funding programs
    • Knowledge of bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs nationwide

    Requirements

    Essential:

    • Interest in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy and organizational development
    • Interest in national transportation policy / federal funding
    • Excellent interpersonal, research and organizational skills
    • Strong oral and writing skills
    • Strong attention to detail
    • Track record of working well on team projects
    • Cheerful, friendly, upbeat outlook
    • Natural leadership abilities

    Helpful:

    • Graphic design and/or data presentation skills
    • Familiarity with the web, content management, and databases
    • IT skills
    • Familiarity with biking and walking issues

    How to Apply

    Please send a letter of interest, resume, samples of work (writing and/or design), & 2-3 references to , Advocacy Advance Program Manager. Applications are due by June 8th 2012.  Anticipated start date will be in mid to late June.

    This internship offers a flexible schedule with a fifteen-hour-a-week minimum commitment for a total of 180 hours (3 months). This position is based in Washington, DC. The position is not paid, but a small stipend will be available. We can work with academic requirements you may have, to help you earn course credit, and give you a unique opportunity to connect to a growing network of organizations making significant community improvements. The internship will be administered by the Alliance for Biking & Walking.]]> Member News 2012-05-24T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/window_closing_fast_on_final_transportation_billcall_your_reps/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/window_closing_fast_on_final_transportation_billcall_your_reps/#When:13:00:15Z A small group of House and Senate leaders are still negotiating on the final transportation bill right now. The window is closing fast on our last real chance to impact the bill.

    It’s all in their hands—whether or not local communities will have access to funds to build biking and walking infrastructure—and we need your help.

    Today, America Bikes is joining with numerous other organizations from around the country to call congressional offices and make our priorities clear in these last few days to impact the transportation bill’s final outcome.

    Can you take a moment to call your Senators and Representative and let them know that the transportation conference committee must preserve the bipartisan Cardin-Cochran agreement? This agreement ensures that communities will have access to funds to build biking and walking infrastructure.

    Here’s how to call:

    1. Check out the profile on your senators and your representative using the America Bikes state and district resources pages.

    2. Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Use the script below to ask your elected officials to preserve the Cardin-Cochran agreement.

    Hi, my name is [name] and I live in [city/town/county].

    I’m calling to ask Representative/Senator [name] to support the bipartisan Cardin-Cochran agreement in the transportation conference committee that ensures local governments have access to funds to build bikeways and sidewalks.

    Americans support federal funding for biking and walking.  In a March 2012 poll, 83 percent of Americans said they support maintaining or increasing federal funding for biking and walking- That includes 88 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of Republicans.

    These projects are important to my community. (Mention a local project you know about, or use some of the facts from your state or district profile.

    Please support the Cardin-Cochran agreement so that [your city/town/county] can build projects important to our community.

    3. Repeat for all three of your congressional representatives.

    4. Use the America Bikes tip sheet to report back on anything you learn in your call.

    Thank you! ]]> Member News 2012-05-23T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/creating_walkable_communities_on_a_budget/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/creating_walkable_communities_on_a_budget/#When:12:00:53Z
    Last week, the Alliance and America Walks hosted a Mutual Aid conference call focused on campaigns to promote awareness of and excitement around walkable communities. Thanks to our panelists Lindsey Ganson from Transportation Alternatives, Matt Tomasulo from Walk Raleigh and Lisa Quinn from Feet First for sharing their experience!

    If you missed out on the call, don’t worry. Just download the call recording (MP3) and the tip sheet (PDF).]]> Member News 2012-05-23T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/2012_bicycle_friendly_state_rankings_just_announced/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/2012_bicycle_friendly_state_rankings_just_announced/#When:13:30:24Z This morning, the League of American Bicyclists released the 2012 Bicycle Friendly States ranking. For the fifth year in a row, Washington continues to lead the nation, with outstanding performance in all categories.  Click here to view the rankings and see how your state scored in each of the five evaluation categories.

    ]]> Member News 2012-05-22T13:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bikes_tourists_and_all_that_jazz/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bikes_tourists_and_all_that_jazz/#When:13:00:27Z When you think of New Orleans, what comes to mind? The tragic reminds us of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation that followed it and still remains. The celebratory conjures up images of parades, trombones, and music flowing into the streets. Those streets – destroyed, recovering, or flourishing with jazz – are the focus of Bike Easy, and local advocates are working to ensure that bicycles are included in how we use them.

    Last week, the Louisiana State Legislature drafted a bill that would create $40 million in new revenue to invest in infrastructure improvements in New Orleans’ “Hospitality Zone” (The French Quarter and Central Business District). The bill would allow a citywide election on tourist tax increases that are estimated to bring in over $12 million per year. The timing is aligned with the 2013 Super Bowl, which will be held in NOLA.

    The Department of Public Works has been asked to start designing these projects that include resurfacing projects and on-street bike parking infrastructure in NOLA’s historic district.

    “The good news is that several improvements are being considered for pedestrian crossings such as pedestrian heads, new medians, pedestrian sanctuaries and tree plantings to calm traffic,” says Jamie Wine, Executive Director of Bike Easy. “However, only a few will have the minimum in bicycle facilities (shared-lane markings) and minimal way-finding signage, even though there is room on the street for much more progressive treatments such as cycle tracks and bicycle lanes.” Currently, a traffic study is required to eliminate a lane of traffic or parking.

    Bike Easy has been awarded a $3,000 Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant to support their advocacy efforts to include bicycle infrastructure in these improvements. They will use funds to conduct a grassroots campaign and to lobby elected officials and Department of Public Works planners and engineers to allocate money for traffic studies.

    In the long-term, these critical corridors are important to connect the Mississippi River Trail across the downtown core with bike lanes, boulevards and separated facilities.  Using new state funding sources to improve bicycle facilities on these roads will also demonstrate implementation of Louisiana’s Complete Streets Policy, passed last July and encourage a change in agency culture to include bicycles by default in road projects.

    Advocacy Advance will be in NOLA in November for an Action 2020 Workshop to further work with advocates, agency staff and elected officials to identify opportunities to increase federal transportation funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects in New Orleans and Louisiana.

    ]]> Member News 2012-05-22T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/san_francisco_gets_15-mph_school_zones/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/san_francisco_gets_15-mph_school_zones/#When:15:35:38Z
    Last week, San Francisco Mayor Lee, Walk San Francisco and the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency announced the completion of a campaign to lower the speed limits around 181 schools. The new 15-mile-per-hour school zone speed limits are making it safer for students to walk to school, and residents in the communities around the schools will enjoy the traffic calming the lower speed limits produce.

    Local law enforcement pledged to ensure enforcement of the 15-mile-per-hour speed limits. Walk San Francisco has worked with the Municipal Transit Agency and police department on a systematic enforcement plan, whereby police will issue warnings and then tickets in the school zones.

    This win is part of Walk San Francisco’s larger campaign around pedestrian safety, and they have worked with local parents, media, elected officials and city agencies to draft goals to improve safety.

    The campaign is helping the city reach its established targets of a 50 percent reduction in serious and fatal pedestrian injuries by 2021, and it is making San Francisco more walkable in general. “These school zones will help kids walk to school safely,” says Elizabeth Stampe, Executive Director of Walk San Francisco. “They’ll also calm traffic in neighborhoods throughout the city, making streets more inviting for walking.”

    “This is a big step forward for everyone who walks in San Francisco,” says Stampe.

    To read more, visit the Walk San Francisco website here.]]> Member News 2012-05-21T15:35:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/apply_to_become_a_walk_friendly_community/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/apply_to_become_a_walk_friendly_community/#When:19:00:05Z
    As of May 1, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) is accepting applications for their Walk Friendly Communities program. Since 2010, the program has recognized communities for their efforts to promote pedestrian safety and activity. Cities and towns can apply to be recognized as walkable communities at bronze, silver, gold and platinum distinction levels. The current application period is open until June 15.

    In April, the number of Walk Friendly Communities grew to 24 as PBIC announced the addition of three new cities. Similar to the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program, Walk Friendly Communities rates the levels of pedestrian engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation and planning in communities that apply for recognition.

    For more information, and to apply, visit the Walk Friendly Communities website.]]> Member News 2012-05-11T19:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_releases_part_one_of_new_guide_to_fundraising/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_releases_part_one_of_new_guide_to_fundraising/#When:13:15:57Z

    Today we released part one of the Alliance Guide to Fundraising, an evolving series focused on one of the great challenges of starting and sustaining an organization — finding and retaining sources of funding. The Alliance has been developing this resource in the past few months, and we are excited to offer it to our members through our Resources Library.

    “Creating and Implementing an Effective Fundraising Plan” details the process of setting goals and timelines, choosing among various funding sources and developing a plan that fits each organization’s mission, budget and opportunities. With insights and examples from Alliance members and fundraising experts, the first installment of the series offers an in-depth approach for setting your organization on the path to fundraising success.

    Later installments of the Guide to Fundraising will discuss such topics as:

    • Crafting successful funding proposals
    • Finding local funding sources
    • Diversifying income streams through contracts and consulting opportunities
    • Acquiring federal funding

    
    
    To access the Alliance Guide to Fundraising, visit the Alliance Resources Library.

    ]]> Member News 2012-05-11T13:15:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/biketexas_continues_innovation_streak_with_groupon_grassroots/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/biketexas_continues_innovation_streak_with_groupon_grassroots/#When:18:21:05Z
    Only weeks after receiving their Alliance Advocacy Award for Innovation, BikeTexas is at it again. As part of their campaign to promote safe cycling, the organization is providing complimentary bike lights to Texas riders. To raise funds for this outreach, they have turned to a unique new source for good.

    On Earth Day, the online daily deal site Groupon marshaled its resources to promote community benefits and re-launched their support of nonprofit initiatives in Groupon Grassroots. As with other Groupon deals, once enough participants partake in the deal, the offer is valid.

    Through Groupon Grassroots, BikeTexas accepted donations to meet a target of $400 ($10 from 40 donors), which they quickly surpassed. As part of the launch of its grassroots initiative, Groupon is also providing a $1,000 grant to BikeTexas.

    From the Groupon deal, BikeTexas was able to raise over $1,700 in donations to provide 200 sets of front and back bike lights to Texas riders. These funds will help BikeTexas extend their “Be Safe & Be Bright” campaign to light up more bikes across Texas.

    “BikeTexas was honored to be chosen as one of the 50 nonprofits throughout the U.S. for Groupon’s new national grassroots campaign,” said Leslie Luciano, Director of Communications at BikeTexas. “‘Be safe and be bright’ is a theme BikeTexas is carrying throughout the state.”

    Read more about BikeTexas’ work in their blog here and check out their Groupon Grassroots campaign here.]]> Member News 2012-05-10T18:21:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/america_bikes_releases_2012_survey_results/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/america_bikes_releases_2012_survey_results/#When:15:40:44Z Senator Durbin (D-IL) speaks in support of federal bike/ped funding.

    This morning at a press conference on Capitol Hill, America Bikes announced the findings of a recent Princeton survey, which shows that more than 80 percent of Americans favor maintaining or increasing federal funding for sidewalks and bike lanes.

    The survey results are astounding - and bipartisan:

    • 83 percent of all respondents support maintaining or growing federal funding for sidewalks, bikeways, and bike paths.
    • 80 percent of Republican respondents and 88 percent of Democrat respondents think Congress should maintain or increase federal funds for biking and walking.
    • 85 percent of Northeastern respondents, 79 percent of Midwesterners, 84 percent of Southerners, and 84 percent of respondents from Western states reported support for maintaining or increasing funding for sidewalks and bikeways.
    • 91 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 support continuing or increasing biking and walking funds.

    
    
    These survey results add critical perspective to a pressing national debate about transportation, especially as members of Congress conference to develop a consensus transportation bill. Our movement has been saying that people want safe places to bike and walk, and this survey supports that claim.

    At the event, Senators Cardin (D-MD) and Durbin (D-IL), Representatives Petri (R-WI) and Blumenauer (D-OR), and the staff of Senator Snowe (R-ME) expressed their support of federal funding for biking and walking infrastructure.

    “This is how you connect people,” said Senator Cardin at the press conference. “People would rather be able to use their bikes and use their feet than to use their cars, which are more costly, more dangerous to our environment, and part of a different lifestyle than we really want to have.”

    For more information on the survey and to download the results, visit the America Bikes website. ]]> Member News 2012-05-09T15:40:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_reports_from_transportation_alternatives/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_reports_from_transportation_alternatives/#When:18:15:46Z
    New York City advocates have already had quite a prolific spring. Transportation Alternatives released three new reports this March about three different neighborhood efforts to promote biking and walking.

    • ”Bronx Helpers: Pedestrian Safety First Campaign” highlights a three-year community effort to make a Bronx neighborhood better for pedestrian traffic and designate it a Neighborhood Slow Zone. The group is winning this campaign.
    • ”Transportation, Safety and Health” looks at how residents’ perceptions of safety in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community impact their use of active transportation.
    • In ”Slow Down: A Study of Speeding on McGuinness Blvd,” staff and volunteers tracked vehicle speeds on a four-lane arterial road in order to promote increased enforcement.

    
    
    In addition to these reports, Transportation Alternatives attended the New Amsterdam Bicycle Show, a benefit in their honor. Last weekend, they hosted a series of free Jane Jacobs Walks through different neighborhoods as well as a Bike Friendly Business Tour to support establishments that support cycling. For Bike Month, they have something for everyone, every day.

    For more information and inspiration, visit the Transportation Alternatives site. ]]> Member News 2012-05-08T18:15:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocates_launch_eight_new_campaigns_at_boston_training/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocates_launch_eight_new_campaigns_at_boston_training/#When:20:12:37Z
    Boston was the site of this year’s second Winning Campaigns Training.  Advocates from seven organizations came together to launch eight campaigns to improve biking and walking in their communities.

    The event brought together 16 advocates, all but one from the Boston area, and was hosted by LivableStreets Alliance. “The training was the best three days of learning I’ve had in a long time,” said LivableStreets Alliance member Stephen Nutter, who worked on a campaign that aims to reconnect neighborhoods divided by an urban highway.

    While Winning Campaigns Trainings are a great way to engage new advocates in the campaign planning process, this training saw many experienced advocates attend and use the training to set aside dedicated time for planning, as well as to re-energize their work.  Seasoned advocates included several members of the Boston Cyclists Union, who crafted a campaign to connect the city using a network of cycle tracks.

    “We’re extremely busy and often overworked at our organization,” said Noël Twigg of the Boston Cyclists Union.  “The training was a great opportunity to engage with fellow bike enthusiasts and left me feeling energized and ready to move forward!”

    Other campaigns launched at the training include:

    • Creating a network of green trails in Boston
    • Creating an open streets initiative in Boston
    • Installing a cycle track on a busy street in Baltimore, MD
    • Creating signage to link a trail with a business center
    • Connecting transit with national park land in Historic Boston

    
    
    The Alliance is hosting two more Winning Campaigns Trainings this year, in Houston and Kansas City.  Learn more about Winning Campaigns Training and register here.

    ]]> Member News 2012-05-02T20:12:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bikewalkkc_engages_tech_experts_at_citycampkc/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bikewalkkc_engages_tech_experts_at_citycampkc/#When:13:17:19Z
    This past weekend, tech-savvy citizens and entrepreneurs congregated at CityCampKC to develop and integrate smart technology to improve biking, walking and transit in Kansas City. BikeWalkKC sponsored the event and highlighted the arrival of BikeShareKC, which will hit the streets in June.

    The event culminated in a Hack-a-Thon, where creative community members donated their time and technical expertise to brainstorm systems for better government and increased economic opportunity. During the Hack-a-Thon, participants collaborated to generate a new mobile device app for users to find safe and convenient places to walk or bike, report hazards and provide up-to-date information and feedback to local officials and planners.

    Particularly focused on information sharing and reporting, the CityCampKC event worked on leveraging technology to connect citizens with officials and make public service delivery more efficient. Both Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Sly James and Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Joe Reardon spoke at the event about future collaboration opportunities.

    At the end of the event, participants came away with tons of information about how technology can continue to improve the way their city works. Also, planners, programmers and citizens worked with BikeWalkKC to develop a mobile device app based on Shareabouts, an online mapping tool that gathers information about different locations. For more information about CityCampKC happenings, click here. ]]> Member News 2012-05-02T13:17:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/inviting_congress_to_your_bike_month_event/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/inviting_congress_to_your_bike_month_event/#When:12:00:40Z As we head into National Bike Month, members of Congress head back to their home districts – a perfect time to invite them to your local Bike Month Event.  The House is out of session May 1-4 and May 20-29, and some Representatives may also be home for Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 18.

    The basic concept of a ‘Show Congress’ event is to connect a member of Congress with bicycling by arranging their participation in a trail opening, ribbon-cutting ceremony, or community bike event in a way that is visual, public, and fun.

    Your request should begin with a phone call to your Representative’s office to let them know that a formal invitation letter is on its way.  Send in a letter by fax or email using the resource below. Approximately a week after you have submitted your scheduling request, call the scheduler to follow-up on your request.

    America Bikes has a great toolkit for your organization to use when inviting and hosting your Representative for your event:

    • Tips for a Successful “Show Congress” Event: The bottom line is that you want to make your Senator or Representative look good back in their home district or state with an event that is positive, photogenic, and connected with bicycling in some way.
    • Sample Letter to Congress: You can use this fill-in sample letter to create a meeting request or invitation for your Member of Congress.  It also includes sample script for following up with the scheduler. It may take a few calls to reach the scheduler, so be persistent.
    • Tips on Collecting Media Coverage: Careful planning to attract members of the press to your event can make a big difference in drawing attention to your efforts. There are several simple steps you can take to successfully document the day for yourself, too, even if there are no reporters present. After the event, tracking media coverage and reporting back about the event will help biking and walking advocacy on both a local and national level.
    • Effective Messaging For Your “Show Congress” Event: Effective messaging before, during, and after your “Show Congress” event can help you or your organization create a lasting and impactful relationship with your Senator or Representative and their staff. Use this guide to stay on-message with your Senator or Representative and their staff.
    • Event Logistics Checklist: This event checklist can help you quickly determine whether you have key tasks handled for your event. This is not meant to be a complete guide to planning an event, but rather a list of key logistics pertaining to hosting your Member of Congress and/or the media.
    • 2012 Congressional Calendar: Use this calendar to schedule meetings and events with your members of Congress in-district while they’re out of session.

    Participating in an event like this also means you meet staffers, both DC‐based and those who work in a district office. These connections always prove to be beneficial.

    ]]> Member News 2012-04-25T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/community_bike_shop_leaders_discuss_the_business_of_running_a_shop/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/community_bike_shop_leaders_discuss_the_business_of_running_a_shop/#When:20:05:16Z Community bike shops work as advocates in their communities by putting more people on bikes.  In their unique role, they face issues similar to both nonprofit organizations and for-profit bike shops. On April 18, 2012, Mutual Aid panelists Jonathan Morrison of Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective, Jason Tanzman from Cycles for Change, and Pasqualina Azzarello of Recycle-A-Bicycle discussed the common challenges and opportunities associated with starting up, managing and finding funding for community bike shops.  The call also offered other leaders to discuss challenges they have faced as well as possible solutions.

    If you didn’t have a chance to join the call, you can download the call recording and view the call tip sheet.

    ]]> Member News 2012-04-24T20:05:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bikewalkkc_completes_advocacy_advance_grant/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bikewalkkc_completes_advocacy_advance_grant/#When:13:00:16Z In Fall 2010, Advocacy Advance awarded the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation a $30,000 grant to create a local advocacy organization in the Greater Kansas City MO/KS region. A year and a half later, BikeWalkKC has over 200 members, a $90,000 budget, 2.5 FT equivalent staff (including this year’s Alliance Advocacy Awards Advocate of the Year winner, Eric Rogers), a strong education program, and many campaign successes.

    Kansas City is dedicating $500,000 per year for five years for its share of the regional Katy Trail, a corridor that is part of the Jackson County Commuter Rail-with-Trail plan. In 2011, Kansas City achieved Bronze status from the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Communities program and its City Council adopted a Complete Streets Resolution, along with nine other communities covering 48% of the metro population. BikeWalkKC launched a Regional Funding Cooperation campaign and is working with a coalition of regional Parks and Recs directors on enabling state legislation to fund regional trails and bike routes. Additionally, a Blue Cross and Blue Shield-sponsored bike share program will start in Kansas City this summer and the organization’s CMAQ-funded Education program has served over 2,000 people in eight monthly classes with LCI instruction, school programs in low income and minority neighborhoods, and corporate lunch-and-learns.

    BikeWalkKC certainly hit the ground running. Ongoing support from a statewide organization, working off of a clear, collaborative vision, addressing the technical steps for starting a new advocacy organization, and building local partnerships are the recipe for success in Kansas City – one that many Alliance member organizations have and can continue to learn from.]]> Member News 2012-04-24T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/family_biking_guide_launched_in_san_francisco/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/family_biking_guide_launched_in_san_francisco/#When:12:56:25Z This week, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition announced the release of their Family Biking Guide.

    Are you curious how long through your pregnancy you can safely ride? How to choose from your carrier options? When to buy your child’s first bike? How to teach your child to bike, and tips for biking to school?

    From biking while pregnant to choosing the best gear for your young cyclist, this comprehensive, how-to manual is a must-have resource for your family in San Francisco and beyond. Download the manual for free at sfbike.org/family_guide.

    ]]> Member News 2012-04-23T12:56:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/idaho_moves_forward_with_texting_ban/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/idaho_moves_forward_with_texting_ban/#When:12:00:08Z
    Earlier this month, Idaho took a leap forward in making its streets safer. On April 5, Governor Otter approved distracted driving legislation that prohibits texting while driving. This measure makes Idaho the 37th state to enact such distracted driving legislation.

    According to the Idaho Transportation Department, distracted driving contributed to 192 fatalities and 1,534 injuries in Idaho from 2008 to 2010. In the past several years, the Idaho state legislature has introduced distracted driving bills but had failed to pass them.

    Cynthia Gibson of the Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance cites that, in addition to keeping members informed at every step in the legislative process, forming partnerships with non-biking/walking organizations was a key to success. “We met with organizations who want safer streets,” said Gibson, “including AAA, the Mayor’s Youth Task Force, and insurance companies.”

    With the passage of this law, Gibson says Idaho Pedestrian & Bicycle Alliance can begin to focus on its other campaigns. “Our next focus is finding local examples of economic benefits of biking and walking,” she said. “We would use this information at the city and state level.”]]> Member News 2012-04-20T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/one_billion_for_bikes_momentum_in_the_east_bay/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/one_billion_for_bikes_momentum_in_the_east_bay/#When:13:00:57Z The East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC) is meeting the funding opportunity of a generation with the assistance of an Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant.

    EBBC’s “One Billion for Bikes: Yes on the Alameda County Transportation Sales Tax Reauthorization” campaign targets a 30-year, $7.8 billion regional transportation plan. As part of the Citizens Advisory Working Group, EBBC helped develop the Expenditure Plan for the Reauthorization, galvanize the Community Vision Platform stakeholder group, and influence elected officials to include $883 million dollars – 11.34% of all funds – for bike/ped projects in the plan.

    East Bay advocates have until November to work with their broad coalition of supporters to gain two-thirds voter approval for this ballot measure. They will leverage the $3,000 Rapid Response grant and use funds for voter outreach, publicity, and strengthening collaboration opportunities.

    This campaign win would transform transportation in Alameda County and be a major win for the movement. This measure represents 75% of ALL transportation funding in the County over the next 30 years and for the first time in history, a transportation sales tax in California would allocate more money for bike/ped than for highway projects. It would also require all projects in the measure to comply with the County’s new Complete Streets Policy.

    Advocacy Advance is a partnership between the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists with the goal to double federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs and projects by supporting advocacy efforts and agency collaboration at the state and local levels. Our Rapid Response grants can be used to fund campaigns that involve all types of public funding: federal, state, regional and city.

    Thanks to the support of SRAM Cycling Fund, Advocacy Advance has $29,000 remaining to fund organizations met with urgent and unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. There is no application deadline for these rolling grants and accepted proposals will be funded within one month.

    Rapid Response grants have funded the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin’s successful campaign to restore $2 million of the state’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program, the BTA’s bike sharing success in Portland, and Active Living LaCrescent’s bridge accommodations campaign.]]> Member News 2012-04-19T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bicycle_coalition_of_maine_completes_innovation_grant/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bicycle_coalition_of_maine_completes_innovation_grant/#When:13:00:45Z The Bicycle Coalition of Maine, a recipient of a Fall 2010 Advocacy Advance Innovation Grant, completed its “Community Spokes Grassroots Advocacy” proposal this past month.  BCM used the $18,000 award to launch a series of one-day advocacy trainings. Modeled after the Alliance’s Winning Campaign Training approach, these workshops train Community Spokes to carry our successful campaigns in their local communities.

    BCM has already seen its new Community Spokes in action. Craig Saddlemire, a participant of the November training, created a joint bike/ped committee for the twin cities of Lewiston-Auburn and met with the newly elected mayors of the cities to advocate for better biking. When BCM organized for the successful Cardin-Cochran Amendment campaign in March, Craig created a local delegation, including a local bike shop owner, transportation planner and public health advocate, to make in-district meetings.

    The Advocacy Advance grant, and the additional $33,000 in matching funds leveraged by BCM, gave the resources and focus to develop a strategic program the Coalition has dreamed of for years. The first Community Spokes training was followed by multiple Mutual Aid Calls on topics such as “What does the MDOT do and how can it help you?” and a second training is planned for June 19.

    Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Community Spokes curriculum and Toolkit can be used by other Alliance members interested in facilitating advocacy campaign trainings in their communities. ]]> Member News 2012-04-17T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/spanish-language_bike_safety_psas_hit_los_angeles/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/spanish-language_bike_safety_psas_hit_los_angeles/#When:12:30:55Z
    Congratulations are in order for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, who unveiled their vibrant new public safety PSAs last week at a press conference to announce the next CicLAvia event. The poster — a collaborative work created by volunteers from the Latino community, LACBC’s City of Lights program, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, REI, and artist Aaron Kuehn — features the message “PRECAUCIÓN: Tu familia también usa la bicicleta” (in English: “CAUTION: Your family also rides bicycles”).

    The poster will be featured at bus shelters throughout the city to remind drivers to be careful and share the road. Additionally, the campaign produced a 60-second video PSA, directed by Jordan Melograna. The video PSA is currently available online and may be broadcast on television in the future.

    To promote safety and connect with a key stakeholder group in the community, LACBC reached out to Spanish-speaking volunteers, particularly day laborers, many of whom use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation. The group of volunteers came up with a positive, encouraging, family-friendly message and incorporated it into a stunning poster and a powerful video PSA.

    “What’s exciting about this project is the community process to develop this PSA,” said Alexis Lantz, Planning & Policy Director at LACBC. “Latino day laborer cyclists themselves developed the message, and the project was a collaboration between these day laborers, LACBC staff, LACBC volunteers, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and REI. Roughly 48% of the City of Los Angeles is Latino, and this PSA campaign speaks to a large demographic of the city’s population.”

    According to a 2010 UCLA study, recent immigrants are at least twice as likely to bike to work as other Americans. The campaign builds an inclusive movement that incorporates the message of an important community of cyclists in their own words and with a relevant theme.

    “We are lucky to live in Los Angeles,” said JJ Hoffman, Events & Development Director at LACBC. “Not only do we enjoy great cycling weather all year round, we are populated with talented, generous people who donated their time and talent to spread an important message.”

    For more information, visit the LACBC blog. And check out the behind-the-scenes video, also directed by Jordan Melograna, that documents the creative, collaborative process.]]> Member News 2012-04-13T12:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/aarp_launches_its_network_of_age-friendly_communities/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/aarp_launches_its_network_of_age-friendly_communities/#When:13:00:34Z Last week, AARP celebrated the public launch of its Network of Age-Friendly Communities. This program is the national affiliate of the WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities and begins this year in Georgia, Kansas, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC.

    An Age-Friendly Community is defined as an “inclusive and accessible environment that encourages active and healthy aging.” An important aspect of these livable communities is to create transportation networks and safe, affordable mobility options that allow its citizens to age in place.

    Read about the WHO’s Guide to Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities and learn more about its new AARP affiliate program. In the coming months, the Alliance will share success stories and model campaigns of its member organizations working on equitable transportation for seniors.  ]]> Member News 2012-04-12T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/americans_especially_young_people_driving_less/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/americans_especially_young_people_driving_less/#When:19:29:29Z
    “Transportation and the New Generation,” a report released last week by Frontier Group and U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), reveals that Americans—and particularly those age 16 to 34—are driving less and using other modes of transportation more. Data from the National Household Travel Survey indicate that, from 2001 to 2009, the number of trips on foot increased 16 percent for 16 to 34-year-olds. In the same period, trips by bike and per capita passenger-miles on transit for this age group increased 24 and 40 percent, respectively.

    Several conditions and preferences are responsible for this trend, according to Frontier Group and U.S. PIRG. Young people choose to live in urban areas where many amenities are readily accessible to walking, biking, and transit. Additionally, technology can replace car trips (through telecommuting or using social media to interact) and can enhance transit options (such as applications that provide real-time transit or bike-share updates). According to the report, stricter licensing laws as well as higher fuel prices have made driving less appealing, particularly to young people.

    Most importantly for walking, biking, and transit advocates, this report shows that younger generations are moving away from automotive transportation—and this trend is likely to persist. Young people have the most at stake in the current transportation debate; they will be the primary users of the transportation system for the next 50 years. By biking, walking, and using public transit more, young people have voted against business-as-usual.

    “Policy-makers and the public need to be aware that America’s current transportation policy – dominated by road building – is fundamentally out-of-step with the transportation patterns and expressed preferences of growing numbers of Americans,” the report indicates.

    For more information, and to read the full report, visit the Frontier Group website.]]> Member News 2012-04-10T19:29:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/a_fresh_idea_boston_bike_to_market/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/a_fresh_idea_boston_bike_to_market/#When:13:08:37Z Bike to Market mechanic helps tune up a visitor’s bike. Photo by Josh Campbell.

    Attend one of Boston’s vibrant farmers’ markets and you’ll find healthy foods, an active community, and a growing number of bikes. The Boston Cyclists Union’s Bike to Market program, which began in 2010, is expanding to hold 58 distinct market events this June through September.
    
    

    During Bike to Market events, volunteers and mechanics run bike repair stations and encourage safety by selling low-cost helmets. In communities where bike theft is a problem, folks at the market booth distribute locks and demonstrate how to use them. The program is a natural fit among the vendor booths and highlights the connection between wholesome food and physical activity.

    “We can see the direct impact that we’re making,” says Pete Stidman, executive director of the Boston Cyclists Union. “In two years, we’ve repaired over 1,600 bikes. About 10 percent of those came out of the basement, garage or weren’t in use. This year our goal is 1,200.”

    It isn’t just about tune-ups, though. The Bike to Market program also provides a venue for community outreach. Cyclists discuss ways to make biking in Boston safer and easier, and they even mark neighborhood maps with the improvements they would like to see. Through this grassroots outreach and improved survey and evaluation tools, the organization can prioritize projects and gauge the economic and community benefits bicycling is producing.

    To read more about the Bike to Market program, visit the Boston Cyclists Union website here.]]> Member News 2012-03-30T13:08:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_host_meeting_with_leaders_from_community_bike_shops/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_host_meeting_with_leaders_from_community_bike_shops/#When:16:58:22Z Participants discuss the life-cycle of community bike shops at last week’s meeting.  Photo from Bike Portland.

    Community bike shops come in a variety of different forms and styles, but what they all have in common is that they work to get more people on bikes.  Whether it’s an all volunteer co-op that is open for a few hours a week, or a large shop with paid staff and a variety of programming options, community bike shops can often be found working with groups and individuals who are under-represented in bike advocacy.

    During the National Bike Summit, over 20 leaders from community bike shop gathered to discuss the emerging role of their organizations, and how the Alliance can work to further engage and link community bike shops with one another.  Participants discussed the relationship between community bike shops and traditional advocacy groups, the life-cycle of community bike shops and how they evolve over time, and how to quantify the achievements and successes of community bike shops.  Throughout the meeting, a theme that kept coming up was that community bike shops are incubators for advocacy.

    “Community bike shops can act as an engine for growth for advocacy organizations,” said Ed France, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, which runs its own community bike shop.  “The shop provides an informal conduit for cyclists to voice grievances and ideas, and provides the potential for a much broader base for advocacy campaigns.  Supporting a resource offering to the community like a community bike shop has given our Coalition increased credibility and a higher public profile.”

    The gathering was also an opportunity to discuss a proposed partnership between the Alliance and the Bike Collective Network, an online community that works to strengthen and encourage communication and resource sharing between community bike shops.  Much like the Alliance, the BCN is a network of organizations working to increase biking in their communities.  The goal of this partnership is to assist community bike shops by adding more voices and ideas into the discussion, as well as to provide access to some of the resources that the Alliance offers.

    Read more about the meeting in this story from Bike Portland.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-29T16:58:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_report_on_statewide_organizations_and_federal_funding/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_report_on_statewide_organizations_and_federal_funding/#When:13:00:32Z While Congress creates the framework, the most important decisions about the use of federal funds are made at the state and regional level. As the capacity of statewide bicycle advocacy groups has grown, many leaders have started to look beyond their long list of individual project victories and ask an important question: How can we use our limited resources to have a long-standing, wide-ranging impact in communities across the state?

    One answer: Get involved in the process that determines the use of billions of dollars in federal funding.

    Money is like water. It flows easiest through the well-worn grooves and established channels that have been carved over the years. When it comes to federal funding streams, the policies and process at the state and regional level determine whether bicycle and pedestrian projects sink or swim.

    In recent years, organizations like Bike Delaware, the League of Illinois Bicyclists, and the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation have gotten involved in this critical process. In the latest report from Advocacy Advance — Improving the Process: How Statewide Organizations Are Winning Federal Funding for Bicycling and Walking Projects — Darren Flusche, League Policy Director, explores the success of those organizations and how statewide groups can have the biggest impact.

    “There’s increasing interest among advocates to take on more complicated and potentially more impactful campaigns,” Darren explains. “Many are turning their attention to the ways federal funding is spent locally. Campaigns that focus on the policies and practices that influence federal spending can have lasting impact. Instead of enabling just one bicycling or walking project, it can set the stage for years of bicycle and/or pedestrian projects to be built.”

    There’s clearly the need and interest for best practices for advocates at the state level. “Advocates at several statewide organizations approached us to ask about what statewide groups are doing well and how federal funding campaigns differ at the state level compared to cities and regions,” he adds.

    Drawing on the models of Delaware, Illinois and Missouri, the four-page report highlights and explains steps organizations can take to get more involved and, ultimately, increase federal funding for bike/ped projects.

    “The basics are the same at the regional and the state level,” Darren says. “You need to know who sets the policies and makes the project selection decisions. You need to know who influences those people, what to ask for, and when to ask for it. But operating at the state level gives advocates an opportunity to fix state DOT policies that impact every region. In addition, advocates can share best practices among all of the regions in the state. State organizations have the opportunity to make systematic change on a large scale.”

    As Congress debates the transportation bill, there’s a lot of uncertainty about the future of transportation programs. But one thing is clear: Bicycling advocates will have to learn how to compete for scarce resources against all types of transportation projects. The examples and suggestions in this report, taken from real successes in the field, provide an essential guide. And, as always, the Advocacy Advance Team is available to offer more information and technical support.

    Click here to download the full report.  ]]> Member News 2012-03-28T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/free_webinar_empowering_women_to_bicycle_for_transportation/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/free_webinar_empowering_women_to_bicycle_for_transportation/#When:10:19:08Z
    Last week, at the 2012 National Bike Summit, the Alliance and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals hosted the first-ever National Women Cycling Forum — and it was a huge success. More than 200 people attended the gathering, and the diverse panel of women from advocacy, history, diplomacy, racing, engineering and retail inspired and informed us with their unique experiences and insight.

    We hope to continue that conversation with a free webinar on “Empowering Women to Bicycle for Transportation” on Wednesday, March 28th at 3 p.m. Eastern.

    Since APBP inaugurated the Women Cycling Project in 2010, thousands of women have participated. This year’s webinar highlights programs and approaches that encourage women to bicycle on a more regular basis. Learn about Cycles for Change, the Minneapolis program that educates and empowers women of various cultures to use bicycles as transportation; Birmingham’s Magic City Cycle Chix, whose mission is to encourage women to mountain bike; and more.

    The webinar will also include a brief update on:

    • Outcomes of the National Women Cycling Forum
    • Plans for the interactive Women Cycling website
    • Update on transportation legislation in Congress

    Sign up here! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me at carolyn@bikeleague.org.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-26T10:19:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/check_out_pics_from_the_advocacy_awards/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/check_out_pics_from_the_advocacy_awards/#When:12:00:07Z Last night the Alliance announced the winner of the 2012 Advocacy Awards at a packed reception at the National Bike Summit. Click the image below for more pictures from the event!

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-21T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/winners_announced_for_2012_advocacy_awards/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/winners_announced_for_2012_advocacy_awards/#When:02:01:21Z To shine the spotlight on the progress and victories of the bicycle and pedestrian advocacy movement, the Alliance for Biking & Walking is pleased to announce its 2012 Advocacy Award winners. Since 2009, the Alliance has solicited public nominations and recognized the individuals, organizations and business leaders who are propelling our People Powered Movement. This year, we honor the following winners from across North America.

    Advocacy Organization of the Year- WalkBoston

    Nearly all Americans walk on a daily basis, but very few consider themselves pedestrians. Organizing and advocating for this often-overlooked constituency — which is dramatically overrepresented in roadway fatalities — is challenging but critical work. Since its founding in 1990, WalkBoston has led the way, not just locally, but on the national level, as well. In Boston, the advocates’ long list of accomplishments includes a wealth of infrastructure victories, policy progress and successful public events. In 2011, WalkBoston launched its “Good Walking is Good Business” campaign, which highlighted the economic benefits of walkable communities, and distributed 40,000 copies of a federally funded research project to develop and test innovative tools to engage underrepresented populations in the planning process. Despite WalkBoston’s tireless work and nation-leading successes, the small staff is generous with its time and expertise, ever willing to share best practices with other organizations and engage with national advocacy groups in a way that benefits people who walk, not just in Boston, but in communities across the continent.

    Advocate of the Year: Eric Rogers, BikeWalkKC

    The campaigns may change, but in Kansas City, Missouri, one thing remains the same. “If you show up for an advocacy effort,” one nomination summed up, “there’s one guy you will always see — and that’s Eric Rogers.” Rogers’ long-standing involvement at the state and local level has earned him a reputation as both as a passionate advocate leader for the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, and trusted, go-to expert on bike-ped issues for policymakers of all stripes. While he chairs the Kansas City Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and serves as the executive director of BikeWalkKC, Rogers spends countless hours attending hearings and meetings across the region; working behind the scenes to keep advocates updated; and improving critical education and encouragement programs like the KC Car-Free Challenge and KC Safer Routes. As one city council member attested in her nomination: “Eric has been a constant, persistent, passionate voice in the oversight of private developments and city infrastructure services, speaking out for sidewalks, bike lanes and routes, driver education, defined trails and safe crosswalks.” And, in the true spirit of genuine, selfless advocacy, Rogers never expects recognition beyond the legacy of his own good works.

    Business Advocate of the Year: CLIF Bar

    With its innovative 2 Mile Challenge, CLIF Bar continued to raise awareness about the power and possibility of biking for transportation in 2011, spurring thousands of people to log their trips on the website that tracked metrics like miles pedaled, car trips avoided and carbon dioxide saved. In line with its commitment to active transportation, CLIF Bar donated $100,000 to the three nonprofits leading the charge in the 2 Mile Challenge, including the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

    Winning Campaign of the Year: Bike Delaware

    Despite lean economic times, Bike Delaware did the nearly unthinkable in 2011—advocated for and won $5 million in new, dedicated state dollars for biking and walking projects and programs. With a tiny budget, the advocacy organization pioneered new ground in statewide bike-ped advocacy with its “Bikeable, Walkable Delaware” campaign, not only securing critical funding, but also cultivating key relationships at the state capitol and working with the Delaware Department of Transportation on the state’s first State Trails and Pathways Plan.

    Best Practices Award: League of Illinois Bicyclists

    The Best Practices Award goes to an organization that serves as a model for other bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. In 2011, the League of Illinois Bicyclists played a critical role in the effort to preserve dedicated funding for biking and walking in the next federal transportation bill. Executing a model campaign that utilized relevant data and engaged of local elected officials, the Illinois advocates expertly capitalized on years spent cultivating relationships with members of Congress to to win pivotal support from Republican Representative Tim Johnson. And the LIB didn’t just build bridges on Capitol Hill — the statewide organization also worked with local groups, like the Active Transportation Alliance, showcasing the importance and power of effective partnerships.

    Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award: Julia Field, Undriving

    This award commemorates Alliance co-founder, Susie Stephens, honoring her passion for biking and walking as fun and economical means of transportation. The parallels between Susie and Julia are many. As one nomination pointed out: “Like Susie, Julia knows that people want to do good things—sometimes they just need ideas and cheerleading.” As the founder of Undriving, Julia established an artistic, energetic and effective program that empowers citizens to reimagine their travel habits in ways that protect the planet and improve community health. The positive power of the Undriving concept has earned Field recognition, not just in Seattle, but across the U.S. and beyond. If Susie were still with us, we know she’d be wielding her Undriving license with pride!

    Innovation Award: BikeTexas

    The Innovation Award goes to an organization that’s pioneering or inventing new ways to promote biking and walking — and BikeTexas continues to cultivate new and effective models in working effectively with the full spectrum political perspectives and full range of community stakeholders. Thanks in part to its traveling bicycle fleet, BikeTexas has organized rides with policymakers, agency staff and nonprofit organizations that have cultivated important political relationships and built bridges with new constituencies, including a 2011 President’s Award from the state NAACP for “going above and beyond the call of duty to develop interest in biking and green benefits from biking in the African American Community.”

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-20T02:01:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/womens_cycling_forum_presents_nelle_pierson/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/womens_cycling_forum_presents_nelle_pierson/#When:17:00:25Z Nelle Pierson, Events Coordinator for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, will be a panelist at the National Women Cycling Forum on March 20. Learn more here.

    Who or what inspired you to start cycling?

    As a kid I was fortunate to have a bike and the spirit to ride all the time; I loved the freedom and the adventure. But as a young adult I wasn’t inspired to start cycling; in fact, I dreaded it.

    When I was accepted to college, it became very clear that with looming student loans I could no longer afford to own a car. So for me, it wasn’t the environment, the workout, or time-efficiency that made biking attractive- it was my bank account. I traded my car, an amenity that to many represents maturity, independence, and status, for a 30 year-old Sears commuter bike. My friends felt so bad for me- I felt so bad for me. And when it came time to start school I packed the bike up in the back of our pickup truck with the rest of my belongings and was on my way to start a new life at Colorado State University.

    Without a car I thought my social life was over, my ability to throw gear into a backpack and find an adventure was gone, and my freedom to run errands across town year-round had vanished. Little did I know…

    Once in Fort Collins, it took me a couple months to realize that I was riding to class in the middle of a bike Mecca. It took some time but I eventually made some bike-loving friends who supported the transition from car-dependence to car-liberation. I’d say it was the encouragement from my new friends that became my biggest source of inspiration. They helped normalize biking in my life. They introduced me to foreign concepts, like pumping tires, and helmets, and eventually they had me commuting in snowstorms- (what we called bike surfing).

    Pretty soon I was helping organize group rides, hanging out at the bike co-op, amassing my own collection of bikes, and working towards making our university more bike-friendly.  It was then that I realized the importance of encouragement from the people you trust and I tried to become the friend that helped inspire others to make the transition to a bike-friendly life.

      What’s your favorite memory or proudest moment on a bike (or in bicycle advocacy)?

    That’s not fair, there are dozens of special bike memories. Having the opportunity to sit on this panel is certainly up there.

    My proudest moment relating to bikes, by far, was seeing a photo of my mom after her first bike commute last spring. I guess you can call that bike advocacy.

    It took me 5 years to warm my mom up to the idea of biking to work. One time on a visit home from college I took her bike shopping at a pawn shop, mapped out her route, and put an an entire electronic folder of brochures, tips, FAQs, stories, and packing guides on her computer desktop. By this time I was on my soap box encouraging all the people around me to bike. But my own flesh and blood didn’t budge.

    My mom’s a fit, self-identified environmentalist, and an adventurous woman who’s owned a bike most of her adult life. It was so frustrating- she had no desire to try out the two-mile bike ride from her door to her desk, and in retrospect I understand why. Colorado’s weather is unpredictable, the topography isn’t ideal for the inexperienced, public transit is sparse, and everyone’s in big scary SUVs. Looking back, I wish I would’ve been more understanding of her concerns instead of being pushy. Deep down she was scared- and a little lazy. That’s where patience and encouragement are key.

    I kept pushing. Then about a year ago she entered the perfect storm of encouragement. After a visit to DC, I had her out riding on downtown streets, crossing major intersections, and riding all dressed up in the town’s Seersucker Ride- all on the back of my tandem. It was a fun and convenient way to teach someone how to confidently ride in tricky situations and feel out the rules of the road. Plus it’s a more intimate riding experience- we laughed and sang and told stories.

    The next week my mom’s coworker offered her a free Bridgestone mountain bike, and I got a text from her. She said she wanted to know about seats, and helmets, and rain gear. She was sold on the idea. And a couple days later she sent a picture of her wearing her helmet in front of her office!

    What campaigns, events or other efforts are you working on right now or looking forward to that have the potential to increase women cycling?

    Besides making sure that all of WABA’s events are inclusive and accommodating to bicyclists of all ages, and experience levels, and that they’re promoted to attract ladies and gentleman, I’m partnering up with one of WABA’s current Women’s cycling intern to coordinate a big ladies-focused group ride.

    What advice would you give to women who are wary of cycling — or to women who want to have a bigger impact in advancing cycling in their community?

    I stress to folks who are wary or intimidating of biking that their feelings are not unique and that they are not alone. It’s completely rational to be concerned about your safety, your gear, the mechanics of a bike, and your appearance on a bike. That’s a lot to take on when you’re trying out something new, something so personal as transportation, and that’s intimidating. But there’s no need to take on that heavy load by yourself. It takes time to address each of those concerns and find personal solutions, but don’t do it alone. There’s a good chance your buddy or a mechanic in your neighborhood would be excited to step in as your bike-mentor.

    For those looking to get more involved, become the encouraging bike mentor to someone around you who’s interested but still has doubts. If you haven’t already, become a member and start volunteering for your local bike advocacy group. Organize group rides where you work, play, pray, or pay. And if you’re interested in spreading the knowledge of bike maintenance in your community, check out your local co-op.

    If you could look 20 years into the future of the cycling movement, how would you hope things would be different?

    I have to admit that I love that there are currently so many forms of bike subcultures and fringe groups- because I’m definitely a member. I see it as a a way for people to identify with each other and relate. But I hope that overtime there’s no such thing as a bike culture. I hope that with improved infrastructure, education, and laws, bicycling becomes so engrained in cities throughout the United States that bikes become like toasters- just a normal appliance that everyone uses when they need it. I’ve never been to Copenhagen or Amsterdam but from all that I’ve read it seems that’s a reality they’re enjoying. That being said, I’m not anti-car; I know that bikes aren’t always the right tool for the job, I just hope our culture becomes pro-bike.

    ]]> 2012-03-19T17:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/national_women_cycling_forum_presents_marla_streb/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/national_women_cycling_forum_presents_marla_streb/#When:12:54:58Z Marla Streb, a former World Mountain Bike Champion and Team LUNA Chix Ambassador, will be a panelist at the National Women Cycling Forum on March 20. Learn more here.

    Who or what inspired you to start cycling?

    In 1990, I was convinced by a friend (now my husband, Mark) to tour Europe by bike, where we rode and camped throughout 13 countries trying to “find” ourselves. After two months together over mountain passes and in tough weather, we became soul mates (and only showering twice in that time also kept us platonic!). A few years later, the same guy encouraged me to become a professional mountain bike racer and supported me throughout my 16-year career.

    What’s your favorite memory or proudest moment on a bike (or in bicycle advocacy)?

    Winning the World Cup in Austria in 2005 — that win kept me from retiring, and I raced for four more years (for a total of 16 years!)

    What campaigns, events or other efforts are you working on right now or looking forward to that have the potential to increase women cycling?

    • LUNA Chix: I work with the LUNA Chix Ambassadors, 280 women from around the country who are biking enthusiasts. These women go back to their hometowns and are the influencers there, and they do the same thing locally.
    • Bike MINDED Program: We at Bike Maryland hold adult commuter workshops and kids rodeos, with an emphasis on safety. Normally, parents accompany kids and we reach them just as well (including moms). Also, I lead women’s only rides from downtown Baltimore.

    What advice would you give to women who are wary of cycling — or to women who want to have a bigger impact in advancing cycling in their community?

    I encourage women to take a clinic or cycling camp to learn proper techniques (and avoid bad habits). Most women who take a skills clinic become more confident. They can relax and have fun on their bike, and they also make important connections with other female cyclists. To make a bigger impact in the community, women should support and encourage each other to try cycling for fitness, fun, and transportation.

    If you could look 20 years into the future of the cycling movement, how would you hope things would be different?

    I would like to see at least 50 percent female ridership, especially during commuting hours. Also, I hope to see many women more commuting/running errands, with their children safely in tow.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-19T12:54:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/national_women_cycling_forum_presents_veronica_davis/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/national_women_cycling_forum_presents_veronica_davis/#When:12:45:43Z Veronica Davis, a principal planner and engineer for Nspiregreen LLC and a co-founder of Black Women Bike DC, will be a panelist at the National Women Cycling Forum on March 20. Learn more here.

    Who or what inspired you to start cycling?

    I’m a utilitarian cyclist. I got into cycling when the gas prices skyrocketed and filling my gas tank was costing an arm and a leg.

    What’s your favorite memory or proudest moment on a bike (or in bicycle advocacy)?

    The creating of Black Women Bike is something to be proud of. Myself and co-founders Nse Ufot and Najeema Washington, started the organization from a Twitter conversation. It is bold and in your face. It let’s everyone know that we are here. Our membership has grown from the three founders to over 400 in less than a year.

    What campaigns, events or other efforts are you working on right now or looking forward to that have the potential to increase women cycling?

    Black Women Bike are working on campaigns to encourage black women to consider cycling for commuting and/or recreation. In addition, we are hoping to get more black women in leadership of existing bike advocacy organizations, such as WABA.

    What advice would you give to women who are wary of cycling — or to women who want to have a bigger impact in advancing cycling in their community?

    If you want to have an bigger impact in advancing cycling, the first step is to be seen.  Black Women Bike started from a conversation about a young black girl who was excited to see me biking through her neighborhood. Your mere presence is a statement. The second step it to be at the table for transportation projects in your neighborhood. Remind people there needs to be a place for cyclists.

    If you could look 20 years into the future of the cycling movement, how would you hope things would be different?

    In 20 years, I’d like to see cycling be a culture similar to cities in Europe. Our road capacities are approaching their maximums. We need to look at alternative modes, such as cycling, to move people around the city.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-19T12:45:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/local_advocacy_pushes_minnesota_dot_to_reassess_bridge_design/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/local_advocacy_pushes_minnesota_dot_to_reassess_bridge_design/#When:13:00:14Z The past six months has seen significant progress in the campaign to include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations on the Interstate 90 Dresbach Bridge. This bridge connects LaCrescent, MN and LaCrosse, WI over the Mississippi River.  Until January, the 100-year design plans to replace this bridge did not include bike-ped accommodations, even though both states have Complete Streets policies.

    Local advocacy group Active Living La Crescent worked in partnership with the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota on this campaign with support from an Advocacy Advance Rapid Response Grant. With only six weeks to convince the MnDOT to include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations on the Interstate Bridge, Active Living La Crescent used its grant funds to travel through the region to meet face-to-face with key decision makers and obtain legal consultation that provided contacts to critical individuals, regulatory review and important letters at crucial junctures in the process.

    MnDOT’s reassessment of the bridge design was required by the Federal Highway Administration after initial advocacy efforts led by national, state and local bicycle advocacy groups and support from elected officials and staff and leadership of state and federal agencies. “Seldom is a reassessment and a design change achieved so late in the design process,” says Sue Howe, Project Manager at Active Living La Crescent. “It is therefore up to the local elected officials and staff, representing our communities, to insist on sufficient process to ensure that our vision is incorporated into the plans of State and Federal Agencies.”

    Local advocates still have work to do to ensure these plans are carried out, but the results of their hard work will serve six generations in creating “a bridge, not a barrier.”

    Rapid Response grants have funded the successful campaigns of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin to restore $2 million in state Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance to bring bike sharing to Portland.

    Thanks to the support of SRAM Cycling Fund, Advocacy Advance has $35,000 remaining to fund organizations met with urgent and unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. Visit our grants page or for more information on our grant program.]]> Member News 2012-03-16T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/womens_cycling_forum_presents_andrea_garland/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/womens_cycling_forum_presents_andrea_garland/#When:12:00:14Z Andrea Garland, a planner with Alta Planning + Design, will be a panelist at the National Women Cycling Forum on March 20. Click here to register for the event!

    Who or what inspired you to start cycling?

    I’ve always had an interest in cycling. Growing up I was always excited to go on bike rides with my dad. I attempted to bike for transportation a few times while I lived in Colombia, but I was always afraid of riding in traffic. When I moved to the US eight years ago I bought a bike, because it was cheap. I found biking invigorating and fulfilling, and started riding it everywhere. I think the true revelation moment for me was after my husband convinced me to train and do our first bike tour (2006). Touring taught me how to ride safe and conveniently carry my stuff. After that, there was no turning back, I started biking more often and quickly got convinced that it was the most practical and easiest way to get around.

    What’s your favorite memory or proudest moment on a bike (or in bicycle advocacy)?

    Favorite Moment: I got proposed to at the end of a weekend bike tour from Charlottesville to Richmond along Monument Avenue.

    Proudest Moment (advocacy): Seeing the smiles on people’s faces playing in the streets during the first Roanoke Ciclovia I organized (2009).

    What campaigns, events or other efforts are you working on right now or looking forward to that have the potential to increase women cycling?

    The Women Cycling Project with APBP, I’m excited to see what is next for this project and how I can be involved.

    What advice would you give to women who are wary of cycling — or to women who want to have a bigger impact in advancing cycling in their community?

    Give it a try, it’s very fulfilling. Choose a destination that is convenient for you to bike to, usually a short trip (two miles or less), maybe ask a friend to go with you. Make it a routine to bike to this place once a week. You’ll be surprise how soon you would want to increase the number of trips.

    To make a bigger impact, I think it’s important to always keep a positive and friendly image about bicycling. Be an example in your community, by first riding (not just talking about it), being respectful to others on the road and outside of it, and getting involve in local issues where bicycling can change the dialogue.

    If you could look 20 years into the future of the cycling movement, how would you hope things would be different?

    • Cycling will be normalized, and recognized as a formal mode of transportation by our government.
    • Every city will have a network of physical infrastructure for cycling that is connected to attractive destinations.
    • There will be a measurable evidence of the impacts of the active transportation mode shift in the overall health of our communities, especially kids and youth.

     

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-16T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/womens_cycling_forum_presents_sue_macy/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/womens_cycling_forum_presents_sue_macy/#When:12:00:52Z Sue Macy, author of “Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom,” will be the keynote speaker at the National Women Cycling Forum on March 20. Click here to register for the event!

    Who or what inspired you to start cycling?

    Although I rode my bike as a kid and throughout college (in the 1970s), it wasn’t until I started training for a Danskin triathlon in 2005 that I started cycling again. I’m still an occasional cyclist, but I love it every time I ride.

    What’s your favorite memory or proudest moment on a bike (or in bicycle advocacy)?

    When I finished writing “Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flats Along the Way)” in 2010, a friend and I took part in a cycling weekend in Maine sponsored by L.L. Bean. There were all different levels of cyclists, including some kids, but there was a family of incredibly fit folks from Sweden who basically set their own pace. On the second day, I actually passed the strapping dad and two of his 20-something kids, which left me with a great feeling of accomplishment! The fact that they passed me back about a mile later didn’t diminish my sense of satisfaction.

    What campaigns, events or other efforts are you working on right now or looking forward to that have the potential to increase women cycling?

    My main connection to cycling is through speaking about its history, especially the impact of cycling on women’s lives in the 1890s. Over the past year, I’ve spoken to all sorts of audiences: cyclists, kids, librarians, senior citizens. Hopefully, more women will be encouraged to ride today when they consider the impact of cycling on women’s freedom the first time around.

    What advice would you give to women who are wary of cycling — or to women who want to have a bigger impact in advancing cycling in their community?

    As a wary cyclist myself, I’d say start cycling on Sunday mornings. There’s usually less traffic on Sundays and many of those who are on the road are driving less aggressively because they’re not rushing to work. It also helps to have a destination, like a farmer’s market or a coffee place. Another suggestion is that if you’re getting back on your bike after a long time, be sure to first get it checked out by a mechanic. You’ll feel more confident if you know all the parts are in working order. And consider taking a bicycle mechanics class yourself. Many communities have them, and they’ll help your confidence as well.

    If you could look 20 years into the future of the cycling movement, how would you hope things would be different?

    I hope there will be more universal awareness of cyclists by motorists, which will make cycling a whole lot safer. Toward that end, I hope communities will come up with better designs for bike lanes and better laws allowing cyclists the right of way. I also hope more cities and towns will institute programs with public bikes, where you can pick one up, ride it, and deposit it when you’re done—hopefully for free.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-15T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/senate_bipartisan_transportation_bill_approved_with_biking_and_walking_amen/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/senate_bipartisan_transportation_bill_approved_with_biking_and_walking_amen/#When:19:26:08Z

    Big news from Congress: the Senate has approved their two-year transportation bill, and it offers key revisions for biking and walking.

    Two weeks ago, we were pleased to learn that thanks to the tireless efforts of advocates from across the country, the Cardin-Cochran amendment for local transportation control was incorporated into MAP-21, the Senate transportation bill. The amendment ensures that local governments, school systems, and metropolitan planning organizations are able to access funds to make biking and walking safe and accessible in our communities.

    Now, a second manager’s amendment to the Senate bill makes key revisions to allow bicycles on federally owned roads and to preserve the Recreational Trails program.

    In a previous version of MAP-21, a Mandatory Sidepath law was poised to ban bicycles on federally owned roads if with a speed limit over 30 miles per hour and an adjacent paved path within 100 yards. Besides the fact that this provision ignores cyclists’ fundamental right to the road, it would have banned cyclists from roads in national parks regardless of the quality and safety of roads and nearby sidepaths.

    The new manager’s amendment alters the sidepath provision to allow bicycles on federally owned roads so long as the road receives a bicycle level of service (BLOS) rating of B or higher. In other words, if the road’s characteristics (speed, number of lanes, quality of pavement, width) reach a certain score according to the BLOS algorithm, people on bicycles will not be relegated to a potentially inferior and less safe sidepath.

    Older versions of MAP-21 also eliminated the Recreational Trails Program, the only federal funding source for multi-use singletrack trails. Without this funding, organized trail planning, development, and maintenance would have vanished in many parts of the country, despite continued growth of mountain biking across the country.

    In the newly amended version of MAP-21, state Departments of Transportation have the option to preserve the Recreational Trails program in their state. If they do not opt out, a set-aside of the state’s Additional Activities funds would go towards Recreational Trails activities. (Funding would be equivalent to 2009 levels of Recreational Trails for that state.) This new language will ensure that states are able to continue to draw on federal funding for the Recreational Trails program as they see fit.

    Without the thousands of calls and messages from advocates, we would not have gotten over this crucial hurdle. But our work is not done yet.  Stay tuned for more information on the next steps as we work to preserve federal funding for biking and walking.

    For more information about the status of the Federal Transportation Bill, head over to the America Bikes website.]]> Member News 2012-03-14T19:26:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/womens_cycling_forum_presents_elysa_walk/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/womens_cycling_forum_presents_elysa_walk/#When:12:00:41Z
    Elysa Walk, General Manager of Giant Bicycle Inc, will be a panelist at the National Women Cycling Forum on March 20. Click here to register for the event!

    Who or what inspired you to start cycling?

    A friend inspired me to start cycling. I think that women have such powerful relationships with their girlfriends and enjoy riding together in non-competitive, fun adventures.

    What’s your favorite memory or proudest moment on a bike (or in bicycle advocacy)?

    My proudest moment on a bike was completing a ride around the island of Taiwan (600 miles) with the other General Managers of Giant subsidiaries worldwide. I was the only female to complete the whole ride and we had tough conditions to get through with weather, traffic, jet lag and cultural challenges. Coming into the finish at Giant’s Global HQ with hundreds of people cheering, fireworks and photos was unforgetable.

    What campaigns, events or other efforts are you working on right now or looking forward to that have the potential to increase women cycling?

    I am most excited about an ambassador program that we have just launched at Liv/giant. We want to support those local ladies who are key influencers to cycling in their community.  We are giving them tools and incentives to structure women’s group rides, maintenance clinics, ladies nights, etc. because we want to get more women on bikes. Women encourage other women at a personal level much better than a brand can or a guy can. Plus, as a bicycle brand, it is difficult for us to be out in the communities, so we are aligning and supporting some neat ladies as ambassadors who can be a groundswell for cycling in their areas.

    What advice would you give to women who are wary of cycling — or to women who want to have a bigger impact in advancing cycling in their community?

    To women who want to have a bigger impact in advancing cycling to others who are wary, I would say that they should use their inherent female power of being experts in relationships! Remember the times when you have been so touched that someone reached out to you? Turn that around and reach out to invite that active gal to an easy, fun weekend ride with other women, even if it’s just to a coffee shop or around a beautiful lake. She is going to be intimidated by a fast group clad in spandex, but not so in a safe “no-drop” group that can introduce her to cycling, help her if she gets a flat, and teach her a few things about feeling secure on the road with traffic.

    If you could look 20 years into the future of the cycling movement, how would you hope things would be different?

    I hope that every major city in the United States is the new Amsterdam, where cycling is part of life for everyone.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-14T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/boston_cyclists_union_celebrates_new_design_for_casey_overpass/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/boston_cyclists_union_celebrates_new_design_for_casey_overpass/#When:20:00:42Z The Boston Cyclists Union had a major win last week, when the vote on the Casey Overpass came back with the decision to build at at-grade roadway. 

    The Casey Overpass is a crumbling bridge in the Jamaica Plains neighborhood of Boston. The bridge has to be torn down, and the debate raged over what to replace it with: a new bridge, or a new street-level road?

    Replacing the old bridge with a new bridge seems like the easiest solution, however building that bridge would not include bike lanes, while the at-grade solutions would include greenery, bike lanes, and a generally more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.

    The Boston Cyclsits’ Union worked hard to see this happen. “We had a working advisory group and a neighborhood that was pretty divided as the process inched forward over the last year, but we were able to pull together a wide coalition of neighborhood and interest groups and dozens of passionate neighborhood activists to get the information out there on the project’s potential benefits for active transportation, economic development and even increased social activity,” Pete Stidman said of the efforts over the past year.

    As the project moves forward, Pete is hopeful about what this means for the rest of Boston and active transportation. “The really exciting thing about the project is that it signals the beginning of a very different paradigm in street design in Boston and maybe Massachusetts altogether, which will now join several other urban areas around the nation that are moving away from elevate highways toward pedestrian and bike friendly boulevards. Hopefully this is the first in a long line of major reconstruction projects that will gradually make Boston’s streets among the safest and most beautiful in the country.”

    Read more about the project here.]]> Member News 2012-03-13T20:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/community_bike_shop_gathering_at_national_bike_summit/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/community_bike_shop_gathering_at_national_bike_summit/#When:10:32:00Z The Alliance is hosting a meeting of leaders from community bike shops from across the country during the 2012 National Bike Summit. We invite leaders of community bike shops from across the continent to attend this gathering so your voice can be heard.

    Register for the meeting here.

    While community bike shops play a critical role in getting more people on bikes, and engaging people and communities whose needs are often not addressed by traditional advocacy groups, there has not been a clear avenue for community bike shops to engage with national advocacy groups. This forum will be an interactive conversation among leaders of community bike shops and Alliance staff to examine how the Alliance can better serve community bike shops across the country.

    Space is limited due to the size of our venue, so please register now to ensure you are able to participate. The meeting will be held at Teaism, 400 8th Street NW Washington, DC 20004, just a few blocks from the National Bike Summit hotel.

    If you have any questions, please contact Mike Samuelson at Mike@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-08T10:32:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/active_transportation_alliances_day_of_action_brings_awareness_to_new_trans/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/active_transportation_alliances_day_of_action_brings_awareness_to_new_trans/#When:12:30:17Z Last September, Active Transportation Alliance launched a new campaign to preserve and improve the Chicago’s public transit system. Last week, the Riders for Transit initiative kicked into high gear with a full-court press for progressive state legislation.

    On February 29th, the Chicago advocates mobilized nearly 30 volunteers for their Riders for Better Transit Day of Action. The volunteers passed out more than 6,000 fliers urging Chicago’s transit riders to support the Transit Fast Forward bill, a measure Active Trans worked to introduce in the state legislature.

    Put simply, the Transit Fast Forward bill invests in faster, more reliable, more frequent and expanded transit service through a new, dedicated source of funding. According to Active Trans: “[The bill] would provide a new, dedicated source of funding for transit that will grow over time—generating an estimated $11.6 million in 2013, and a projected $168 million over the first five years. It indexes the state gas tax with inflation, a move that will add an additional fraction of a penny per gallon dedicated to public transportation. The end result will be better commutes for drivers and transit riders alike.”

    At a news conference last week, Active Trans’ Executive Director, Ron Burke, made clear that increased funding is critical. “A lot of us who ride transit are really more and more fed up with higher fares and worse service,’’ he said. “Unfortunately, transit has been derailed by chronic underfunding.’’

    To build awareness and solicit support from transit riders, volunteers will continue to engage morning commuters and distribute fliers outside of major downtown Chicago train stops. “The next few weeks are critical for the Transit Fast Forward bill as we build support in the legislature,” Breen Conway, Active Transportation Alliance’s Transit Campaign Coordinator, said.

    Read more about Riders for Better Transit’s plans here.

    PHOTO by Grid Chicago: Active Trans’ Executive Director Ron Burke makes the case for new state legislation at last week’s press conference. ]]> Member News 2012-03-07T12:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/transportation_secretary_ray_lahood_seeks_your_questions/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/transportation_secretary_ray_lahood_seeks_your_questions/#When:13:17:57Z Do you have a question for Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood? Now’s your chance to ask!

    In preparation for his next “On the Go” question-and-answer webisode, Secretary LaHood is inviting Alliance members to submit their transportation questions. The Secretary will select a few of them to answer in his episode, and he’ll answer a few more just for us in a People Powered Blog post.

    Post your questions directly on Secretary LaHood’s Facebook page or Twitter feed (@RayLaHood, using the #q4ray hashtag)—making sure to mention you’re with the Alliance. Questions are due by Wed, March 7, at 3 p.m. Eastern.

    Photo: Ray LaHood at a 2010 thank-you event hosted by America Bikes]]> Member News 2012-03-06T13:17:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/capacity_building_grant_inquiries_due_friday/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/capacity_building_grant_inquiries_due_friday/#When:13:00:18Z Inquiry proposals for Advocacy Advance’s Capacity Building Grants are due this Friday, March 9.

    This year, $25,000 in grants will be awarded to support the development and professionalization of state and local advocacy organizations to increase rates of biking and walking. These matching grants, funded by Planet Bike, can be used for campaigns that will support organizational development, hire staff, increase membership, and other tools to foster a sustainable advocacy organization.

    Refer to the Advocacy Advance Grants FAQs document for a summary of the common questions, as well as additional information on the grants and application process.

    Advocacy Advance is pleased to offer an additional $35,000 in Rapid Response Grants in 2012 to help state and local organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

    Advocacy Advance — a partnership of the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, funded by SRAM — has awarded more than $600,000 in grants and scholarships to member organizations since 2009. In addition to grants, the Advocacy Advance team provides resources, technical assistance, coaching, and training to bike/ped advocacy organizations around the country.

    If you have any questions, or call her at 202-621-5442.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-05T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/georgia_advocates_turn_single-file_threat_into_complete_streets_opportunity/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/georgia_advocates_turn_single-file_threat_into_complete_streets_opportunity/#When:10:55:40Z It started with a bill that would have curtailed cyclists’ rights. But the advocates at Georgia Bikes turned a threat into an opportunity.

    Last month, Senator Butch Miller introduced a bill in the Georgia legislature that would have required cyclists ride single file on all roadways. Currently, only three other states ban riding two abreast — and the advocates at Georgia Bikes didn’t want the Peach State joining the short list.

    “Georgia Bikes responded immediately,” says Brent Buice, executive director of the state advocacy organization. The group’s lobbyist met with the senator’s staff and advocates began writing revised language that would make the law comparable to other states and palatable to cyclists. By the time the measure hit the Transportation Committee, Georgia Bikes had advocates lined up to testify. “We had parents and a bike shop owner, who focused on the economic impact of a bad bicycling law,” Buice says.

    Behind the scenes, Georgia Bikes constructively engaged with Miller’s staff, specifically addressing the public safety outcomes the senator was seeking to address. In short order, the advocates won a significant revisions to the bill language — instead of requiring single file riding, the amended version permitted riding two abreast.

    But their success didn’t end with salvaging a bad bill. Instead, Georgia Bikes completely shifted the conversation. Last week, Senator Miller confirmed that he was abandoning the original measure and, instead, would work closely with bicycle advocates to craft and implement a state Complete Streets policy.

    “Senator Miller recognizes that legislating common sense and courtesy is difficult to accomplish and that thoughtful transportation policies will benefit all Georgians,” Buice wrote on the Georgia Bikes blog. “Georgia’s cyclists sincerely thank the Senator for his dedication to protecting the rights and safety of all of Georgia’s road users.”

    According to Buice, the secret to advocates’ success was keeping the lines of communication open and being mindful of the legislator’s true objectives. “We turned our opposition into a chance for Senator Miller to look good by supporting a complete streets resolution, which, we explained, addresses the core issues that led to the conflicts he was hearing about,” Buice says.

    Read more on the Georgia Bikes blog.

    PHOTO: Georgia Bikes advocates with Senator Butch Miller (second from left). ]]> Member News 2012-03-05T10:55:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/big_victory_for_biking_walking_in_the_senate/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/big_victory_for_biking_walking_in_the_senate/#When:10:42:43Z We’ve just won a big battle for biking and walking in the Senate. After several long weeks of intense work from advocates around the country, the Cardin-Cochran Amendment has been accepted as part of the base Senate transportation bill, MAP-21.

    If MAP-21 becomes law, the language from this amendment will ensure that local governments, school systems, and metropolitan planning organizations are able to access much-needed funds to make bicycling and walking safe and accessible.

    With the acceptance of the Cardin-Cochran amendment, here’s how MAP-21 would work if it becomes law:

    • Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails are consolidated into a new program called Additional Activities.
    • State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) will make their Additional Activities funding available to metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and local governments. Here’s how they’ll allocate the funds:
      • The state DOT will allocate 50% of the Additional Activities, based on population, to MPOs and rural areas. MPOs will then distribute the funds through a competitive grant program for projects in their communities.
      • For the remaining 50% of Additional Activities, the state DOT would host its own competitive grant process for projects. Local governments, school districts, and others would be eligible to compete for this funding.

    
    If it becomes law, this legislation would ensure that local governments and communities have a voice in the transportation decisions that affect their streets. The safeguards included in MAP-21 would ensure that communities of every size benefit from making their own localized transportation decisions for safe streets.

    Huge thanks to everyone who helped make this happen, including:

    • Senators Cardin (D-MD) and Cochran (R-MS) who sponsored the original amendment.
    • Environment and Public Works Committee leadership who accepted the language into the base bill:
      • Senator Boxer (D-CA)
      • Senator Inhofe (R-OK)
      • Senator Baucus (D-MT)
      • Senator Vitter (R-LA)
    • And of course, everyone who called and emailed in support of this amendment. Your voices made this possible!

    In order to make this law, the Reid Amendment must pass the Senate. Please urge your Senators to vote for cloture on the Reid Amendment!

    Stay tuned to the America Bikes website for updates and developments. And thank you again for your continued support and hard work to make biking and walking in America safe and accessible.

    ]]> Member News 2012-03-02T10:42:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/winners_announced_for_2011_alliance_photo_contest_blog/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/winners_announced_for_2011_alliance_photo_contest_blog/#When:14:09:50Z The Alliance is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 People Powered Movement Photo Contest.

    With three new categories in 2011—Women, Diversity, and Open Streets—more than 1,700 photos were submitted from photographers across North America. After a public voting period, finalists and winners were selected by a diverse panel of judges and Alliance staff.

    “To increase biking and walking, advocates need access to quality photos that convey the power and possibility of a self-propelled lifestyle,” said Carolyn Szczepanski, Alliance Communications Coordinator. “The images submitted to the People Powered Movement Photo Contest will serve as a practical and inspirational resource for state and local leaders across North America.”

    Rachel Schell, a photographer from Spokane, WA, won the overall grand prize for “Flying” and will receive an all-expenses-paid, 10-day bike trip to Tuscany, Italy, from VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. Liv Ames from San Jose, CA, won second place overall for her photo “Vancouver Foot Traffic,” and Russell Roca of Corvallis, OR, took third place overall for his “Biking Family” image.

    Partnering with the Alliance to share these images with a wider audience, Momentum magazine is featuring winning photographs from all seven contest categories in its March/April 2012 issue. “The best and most captivating way to encourage biking and walking is to see others doing it, so the second best way is to see this in photos,” said Mia Kohout, publisher of Momentum magazine. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to publish such outstanding works, and we’d like to extend a special congratulations to the winners!”

    Visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/photocontest to view winning photos in all categories. All photos will be incorporated into the Alliance Photo Library by April 1.

    PHOTO: Grand Prize winner, “Flying” by Rachel Schell]]> Member News 2012-03-01T14:09:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/another_success_in_atlanta_qa_with_action_2020_workshop_participants/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/another_success_in_atlanta_qa_with_action_2020_workshop_participants/#When:10:44:29Z The Advocacy Advance team took a trip down to Atlanta for an Action 2020 Workshop this month and met with more than 50 advocates, agency staff, and elected officials from across the region.

    The free, one-day training empowered attendees with a wealth of information about federal, state, and local funding sources and practices, and how to make bicycles and pedestrians a local priority. It also provided a unique and productive chance for professionals from different sectors to network and share ideas.

    The workshop was hosted by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the Atlanta Regional Commission. To provide some insight on the impact and take-aways from the workshop, Advocacy Advance staffer Matt Wempe spoke with Brent Buice, Executive Director of Georgia Bikes! and Fred Boykin, Decatur City Commission, District 1.

    Advocacy Advance:  What did you know about federal funding coming into the workshop?

    Brent Buice: I knew a lot about Transportation Enhancements (TE) and Safe Routes to School (SRTS), and an emerging awareness of the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). I had heard a little bit about Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), but didn’t know anything else about the other programs.

    Fred Boykin: I had some knowledge about TE and the local Livable Cities and Centers initiatives from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). Outside of that, I wasn’t too familiar with the other sources that were presented. It was really beneficial for me to see the statistics and comparisons between Georgia and other states.

    Read the full story on the Advocacy Advance blog. ]]> Member News 2012-02-28T10:44:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/pa_advocates_win_safe_passing_law/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/pa_advocates_win_safe_passing_law/#When:10:21:03Z Thanks to advocates at Bike Pittsburgh, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and PA Walks and Bikes, Pennsylvania will soon become the 22nd state that requires motorists pass cyclists at a safe distance.

    The legislation protects cyclists against dreaded right hook collisions and prohibits drivers from buzzing past bikes too close and too fast. The bill mandates that:

    • Every car that passes a bike must give a minimum of 4-feet of clearance at a “prudent reduced speed”
    • No turn by a motorist may interfere with a bicycle proceeding straight
    • Bicycles may be operated at a safe and reasonable speed appropriate for bicycles
    • Bicycles must be operated in the right hand lane, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of roadway.
    • This does not apply to a bicycle using any portion of the road due to unsafe surface conditions.

    The law, which was signed by Republican Governor Tom Corbett on February 2 and will go into effect on April 2, has been on advocates’ legislative agenda since 2009, when the bill was first introduced in the Pennsylvania House with just six cosponsors. In 2011, the measure passed the House and, with a grassroots nudging from advocates, the bill won approval by a 45 to 5 margin in the state Senate last month.

    “Although we think it’s common sense for drivers to pass with a minimum of four feet and never make a right turn in front of a cyclist, these laws are intended to to protect us in the unfortunate event that it should happen,” Erok Boerer wrote on the BikePGH blog this month. “All too often the cyclist is blamed for any crash (just ask someone who’s been in one), and often has little to no recourse or support from the law.”

    The law also opens the door for better awareness among motorists. “With this language now in the PA Vehicle Code, it offers opportunities for driver education, as the law can now be included in driver’s tests, driver’s manuals, and driver’s ed classes,” Boerer added. “Clearly stating how people should drive when overtaking a bicycle will also help educate police officers as their job requires them to be versed in the vehicle code.”

    Way to go, Pennsylvania!]]> Member News 2012-02-27T10:21:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/rapid_response_grant_supports_srts_innovation_in_minnesota/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/rapid_response_grant_supports_srts_innovation_in_minnesota/#When:13:00:31Z Is the federal transportation reauthorization process getting you down? Take a page from the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota’s book and innovate state funding for your bicycle and pedestrian programs. Let Advocacy Advance help with a Rapid Response Grant.

    BikeMN started a campaign last month to include a $3 million appropriation in the 2012 Minnesota Bonding Bill to launch a statewide Safe Routes to School grant program. Advocacy Advance has awarded BikeMN a $3,000 Rapid Response grant to support their efforts.

    Their idea has spurred the interest and involvement of the Minnesota Safe Kids Coalition, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Minnesota Childhood Obesity Legislative Working Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, and this grant will help them carry out their lead role. The $3,000 will be used to hire a lobbyist and have a professional presence at the state capitol during the process.

    This campaign meets the grant’s urgency requirement. The Minnesota Legislature convened on January 24 for a 10-week session. Without the financial support of their efforts, BikeMN would need to wait until 2014. This precedent-setting allocation of general state revenue to SRTS would have lasting implications on how the state uses spends its transportation funds and could serve as a model for Alliance organizations.

    Advocacy Advance is a partnership between the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the League of American Bicyclists with the goal to double federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs and projects by supporting advocacy efforts and agency collaboration at the state and local levels. Our Rapid Response grants can be used to fund campaigns that involve all types of public funding: federal, state, regional and city.

    Thanks to the support of SRAM Cycling Fund, Advocacy Advance has $35,000 remaining to fund organizations met with urgent and unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking. There is no application deadline for these rolling grants and accepted proposals will be funded within one month. Visit the Advocacy Advance website or for more information on our grant program.

    Rapid Response grants have funded the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin’s successful campaign to restore $2 million of the state’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program, the BTA’s bike sharing success in Portland, and Active Living LaCrescent’s bridge accommodations campaign.]]> Member News 2012-02-23T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_national_plan_to_transform_bicycling/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_national_plan_to_transform_bicycling/#When:20:39:03Z The leadership of the Alliance for Biking & Walking, Bikes Belong, and the League of American Bicyclists has agreed that uniting the three organizations would dramatically improve their effectiveness in increasing bicycle use in U.S. communities. Leaders of the three groups issued a joint statement summarizing the outcome of their recent meeting in San Diego, February 13-14:

    “Our enthusiasm to take this momentous step for the movement is matched by a commitment to do this right,” said Noah Budnick, Board Chair of the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The boards of all three organizations must ratify the agreement. Once (and if) that occurs, the transition team will work with a variety of board, staff, partners and advisors to determine the initial programs, membership structure, and staff needs of the new organization. “Changes will be implemented carefully and respectfully over time,” continued Budnick, “and it is important to say that all existing contractual agreements will be honored and the continuity of existing memberships is assured.”

    “We can transform communities across the United States and accelerate the creation of a more bicycle-friendly America by combining the programs, resources, and members of these three leading organizations,” said Chris Fortune, Chairman of the Bikes Belong board and member of the transition team empowered to facilitate unification of the three groups. The transition team comprises representatives of each organization and will be working with the boards, staff, and members of each group to implement the process.

    “There is a lot of work ahead,” acknowledged Hans van Naerssen, Chair of the League’s board and a member of the transition team. “We must determine how to combine the diverse strengths of a powerful alliance of state and local organizations, a storied national user group, and a vibrant industry association in a way that preserves their unique attributes and realizes the game-changing potential of a single entity.”

    See the official statement here.

    Read the announcement on the Bikes Belong or League of American Bicyclists’ blog.

    For more information contact:

    Tim Blumenthal, President, Bikes Belong
    303-449-4893 / tim@bikesbelong.org

    Andy Clarke, President, League of American Bicyclists
    202-822-1333 / andy@bikeleague.org

    Jeffrey Miller, President/CEO, Alliance for Biking & Walking
    202-445-4415 / jeff@PeoplePoweredMovement.org

    
    Alliance FAQs

    Is the Alliance going to disappear?
    If the boards of the Alliance, League, and Bikes Belong all move forward toward unification, we will be creating a new organization that will carry on many of the great programs and services our three separate organizations currently provide. The Alliance leadership is excited by the opportunity to work with our closest partners as one team and further leverage our strengths together. The new unified organization will have a significant focus on integrating state and local organizations and their needs into programs and decisions.

    What will happen with the Alliance’s capacity building programs?
    The Alliance’s trainings, retreats, coaching, and strategic planning are key components to building the capacity of organizations and leaders. Their worth is clear and valued by our partner organizations and, while details and changes have yet to be determined, these core programs will continue to be available in the new unified organization.

    What is happening with the Alliance’s commitment to walking organizations?
    The Alliance’s capacity building program, Benchmarking Project, Open Streets Project and core services are all available to walking and bicycling organizations alike. While the new organization will have a bicycling focus, the key programs of the Alliance will continue to be available to walking organizations. Furthermore, we will partner even more closely with America Walks.

    Will Canadian and Mexican organizations be left out?
    The new unified organization will be focused on the U.S. but as with walking organizations, our members in Canada and Mexico will have access to the capacity building programs that continue in the new organization.

    Does our organization still need to renew?
    Yes. For the year 2012, the Alliance will still be offering the wide range of services for state and local organizations. No final decision to change anything has been made; this is the kind of important detail we have to resolve in the coming months. Moving forward, we are seeking to create a vertically integrated membership structure that will benefit state and local organizations.

    Which Alliance programs survive and which ones go?
    The three groups are joining forces to maximize our impact at a time when our programs are working well. The goal is not to cut programs or staff, or to reduce costs. We remain committed to building the capacity of state and local organizations, benchmarking progress in biking and walking, promoting open streets, and offering our trainings and retreats. We are going to do these things with greater financial resources, stronger participation from our partners, and fully integrating the national, state and local advocacy programs of each group. We believe this represents a huge boost to all of our programs and for state and local organizations.

    Should I continue to support the Alliance or wait to see what happens?
    We encourage you to absolutely continue your support. The Alliance’s work is more important now than ever. The unification of these three organizations will magnify the impact we can have, while simplifying the structure and network of organizations that are working together.

    What is the timeline and what is next?
    Each of the boards of all three organizations will need to ratify this proposal, and there are still quite a number of important details to be worked out. We expect to work through most of this during the spring and summer with a decision to proceed (or not) by September 2012. If all goes well, we hope to launch the new organization by January 2013. We invite all our members to think of key elements you wish to see in this new organization. We will be doing our best to invite member input in the months ahead.

    ]]> Member News 2012-02-22T20:39:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_partnership_launches_open_streets_project_website_and_guide_blog/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/alliance_partnership_launches_open_streets_project_website_and_guide_blog/#When:17:27:03Z In communities across the country, open streets initiatives are redefining citizens’ relationships with public spaces and encouraging millions of Americans to get active. To foster the growth and development of these exciting initiatives, the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the Street Plans Collaborative have launched two new, innovative resources: The Open Streets Project website and the Open Streets Guide.

    Open streets initiatives temporarily close streets to automobiles, allowing residents to walk, bike, skate, dance and utilize the roadways in countless creative and active ways. From Los Angeles to Ottawa, and Missoula to Miami, open streets have become a way for cities to build community, promote active transportation and reconnect neighborhoods divided by traffic.

    The website, www.OpenStreetsProject.org, showcases dozens of current initiatives across the continent and allows municipalities and advocacy organizations to share information and resources on their open streets initiatives as they evolve and expand. The Open Streets Guide features best practices from 67 initiatives across the continent, and serves as a tool for cities looking to start or grow an open streets initiative. Click here to download the free electronic copy of the guide. A print version will be available on March 21, 2012 at www.OpenStreetsProject.org.

    “Open Streets initiatives are transformational for people and their communities,” said Jeffrey Miller, Alliance President/CEO. “When communities open their streets to people, they inspire citizens to see their roads as public spaces, and provide a welcoming gateway for residents to engage in healthy lifestyles and active transportation.”

    “The Open Streets Project aims to support these exciting initiatives by providing advocates and organizers a comprehensive overview of organizational and implementation strategies,” said Mike Lydon, Founding Principal of The Street Plans Collaborative. “We believe the Project will be a catalyst for the continued growth of the open streets in communities across the continent.”

    If your city or organization has information to share about an open streets initiative in your community, please contact Mike Samuelson, Alliance Open Streets Coordinator, at (202) 449-9692 x7 or mike@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.]]> Member News 2012-02-21T17:27:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/everything_you_need_to_apply_for_a_capacity_building_grant/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/everything_you_need_to_apply_for_a_capacity_building_grant/#When:12:00:43Z Last week, the Alliance hosted two question-and-answer calls for advocates interested in applying for 2012 Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grants.

    Refer to the Advocacy Advance Grants FAQs document for a summary of the questions asked during both sessions, as well as additional information on the grants and application process.

    Advocacy Advance is a partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists. This year, a total of $60,000 in awards will go to organizations applying for Rapid Response and Capacity Building Grants. Learn more about our two types of grants and download Inquiry Proposal Forms on the Advocacy Advance website.

    Do you have additional questions about what makes a campaign vs. a program? Visit the Alliance Resource Library to review our Campaign Checklist. What have other grantee organizations accomplished with their awards? Read more here. Do you still have questions? Contact Brighid O’Keane by or at 202-621-5442.

    Inquiry proposals for Capacity Building Grants are due Friday, March 9. Rapid Response proposals are accepted on a rolling basis.

    ]]> Member News 2012-02-21T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/Action_2020_Workshop_Applications_Due_Next_Friday/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/Action_2020_Workshop_Applications_Due_Next_Friday/#When:10:55:33Z

    Applications to host Action 2020 Workshops are due next Friday, February 24 at 5:00 p.m. (Eastern). Advocates, agency staff, and/or elected officials are required to work on and submit a workshop application together.

    These workshops bring together advocates, agency staff, and elected officials and are designed to ensure that participants have the knowledge, skills and resources to access un- or under-utilized federal funding sources at the state, regional and local level to build bicycling and walking infrastructure and programs.

    During the workshops, participants will:

    • Learn about under-utilized funding sources that exist for biking and walking projects and programs, which the region has not yet tapped into;
    • Learn the key characteristics, requirements, and opportunities of those sources and best practices from around the country;
    • Discuss favorable factors for bicycling and walking investments;
    • Understand the important role of advocates, agency staff, and elected officials in securing this funding
    • Share knowledge and experiences in the local context, working together to develop a list of local priorities and strategies for funding bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs.

    Download the application form on the Advocacy Advance website and contact as soon as possible if you have any questions. These one-day workshops are offered for free, thanks to the generous support of SRAM.

    PHOTO: Tucson Action 2020 Workshop]]> Member News 2012-02-17T10:55:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/league_of_michigan_bicyclists_petitions_amtrak_for_bike_racks/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/league_of_michigan_bicyclists_petitions_amtrak_for_bike_racks/#When:12:00:24Z Last year, the League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) worked to ensure that the new Michigan State Rail Plan included bike-friendly provisions for traveling cyclists — and won. The new plan recommends that two- (or three-) wheeling travelers be allowed to bring their bikes aboard trains chugging through the Great Lakes State. But there’s one small hitch: It’s just a recommendation, not a mandate.

    Now, the LMB is using the rail plan momentum to convince Amtrak to do the right thing for cyclists.

    “LMB added bikes on trains as one of our advocacy priorities last year,” says John Lindenmayer, LMB’s Advocacy and Policy Director. “Cyclists, however, have been clamoring for sometime for the right to travel with their bikes on Michigan Amtrak lines. Since Amtrak has implemented roll-on bike service in other states, we decided to launch this petition drive to ensure that Amtrak hears directly from the Michigan cycling community.”

    Adding fuel to the fire, Michigan was recently awarded federal funds to purchase news cars, and the LMB wants to see those new cars outfitted with bike racks, and the older cars retrofitted to accommodate bikes.

    “The petition is to help ensure that on board bicycle accommodations are included in these new cars and to urge Amtrak to retrofit existing cars with on board bike racks,” Lindenmayer says. “Our state is home to a number of bicycle tours in or near Michigan communities serviced by Amtrak. These communities could benefit from increased tourism spending, particularly from vacationing Chicago residents. Allowing passengers to travel from community to community and then bicycle to their final destinations will also help enhance multi-modal transportation options across the state.”

    The petition has already garnered more that 1000 signatures, and still going strong. According to Lindenmayer, that success has been driven largely by the LMB’s strong social media following. Most of those signature happened over the course of one weekend through the use of Facebook and Twitter to expand the message.

    Click here to read more about the petition and to sign the petition.

    ]]> Member News 2012-02-15T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/prominent_author_to_keynote_national_women_cycling_forum/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/prominent_author_to_keynote_national_women_cycling_forum/#When:16:00:32Z Sue Macy, author of Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way), will appear as the keynote speaker at the inaugural National Women Cycling Forum. The forum will be held on March 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in conjunction with the 2012 National Bike Summit.

    Women still cycle at much lower rates than men in the United States—making up just 24 percent of bike trips in 2009. But that trend is shifting. This Forum will be the first national gathering specifically dedicated to raising awareness about and discussing how to engage more women in bicycling.

    “This critical topic and rising energy is gathering momentum across the country as more women of all backgrounds are starting to ride or getting more involved in the movement,” said Carolyn Szczepanski, Communications Coordinator for the Alliance for Biking & Walking. “We’re eager to start a continuing conversation aimed at increasing the number of women who bicycle for transportation and recreation.”

    Sue Macy will provide unique inspiration to kick off that discussion. Among other accolades, Wheels of Change was named to the 2011 Best Books lists from the Washington Post and the San Francisco Book Review. “Ms. Macy wrote a captivating book about the bicycle’s historic role in women’s empowerment, and we hope this forum will be the catalyst to begin closing the gender gap in today’s cycling environment,” said Kit Keller, Executive Director of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.

    In addition to the keynote presentation from Macy, other confirmed speakers include:

    • Elysa Walk, General Manager, Giant Bicycles Inc.
    • Marla Streb, former World Mountain Bike Champion
    • Andrea Garland, Planner, Alta Planning + Design
    • Veronica Davis, Founder, Black Women Bike D.C. 
    • Kimberly White, Youth Advocate, Recycle-A-Bicycle
    • Nelle Pierson, Events Coordinator, Washington Area Bicyclist Association

    Registration is free, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Sign up at www.nationalwomencyclingforum.eventbrite.com.

    On March 21, the conversation will continue with a Women Cycling Social at Busboys & Poets from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both events are co-hosted by the Alliance for Biking & Walking and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals and generously sponsored by Giant Bicycle Inc., CLIF Bar, the League of American Bicyclists and the National Center for Bicycling and Walking.

    For more information, questions, or sponsorship opportunities, contact Carolyn Szczepanski at (202) 449-9692 x2 or Carolyn@peoplepoweredmovement.org. ]]> Member News 2012-02-13T16:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/grants_qa_calls_this_week/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/grants_qa_calls_this_week/#When:12:00:21Z Join us this Thursday and Friday, February 16 and 17 at 1 p.m. Eastern for question-and-answer sessions for prospective applicants for Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grants. Click here to register for one of the calls.

    Capacity Building Grants support the development and professionalization of state and local advocacy organizations to increase rates of biking and walking. These matching grants, funded by Planet Bike, can be used for organizational development, hiring staff, building membership and for other organizational tools to foster a sustainable advocacy organization.

    Visit the Advocacy Advance website for a detailed outline, including guidelines, criteria and other requirements. Inquiry applications are available online and are due by March 9.

    If you have any questions, contact Brighid . If you are interested but unable to attend one of the calls, a recording will be posted on the Advocacy Advance website early next week.]]> Member News 2012-02-13T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocates_launch_effort_to_double_number_of_women_and_girls_who_ride_bikes/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/advocates_launch_effort_to_double_number_of_women_and_girls_who_ride_bikes/#When:10:18:24Z The state of California has nearly 37 million residents — and scores of League Cycling Instructors. But how many of those certified bike educators are women? Melissa Balmer of Women on Bikes SoCal in Long Beach did some digging and discovered, in Southern California, there are just 20 female LCIs. This week, her organization launched an effort to change that.

    Launched in November 2012 with the aim to encourage, engage and empower women to bicycle, Women on Bikes SoCal is a collaboration of Bikeable Communities, Bikestation, Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal of Long Beach and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. Though still in its early stages, WoBSoCal charged out of the gate with a bold agenda and innovative inaugural campaign: Let’s double the number of women and girls riding bikes by 2017. On Monday, they launched Phase 1 of their efforts by announcing the first-ever women-only LCI certification training.

    Backed by scholarships, 12 women will be chosen for the program and, in return, will donate 25 hours of bike safety training to their communities. With a target training date of June 2012, Chris Quint, whose traffic video Cyclists’ Eye View is included with all training materials provided to LCI’s by the League of American Bicyclists, will serve as the lead trainer for the program, with the support of three female LCI’s.

    So how does training women to teach increase female bicycling mode share? As the Alliance’s 2012 Benchmarking Report highlights, women accounted for only 24 of bike trips in 2009. And, according to Andrea White-Kjoss, founder and COO of BIkestation, empowering female instructors is key to closing the bicycling gender gap. “Bicycling is intensely personal, and it follows that, though there is overlap, the needs and desires of bicyclists differ by gender,” White-Kjoss said. “Women trainers have a distinct connection to what it takes to cycle as a woman — and they will create a curriculum that addresses the needs of women cyclists and will teach in ways that resonate with other women. It’s called targeted marketing, and it works.”

    Jen Klausner, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, agreed. “As an LCI, a coach, and a longtime observer of the gender gap among bicyclists, I’m proud to be part of this very beginning of a program with great promise,” she said. “This is an unprecedented opportunity for women interested in the growing bicycle culture to really be on the forefront of social change, by earning the certification and then contributing to a regional campaign aimed at getting more women on bikes.”

    Stay tuned to Women on Bikes SoCal for updates. And check out the latest edition of their e-magazine, which features Klausner and Alexis Lantz of the LACBC (pictured).

    And, if you haven’t already, sign up for the first-ever National Women Cycling Forum on March 20, 2012, here in Washington, DC. ]]> Member News 2012-02-10T10:18:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/save_our_streets_oppose_the_house_bill_support_the_senate_amendment/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/save_our_streets_oppose_the_house_bill_support_the_senate_amendment/#When:13:16:37Z It’s time to ask both chambers of Congress to save our streets.

    The current Senate transportation bill dilutes walking and biking programs. To improve the bill, we’re asking senators to vote for the Cardin-Cochran amendment on the floor to guarantee local governments a voice in transportation decisions, allowing them to build sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways that keep people safe.

    In the House, we are asking representatives to oppose the House transportation bill. Despite the fact that walking and bicycling infrastructure is a low-cost investment that creates more jobs per dollar than any other kind of highway spending, the House bill eliminates dedicated funding for walking and biking.

    Please contact your Representative and Senators today and ask them to save our streets. Click here to send a message to your members of Congress NOW.

    As written, the Senate’s transportation bill removes dedicated funding for walking and biking and allows state DOTs to opt-out of safe street programs. The Cardin-Cochran amendment would improve the bill by ensuring that local governments can apply directly for funds to build walking and biking infrastructure.

    Tell your senators:

    • Local governments deserve a voice in transportation. The Cardin-Cochran amendment ensures that cities and counties have a voice in making transportation decisions for safer streets in their communities.

    • Safety matters. Bicycle and pedestrian deaths make up 14% of all traffic fatalities, but only 1.5% of federal funds go towards making walking and biking safer. These programs provide funding for sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways that make streets safe for all users.

    • Active transportation is a wise investment. Walking and biking infrastructure is low-cost, creates more jobs per dollar than any other kind of highway spending, and is critical to economic development for main street America.

    Please take action TODAY.

    On the other side of Congress, the House is considering a transportation bill (HR 7) that reverses 20 years of progress in making streets safer for people. Despite the fact that walking and biking make up 12% of trips but receive only 1.5% of federal funding, the House bill eliminates dedicated funding for walking and biking. It’s time to defeat this bill.

    Tell your representative:

    • HR 7 takes us back to the 1950s. HR 7 takes us back to a 1950s system by eliminating dedicated funding for biking and walking AND kicking transit out of the highway trust fund. We need a transportation bill to meet 2012 needs, not 1950 needs.

    • HR 7 doesn’t invest wisely. Federal transportation laws should invest our finite resources in cost-effective, efficient infrastructure solutions that create jobs and keep the economy moving. The House bill eliminates walking and biking, despite the fact that walking and bicycling infrastructure is low-cost and creates more jobs per dollar than any other kind of highway funding.

    • HR 7 makes streets more dangerous for kids. By repealing the successful and effective Safe Routes to School program, the House bill makes the streets more dangerous for kids on their walks and bike rides to school.

    Congress needs to know that that finding effective, efficient transportation solutions to keep people safe on the streets should be a national priority. Please contact your representative and senators today. For more information and updates, bookmark America BIkes’ website.

    Thank you for all that you do to keep the streets safe!

    ]]> Member News 2012-02-09T13:16:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/group_of_advocates_get_facebook_to_back_bike_trails/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/group_of_advocates_get_facebook_to_back_bike_trails/#When:12:30:34Z Last week, volunteers working with the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition announced that the social network giant Facebook agreed to provide the funding for bike trails around its new office park in Silicon Valley.

    Many of Facebook’s employees are young and transplanted from areas with excellent cycling. Nearly 47 percent of the employees use alternative transportation to get to work. Yet, when Facebook moved into the new space in Palo Alto, the company didn’t realize the difficulties in biking to the campus. Newer cyclists, they realized, might be intimidated by the need to cross highways and ride in traffic.

    Andrew Boone (in the video on the right), a member of the SVBC, and a team of fellow volunteers met with Facebook regularly to encourage them to make changes. Their strategy? To show Facebook that improving the infrastructure was good for both the community and the company. It would solve their future parking issues, as well as make it safer for people to bike or walk to work.

    What made the partnership even sweeter was Facebook’s idea to help fundraise to complete a bike path near the campus and winding through Silicon Valley. “Facebook plans to help advocate for other companies spending money on bike paths,” Boone said.  This support could prove beneficial when the small volunteer team goes to other companies to ask for their support.

    But the work is not done. Boone hopes their strategy to understand Facebook’s wants and needs and find solutions that make both groups happy will work with the city council as the council moves forward in building the new bike lanes. Using basic principles of advocacy, the small team of volunteers were able to educate the social networking company and inspire people to join their team.

    Boone and his team would not have been able to move this far forward if not for the support of the SVBC. Corrine Winter, President and Executive Director of the SVBC, says her favorite part of the process was “empowering local advocates to make a significant difference in the community.”

    That support, and the ability to lend a stronger voice and far reaching network, will help to move this campaign forward in the next few months.

    ]]> Member News 2012-02-08T12:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/seattle_advocates_use_winning_campaigns_training_to_win_bike_boulevards/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/seattle_advocates_use_winning_campaigns_training_to_win_bike_boulevards/#When:12:00:48Z A successful campaign to increase walking and biking sometimes take years, but the right amount of perseverance, skill and timing can lead to a quick win. That’s exactly what happened for Neighborhood Greenways in Seattle.

    The group advocates for a citywide network of low-traffic streets that limit cut-through cars and are safe for biking and walking. Only a few months after forming, the group celebrated its first victory, in no small part thanks to the tips they learned at the Alliance’s Winning Campaigns Training in Seattle.

    “At your Winning Campaigns Workshop I made some great contacts and did some good strategic thinking about developing a complete citywide network of neighborhood greenways,” said Cathy Tuttle, one of the groups leaders who attended the training last June. “Making a citywide network is something I’ve been thinking about for years. Winning Campaigns helped me think about our own people powered movement in a smarter, stronger, more strategic way.”

    The campaign included a well-placed Op-Ed in The Seattle Times that called on members of the City Council to support greenways, while letting Seattleites know that greenways will create a safe place to walk and bike, without forcing people out of their cars.

    At a January Neighborhood Greenways Meeting, City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw announced plans to fund several miles of greenways in 2012. Not only has the campaign resulted in a tangible win on the ground, it has also lead to new groups in neighborhoods advocating for more greenways. “Quite frankly what I’m dealing with now is how to manage success,” said Tuttle. “Local greenway groups are springing up all over the region!”

    Looking to jump start your next campaign? The Alliance is hosting three more Winning Campaigns Trainings this year in Boston, Houston and Kansas City. Learn more about the trainings and register to attend here.

    PHOTO: Exploratory tour of a potential bike boulevard in Seattle courtesy of Neighborhood Greenways.]]> Member News 2012-02-07T12:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/benchmarking_report_debunks_misinformation_in_congress/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/benchmarking_report_debunks_misinformation_in_congress/#When:17:36:24Z As we continue our efforts to preserve critical funding for biking and walking in the next federal transportation bill, it’s vitally important that policymakers and the press have the right information when it comes to the benefits and of active transportation. On that note: Andy Clarke has a great post over on the League of American Bicyclists blog debunking some off-base weekend remarks from House Speaker John Boehner.

    The executive director of the League points out that: “Speaker John Boehner’s weekend claim that 25% of the highway dollars are ‘siphoned off for non-economic projects – such as beautification and bikepaths’ came as a bit of a shock. The nation’s bicyclists must have gotten a big raise over the holidays, because last November Boehner and his buddy Eric Cantor were claiming only ten percent of highway funds were ‘diverted’ this way. Neither figure is anywhere close to the truth, of course.”

    And just one graph (right) from the Alliance’s 2012 Benchmarking Report proves it.

    In fact, people who bike and walk make up nearly 12 percent of trips and 14 percent of roadway fatalities but get less than 2 percent — 2 percent! — of federal transportation dollars. If you haven’t already, download the 2012 Benchmarking Report and make sure your local policymakers understand the tremendous impact that tiny sliver of federal funding has on your community.

    Read the full blog for Andy here. And stay tuned for future posts fact-checking policymakers statements and providing you the talking points you need to preserve funding for biking and walking during this critical time.

    ]]> Member News 2012-02-06T17:36:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/federal_action_a_thank_you_update_and_next_steps/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/federal_action_a_thank_you_update_and_next_steps/#When:13:22:18Z The struggle has only just begun.

    On Thursday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee narrowly voted against preserving the small amount of essential federal funds that make it safer for people who walk and bike across the country. During the contentious vote, 27 committee members supported the bipartisan Petri-Johnson-Lipinski amendment, coming just two votes shy of a victory.

    The good news: Thanks to incredible efforts of many local advocacy leaders to engage grassroots members in action, we gained bipartisan support for the amendment and showed Congress that we mean business.

    The amendment was introduced with support from both sides of the aisle: Representatives Tom Petri (R-WI), Tim Johnson (R-IL), and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) and all committee Democrats voted in favor of the bill. These three Republican Representatives deserve special commendation, because they chose to champion safety for all road users despite extreme pressure from their House leadership to essentially throw school children, pedestrians and cyclists off the bridge to the future.

    And we definitely got the House leadership’s attention. The amendment sparked heated remarks from both sides, including an impassioned defense of Safe Routes to School by Representative DeFazio (D-OR).

    But there is still a long climb ahead.

    Elimination of funds for biking and walking isn’t the only reason the House bill is terrible policy. The House bill puts public transit in jeopardy by diverting transit funds, an issue that has raised the alarm at Transportation for America and the American Public Transportation Association. A coalition of environmental organizations strongly objects to the bill’s environmentally backwards provisions, as well.

    The Alliance joins our partners at America Bikes in thanking the tens of thousands of bicycling and pedestrian advocates from across the country who contacted their representatives on the T&I Committee in support of the Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School programs. The amendment also drew support from more than 60 national, state, and local organizations that recognize the importance of federal support for local infrastructure and safety projects. Several Alliance organizations engaged their membership on this effort, and we appreciate their leadership.

    As the House bill moves through committee to the floor and the Senate makes progress on its transportation bill, the Alliance is working with America Bikes to engage our organizations in key states that will help ensure influential Representatives and Senators are on our side and can support needed action to protect funding for walking and biking. Please stay tuned for specific emails to engage your organization in this focused strategy and be sure to contact me at Jeff@PeoplePoweredMovement.org with any questions or concerns.

    And be sure to register for two important events this Wednesday, February 8:

    • 1 p.m. Eastern: Federal Policy Webinar, hosted by the Alliance and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals. We’ll be joined by Caron Whitaker, Campaign Director for America Bikes, who will have up-to-the-minute information from Capitol Hill and insight on collective strategies to preserve dedicated funding for biking and walking in the next federal transportation bill. Register here.

    • 2 p.m. Eastern: Working with Your Members of Congress Mutual Aid Call. Now, more than ever, building and cultivating relationships with your members of Congress is vital to protecting biking and walking funding at the federal level. Hear examples, strategies, tips and insight from Tyler Frisbee, legislative assistant to Congressman Earl Blumenauer; Ed Barsotti, Executive Director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists; and Gerik Kransky, Advocacy Director for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Register here.]]> Member News 2012-02-06T13:22:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/attend_the_national_women_cycling_forum/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/attend_the_national_women_cycling_forum/#When:14:21:25Z
      

      It was a day or two into the 2010 Alliance Leadership Retreat when Alexis Lantz stood up during lunch. The Planning and Policy Director from Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition had a proposal that energized every female leader in the room: The convening of a Women’s Caucus (pictured above).

      That gathering at the Leadership Retreat was short, informal — and incredibly inspiring. There was so much to talk about: issues we face as women within our own organizations and the broader movement; how we increase the number of women in bicycle advocacy and boost female mode share out on the streets; how we stay better connected in the time between retreats and summits, building community and sharing ideas to deal with collective challenges and opportunities.

      The Women’s Caucus carved out just a tiny window within the tight schedule of dozens of other sessions, but, at least speaking for myself, it was the most powerful and memorable moment from the entire weekend. With little time to develop specific next steps, we had to keep the outcome simple. The main consensus: Let’s keep the conversation going.

      We knew we weren’t the only ones talking about these issues. Shortly before the Leadership Retreat, in mid-2010, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals conducted a Women Cycling Survey — and participation was through the roof. More than 11,000 women in the U.S. shared all sorts of information about why they bike, what would make them bike more and a wealth of other opinions and experiences. The insight gained from the (non-scientific) survey was not only revelatory; it was also an incredible spark for a lively discussion at conferences and online.

      Clearly, women want to talk about bicycling. And our voices are getting more numerous and more prominent.

      According to the Alliance 2012 Benchmarking Report, women are still vastly outnumbered by men, accounting for just 24 percent of bike trips in 2009. But that trend is shifting. A growing number of women from all backgrounds and communities are beginning to ride and getting more involved in the bicycle movement. As female leaders and cyclists, we’re eager to learn from our peers, share our experiences and explore ideas to engage more women.

      So, like we said at the Leadership Retreat, let’s continue the conversation. Attend the first-ever National Women Cycling Forum on March 20, 2012 from 2-4 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC.

      Hosted by the Alliance and APBP, this forum will provide insight from a diverse panel of women in bicycle advocacy, engineering, government and industry. It will foster collective discussion about best practices, creative ideas and potential next steps in addressing the pervasive gender cycling gap at a national and local level. And it will invite input on the Women Cycling Project—a joint effort of the Alliance and APBP to create a new, interactive, online presence for women cyclists and advocates.

      This event will be held in conjunction with the 2012 National Bike Summit—and your presence at this annual event has never been more important. Congress is making important and long-term decisions about the next federal transportation bill and women’s voices and stories are essential to preserving billions in funding for bicycling projects and programs across the country. We’re on the brink of losing the hard-fought progress of the past 20 years and we need a HUGE turn-out at this year’s summit. (Register by February 20 to save $100.)

      When you make your DC travel plans, make sure you arrive in time for the National Women Cycling Forum on Tuesday, March 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. This event is open to all interested attendees—both women and men. Sign up for the Forum here, so you’ll get all the details in coming weeks, including the line-up of panelists. And, please, start sharing the link as widely as possible!

      Plus, mark your calendars for a Women Cycling Social on Wednesday, March 21 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Busboys and Poets, a very cool venue just a few blocks from the Summit hotel. Stay tuned for details.

      Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Have additional questions? Contact Carolyn@PeoplePoweredMovement.org.]]> Member News 2012-02-02T14:21:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/house_bill_erases_two_decades_of_progress_on_bike-ped/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/house_bill_erases_two_decades_of_progress_on_bike-ped/#When:13:43:22Z It’s so much worse than we thought.

      Yesterday, the House released its transportation bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act. We expected the bill to be bad news for biking and walking, but we didn’t think it would go so far as to reverse all progress we’ve made over the past 20 years. (Check out the Top 10 Reasons the House Bill is Bad for Bicycling and Walking from Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, on the right.)

      If your member of Congress is on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, please take action TODAY. With a vote coming in the T&I committee TOMORROW, tell your Representative to preserve biking and walking. Click here to contact your Representative through the League’s Action Center.

      House leadership is exerting pressure to completely cut bicycling and walking out of transportation. Lawmakers seem to have gone through the bill, line-by-line, to gut programs that make streets safer. The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act:

      • Destroys Transportation Enhancements by making the program optional
      • Repeals the Safe Routes to School program, reversing years of progress in creating safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school
      • Removes requirements for states to build bridges with safe access for pedestrians and bicycles
      • Eliminates bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in state DOTs

      There’s still a chance to save biking and walking. Tomorrow, in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Representatives Tom Petri (R-WI) and Timothy Johnson (R-IL) plan to stand up to leadership by offering an amendment that restores dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Petri and Johnson can only be successful if everyone with a stake in safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways contacts his or her Representative today.

      This is as urgent as it gets. Even if we win this amendment, there will be a long road ahead. But if we lose here, we risk losing decades of progress.

      If members of the Transportation Committee are going to stand up to House leadership by supporting biking and walking, they need to know their constituents are behind them. Please contact Congress TODAY and ask your Representative to preserve dedicated funding for biking and walking.

      Take action NOW!

      If you have a Representative on the T&I committee, please forward this action alert to your members and supporters. Pass it along to all your local partners — particularly high-level contacts like mayors, school board members, and business leaders — and ask them to weigh in, too. And thank you for all you do to advance biking and walking!]]> Member News 2012-02-01T13:43:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/transforming_transportation_panel_stresses_importance_of_making_it_easy_to_/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/transforming_transportation_panel_stresses_importance_of_making_it_easy_to_/#When:12:30:40Z In addition to the big Transportation Research Board meeting last week, there was another engaging gathering on bicycle and pedestrian issues — the Transforming Transportation conference hosted by EMBARQ. I attended the panel on ‘Bicycling: How to Achieve Greater Mode Share?’ which featured an international panel from the Netherlands, Cape Town, and China. While the three projects were vastly different in location, the underlying theme was the same: People want to use cycling as a mode of transport and want it to be made easy for them to do so. 

      Bram van Ooijen, a presenter from China, referenced a recent poll of residents in his province. When asked why they didn’t ride a bicycle anymore, an overwhelming number responded that it just wasn’t safe. China’s car infrastructure has grown exponentially over past decades, taking a nation that relied mostly on the bicycle for transportation to a nation that relies on single car use instead. Some roads in China are as wide as 80 meters and bike lanes are few and far between. But when they made bike lanes part of the new bus infrastructure, and found the money to build greenways around the city, people used them — and people loved them.

      In South Africa, it’s a similar story. In Cape Town, panelist Brett Herron explained, the challenge is to integrate not just cycling and cars, but people as well. In a city and a country that has been deeply divided along racial and socioeconomic lines, it’s key to build a cycling infrastructure that can help to bridge that divide.

      Luckily, in Cape Town, and South Africa in general, there’s is a law that cycling provisions must be included in new development plans. Because of this, Cape Town has included bike parking and storage facilities at many bus and train stations, and has added elaborate storage facilities (including showers) to all municipal buildings, as well. Herron’s work within the city government has really paid off—Cape Town now boasts almost 2 percent bicycle mode share.

      The panelists agreed: If the infrastructure is there, if it’s easy for people to use, then they will cycle. Van Ooijen’s project in China made sure to incorporate the public bike share system with the existing public transportation system. Bike stations are located at BRT stations and can be paid for using the same card as BRT. It’s easy to use the public bikes within a multi-modal commute, and landscaped paths and greenways make it enjoyable to bike that last leg of the journey.

      Community participation and ownership of the system is essential to making it work and keeping it working for years to come, as well. Working with the city government has helped to grow the projects in China immensely, especially now that the projects are being completed. City officials are bringing their peers to their town to show off their new greenways and bike paths.

      For example, Tom Goderfrooij of Dutch Cycling Embassy, reported that, in the Netherlands, 27 percent of all trips taken are taken by bike. To get to that enviable mode share they slowly upscaled projects and made biking appealing and easy for all levels of society. They created a cycling culture that was not counter to using cars, but supported the mix of both. Goderfrooji’s key point: The best solution is to create an intuitive mix of cars, biking, and walking so that it’s easy and safe for everyone to get around.

      Overall, the panel expressed that the key for moving cycling forward is to involve people, showcase the benefits of the system, and find champions in government. Learn from the examples of cities that are doing it well, and adapt their strategies to your own needs.

      ]]> Member News 2012-02-01T12:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_report_highlights_biking_and_walking_in_rural_america/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/new_report_highlights_biking_and_walking_in_rural_america/#When:11:05:02Z A new report from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy dispels the commonly held notion that only residents of big cities bike and walk. According to “Active Transportation Beyond the Urban Centers” folks in rural areas travel by bike and on foot as much — and in some cases, even more — than people in major population centers.

      “It’s a widespread assumption in popular media and politics that people in small towns and rural areas do not walk or bike for transportation purposes,” says Tracy Hadden Loh, co-author of the report and research manager at RTC. “This report demonstrates that, in fact, rates for walking and bicycling in rural areas are close to, and sometimes higher than, the national average.”

      Some key findings in the report include:

      • In terms of total trips, rural Americans bike at a rate of between 74 percent and 104 percent of the overall national rate, depending on the type of community in which they live.

      • The share of work trips made by bicycle in small towns is nearly double that of urban centers. Within small towns of 2,500 to 10,000 residents, people walk for work purposes at a rate similar to the urban core communities.

      • Federal investment in biking and walking benefits rural areas as much or more than urban centers. Rural areas receive almost twice as much funding per capita as urban areas from the federal Transportation Enhancements program

      • Among a list of travel priorities, rural Americans selected sidewalks more often than any other transportation need and nine out of 10 cited the importance of pedestrian friendly communities.

      The report couldn’t come at a more pivotal moment. Congress is moving on the next federal transportation bill and the current House bill guts all funding for biking and walking projects and programs. This report proves that short-changing biking and walking by eliminating programs like Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School affects all communities across the U.S.

      “Small communities need safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities just as much as big cities,” says Kevin Mills, report co-author and RTC’s VP of Policy and Trail Development. “To meet this need, Transportation Enhancements has provided twice the funding per capita in rural America than in big cities. This includes rehabilitating walkable main streets in small town that have been bypassed by interstates.”

      According to RTC: “In coming years, active transportation can play an even bigger role in making small town America more attractive for young families and business investment — improving economic vitality, traffic safety and overall health in smaller communities in every region of the country.”

      Read the full report and check out the interactive map here. ]]> Member News 2012-01-31T11:05:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/apply_for_a_capacity_building_grant/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/apply_for_a_capacity_building_grant/#When:13:00:36Z Advocacy Advance is offering $25,000 in Capacity Building Grants this year to member organizations of the Alliance for Biking & Walking and League of American Bicyclists.

      Capacity Building Grants support the development and professionalization of state and local advocacy organizations to increase rates of biking and walking. These matching grants, funded by Planet Bike, can be used for organizational development, hiring staff, building membership, and for other organizational tools to foster a sustainable advocacy organization. Inquiry applications are available online and are due by March 9.

      In addition, Advocacy Advance is pleased to offer $35,000 of Rapid Response Grants in 2012 to help state and local organizations take advantage of unexpected opportunities to win, increase, or preserve funding for biking and walking.

      Read more on the Advocacy Advance website. ]]> Member News 2012-01-30T13:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/biking_means_millions_for_iowa_economy/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/biking_means_millions_for_iowa_economy/#When:10:57:49Z As a former Des Moines resident and one-time RAGBRAI rider, I know bicycling is big in the state of Iowa. Now a new study from the Iowa Bicycle Coalition quantifies that enthusiasm and puts a big dollar figure on its impact in the Hawkeye State.

      
      Last week, I mentioned recent research from Resource Systems Group and Local Motion on the economic impact of biking in Vermont, which revealed that, in 2009, bicycling and walking created at least 1,400 jobs, $41 million in personal income (wages) and $83 million in revenue. In Iowa, those numbers are even higher.

      According to “Economic and Health Benefits of Bicycling,” the spending of recreational cyclists generates $364.8 million in direct and indirect impacts to the State of Iowa. And that’s just the economic aspect. When it comes to health, bicycling saves the state $73.9 million in healthcare costs for those who cycle recreationally, while bicycle commuters cash in on another $13.2 million in health care cost savings.

      The findings were so impressive they surprised even Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition: “The return on investment was much larger than expected.”

      Released just before the Iowa Bike Summit, Wyatt used the data to urge continued investment in biking infrastructure, trails and programs. “More opportunities for Iowans to bicycle will help Iowa become the healthiest state,” Wyatt said. “We know a lot of Iowans have bicycles, but may not have ridden them in some time. We need to find ways to encourage more bicycle riding.”

      Download the full report from the Alliance Resource Library.]]> Member News 2012-01-30T10:57:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bikewalkkc_partners_with_blue_cross_blue_shield_of_kansas_for_bikesharekc/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/bikewalkkc_partners_with_blue_cross_blue_shield_of_kansas_for_bikesharekc/#When:12:30:55Z As Carolyn wrote earlier this week, bike share systems are all the buzz among big city transportation officials as an effective, economical and even attractive means to increase mobility in their bustling urban cores. Not to be outdone by the likes of New York City and San Francisco, advocates in Kansas City — recipients of a 2010 Advocacy Advance Grant — have added Missouri to that growing list.

      Yesterday, the City of Kansas City passed a resolution permitting the establishment of BikeShareKC and committing to increase the number of bike lanes along BikeShareKC routes.

      The new B-cycle system is a joint effort of BikeWalkKC and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City. According to the press release: “BikeWalkKC is partnering with Blue KC to bring bike share to Kansas City as a healthy low-cost transportation option. Blue KC will take the lead in driving development of BikeShareKC by enlisting other leaders in the business community to commit to sponsorships, advertising deals and/or augmenting their employee wellness offering by subsidizing memberships.”

      BikeWalkKC and Blue KC aim to have 20 stations with 200 bikes up and running by summer 2012. Bikes will be available nine months of the year, with annual memberships that entitle users to unlimited 30-45 minutes trips around the city. The stations will even be equipped with a smartphone app that will allow riders to determine the availability of bikes anywhere in the system. Plus, using B-Cycle technology, riders will be able to track their miles traveled, calories burned and pounds of carbon dioxide saved.

      “BikeShareKC will bridge the awkward distances that are too far to walk but too short to drive,” Eric Rogers, executive director of BikeWalkKC said. “It will also expand the reach of the transit system by providing new options for the ‘last mile.’ And it will help clear the air while giving Kansas Citians a new option for being healthy and active.”

      “BikeShareKC offers a much needed alternative form of transportation around Kansas City, while also promoting physical activity to its residents,” added David Gentile, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.

      Read the full press release here.

      ]]> Member News 2012-01-27T12:30:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/biking_and_walking_contribute_millions_to_vermonts_economy/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/biking_and_walking_contribute_millions_to_vermonts_economy/#When:14:00:26Z What’s the economic impact?

      Not surprisingly, that question has been a common theme and focus at this year’s massive Transportation Research Board meeting. And, up in Vermont, Alliance member organization Local Motion worked with a local consulting firm, Resource Systems Group Inc., to answer that question for the Green Mountain State.

      On Tuesday afternoon, Beth Isler from RSG Inc. drew a crowd to her TRB presentation on the “Economic Impact of Walking and Biking in Vermont.” In conducting the study, Isler explained, she worked with the advocates at Local Motion to distribute more than 150 surveys to bicycle- and pedestrian-related businesses across the state. But that’s not all. She also tapped into data from the Vermont Agency of Transportation on road project expenditures, accessed statistics on visitor spending related to biking and walking events, utilized modeling from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute and correlated information from Walk Score with real estate sales.

      The result? Even in a small state, where locals joke that summer lasts just two weeks, biking and walking provide a significant boost to the local economy. Among Isler’s findings:

      • According to VTrans data, the construction and maintenance of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects and programs brought $17 million in funding to the state, resulting in more than 230 jobs and $10 million in wages associated with those jobs.

      • Based on survey data, bicycle- and pedestrian-related businesses brought in more than $56 million in revenue, generating more than 1,000 jobs and $26 million in associated wages.

      • Forty major events related to biking and walking attracted more than 16,000 participants who brought with them 45,000 additional family and friends. The result? $9.5 million in revenue and 160 jobs which resulted in $4.7 million in wages.

      • Using models from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, RSG calculated that the vehicle miles avoided by the 68 million miles walked and 28 million miles biked resulted in as much as $85 million in consumer and public health savings.

      • RSG also cross-referenced the closing prices on real estate with the Walk Score of those locations. On average, the property values of homes in walkable neighborhoods were $6,500 higher than those in car-dependent areas. Add all those homes together and walkability added more than $350 million to the local economy.

      Bottom line: In 2009, biking and walking created at least 1,400 jobs, $41 million in personal income (wages) and $83 million in revenue. In addition, the health and property value benefits could bump that up by more than $400 million. Now those are the kinds of numbers that get policymakers’ attention.

      I’ll upload the presentation to the Alliance Resource Library soon.

      ]]> Member News 2012-01-26T14:00:10+00:00 http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/house_bill_threatens_to_eliminate_dedicated_bicycle_and_pedestrian_funding/ http://www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/site/blog/house_bill_threatens_to_eliminate_dedicated_bicycle_and_pedestrian_funding/#When:12:20:24Z By Mary Lauran Hall, Communications Coordinator, America Bikes

      For the past 20 years, the federal transportation program has included dedicated funding for biking and walking. Over the course of twenty years and three federal transportation laws, federal support for bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure projects has slowly ticked upwards. As a result, more and more communities feature safe roads for people who travel on foot or by bicycle.

      In 1992, Congress passed ISTEA, the first federal transportation bill to include funding for transit, biking, and walking. As each consecutive transportation bill passed and continued dedicated funding for biking and walking, funding increased from $23 million for 50 new projects in 1992 to $297 million for 971 projects in 2000, to a record $1.2 billion for 3,010 projects in 2009.

      But now a new transportation bill threatens to eliminate dedicated federal funding for biking and walking.

      Next Thursday, February 2, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will vote on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill that eliminates crucial funds for biking and walking. Representatives on the T&I Committee are in a key position to save dedicated funding for biking and walking. If you live in the district of a T&I committee member (click here for a list), please take action today. Click here to send a message directly to your Representative through the League of American Bicyclists’ Action Center.

      The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, the long awaited multi-year transportation bill, eliminates the two largest programs that fund biking and walking infrastructure — Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Without these programs, communities across the country will lose resources to build the sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways that make biking and walking safer and more accessible.

      We can’t let that happen.

      Biking and walking are essential aspects of everyday transportation in the US, and turning off federal funding for projects that keep Americans safe would represent a significant step backwards.

      Federal funding for biking and walking keeps people safe. Two out of three pedestrian deaths take place on roads built with federal funding, and new sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways help end preventable deaths and make roads safer for everyone. Moreover, biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips and 14 percent of road fatalities, but only 1.5 percent of all federal transportation funding.

      We at America Bikes are working with our partners to introduce an amendment that will preserve funding for biking and walking. During Thursday’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee vote in the House, Representatives will have the opportunity to pass this amendment to save biking and walking. If you live in the district of a T&I Committee member, please take action today!

      To learn more about this issue and keep up-to-date as the bill moves forward, visit http://americabikes.org/. ]]> Member News 2012-01-26T12:20:10+00:00