Alliance > Media center > People Powered Blog

For the first time, Bike Texas co-hosted the Texas Trail and Active Transportation Conference with the Texas Trails Network on February 3-6, 2010.

Attendees included renowned speakers, city and state bike/pedestrian and Safe Routes to School coordinators, trail builders and advocates, elected officials, engineers and planners, and bike shop owners from around the state.

Bike Texas made clear at the conference that many of the improvements they want to see for biking and walking will only come with policy changes, and the vision and leadership of elected officials.  The combined attendance of speakers and attendees made the Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference a great success and is sure to positively influence the state’s future in increasing walking and biking.

For more information visit BikeTexas.org

The SF Bicycle Coalition recently celebrated the official opening of the “Showplace Triangle” street plaza (at 8th and 16th streets) where San Francisco’s mayor Gavin Newsom, announced that the City’s Pavement to Parks program will be completing 12 more trial street plazas and “parklets” by the end of 2010. This program takes car parking spots and other street spaces and transforms them into various gathering spots for the community.

Since the very first plaza opening in May 2009, the trial street reclamations have proven to be very successful and popular among the public. The new public spaces are built after the idea of PARK(ing) Day, where automobile parking spots are turned into mini public spaces for a day. These temporary spaces include mini-gardens, bike parking, plazas, etc.

The SF Bike Coalition will continue to work closely with the Pavement to Parks program through their own Great Streets Project in order to scout good locations and connect community groups and businesses with the city’s program.

For more information:
Great Streets Project: http://sfgreatstreets.org/
Pavement to Parks Program: http://sfpavementtoparks.sfplanning.org/
PARK(ing) Day: http://www.parkingday.org/
SF Bicycle Coalition: http://www.sfbike.org/

Representative Earl Blumenauer(OR) just introduced the Active Community Transportation Act, H.R.4722, on March 2nd 2010. This groundbreaking bill creates a competitive grant program with $2 Billion to help communities build bicycling and walking networks. For the first time, communities would be able to compete for multi-year funding to build active transportation systems, just as they do for transit and road infrastructure.

“Too often we take for granted the value of being able to bike and walk to work,” said Blumenauer. “It’s unfortunate that many communities don’t have the infrastructure in place to make active and healthy forms of transportation more accessible. The ACT transportation grants will make it easier for people to get out of their vehicles and onto sidewalks or bikes, boosting both heart rates and community vitality.”

In conjunction with the National Bike Summit the Alliance is asking that you call your representative next Thursday, March 11th at the same time that over 700 Summit participants will have in-person meetings in congressional offices for a Virtual Lobby Day. For all the details, visit the Alliance action center.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) worked with six counties and agencies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to secure $23 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program.

This multi-jurisdictional project, called Generating Recovery by Enhancing Active Transportation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey (GREAT-PA/NJ), will help complete a network of biking and walking trails throughout the region, focused on connections to urban hubs in Philadelphia and Camden. The Bicycle Coalition and PEC assembled the proposal along with Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and Mayor Nutter’s Metropolitan Caucus. The proposal received letters of support from more than 52 elected officials, institutions and non-profit organizations, including all four senators and eight members of congress in the region.

For more info visit the BCGP blog.

Transportation Alternatives is competing for a $250,000 grant that will enable cyclists from all over the country to connect with fellow bike commuters nearby—but they need your vote to win it!

Streets all across the country are getting safer for cycling, but until the roads catch up, riding with a friend is one of the best ways to stay safe. Using Pepsi’s Refresh Everything grant, T.A. will develop a new generation of mobile and web applications to connect cyclists who share the same roads every day. The goal: 500,000 new cyclists on the road, encouraged by the ability to ride with a buddy. It’s called “Bike Buddy.”

Transportation Alternatives Director of Bicycle Advocacy, Caroline SamponaroIf, says “If we win this online voting competition, we would be able to collectively develop a new generation of mobile and web applications to connect cyclists who share the same roads every day. We would be linking newbies and seasoned riders—the sort of one-rider-at-a-time interaction that makes for a strong cycling community. We would pilot the program in five American cities, and with enough funding, many more thereafter.”

By voting for T.A., you’ll help usher in a new wave of green, urban-friendly bike commutes.  You can vote once per day, so come back over and over! To vote, visit http://www.refresheverything.com/BikeBuddy.

For more information on Transportation Alternatives and the Bike Buddy Program visit www.refresheverything.com/BikeBuddy and www.transalt.org.

MCBC’s goal of steadily improving biking and walking facilities within Marin County is gaining momentum with a newly completed multi-use pathway in the city of Larkspur connecting neighborhoods to local schools and parks.

The new ADA-compliant pathway replaces what used to be a dirt path that was primarily being used by local schoolchildren. Measure A Safe Routes to School funded the new multi-use trail which also included 54 trees planted along the pathway, a soon-to-be installed bench with a great view of Mount Tamalpais, and a fence to delineate the pathway from the High School property.

The path is increasing the amount of children walking and biking to school and is attracting many other members of the community to walk or bike along the path. MCBC will continue to support the city of Larkspur for their continued commitment to improving the non-motorized transportation system within the City.

Visit www.marinbike.org/Index.shtml for more information.

Consider Biking has convened a Cycling Corporate Caucus representing more than twenty of Columbus’ largest employers. Since the formation of the caucus in 2009, Consider Biking has held meetings, and in partnership with Leadership Columbus, developed a “Two-Wheel Toolkit”. Consider Biking introduced the toolkit in a meeting with many of Columbus’ largest organizations’ CEOs, presenting information on encouraging employees to bicycle more and providing targeted resources for each specific audience within a business.

ConsiderBiking activated the caucus in late December in order to speak in unified support of a funding request on behalf of the city of Columbus to implement the Columbus Bike Plan. The caucus drafted a “case for support” that demonstrated why investment in bicycling is good for Columbus’ community’s health and economic efforts, but also for a business’s bottom line.

Consider Biking states “We had over 20 of our community’s most prominent business leaders & CEOs, sign our letter of support. No doubt - our business leaders “get it” We believe major organizations and workforces have the ability to affect behavior change quickly.  That’s why we’re placing a significant effort on our worksite intervention Mode Shift program. (Bike to Work and Bike Away from Work).”

For more information about the “Two Wheel Toolkit” and to learn more about how the caucus is affecting its community, visit http://www.considerbiking.org/activities/consulting/

According to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC), “SFBC is celebrating another new bike lane on Otis Street which has created an important one block link between South Van Ness and Gough Street.

Otis Street is the ninth new bike lane to be striped since December. These bike lanes are the direct result of years of hard work by SFBC staff and countless hours of grassroots organizing by committed Bicycle Coalition members. The Coalition is pleased to see these new improvements for bicycling being added all across San Francisco and creating important links in the bike network.”

To find out more about the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and its efforts, visit sfbike.org.

Twenty-six new citizen evaluators joined Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawai’s (PATH) HOALA project as trained Safe Routes to School evaluators on Thursday, Feb. 4th. HOALA – Hawaii’s Opportunity for Active Living Advancement – aims to help 12 Hawaii Island schools reduce childhood obesity by improving the ability for children to get to and from school by walking or bicycling.

According to PATH, the new evaluators, “will help to assess the walkability and bikeability of school zones in 12 elementary schools across the island of Hawaii.  Evaluators were trained in the PEDS assessment tool and on how to conduct traffic counts and safety observations.

The HOALA project is made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Active Living Research Program. Elementary schools across the island with at least 35% of students on free or reduced-cost lunch are eligible to apply.  To find out more, visit the HOALA page on the PATH Web site or contact PATH at laura@pathhawaii.org.”

According to Walk + Roll Cleveland, “ Kaiser Permanente has provided seed funding for six Walk+Roll programs in neighborhoods all over the greater Cleveland area!

Saturday, May 15 in Cleveland’s Kamm’s Corners neighborhood will kick off the 2010 Summer of walking and rolling! Walk+Roll is partnering with Taste of Kamms which is a new event to celebrate this family-friendly neighborhood and it’s streetscaped Lorain Avenue.

Other neighborhoods and dates will be revealed soon. Always free and always fun for everyone, this year’s Walk+Roll initiative will include our signature street-closings plus also free guided bicycle rides and walks to secret places you’ve probably never experienced. With six events spread over the summer and throughout the city, you will be continually reminded and encouraged to walk and bike more in your daily life which will make your world cleaner, greener, wealthier and healthier.”

Walk + Roll is a ciclovia-type event that temporarily closes streets to cars and opens them to people on bike, foot, and skates. Learn more by visiting http://www.walkroll.com.

According to Transportation Alternatives (T.A.), “First and Second Avenues (in New York City) are about to get a whole lot better for bikers, walkers and transit takers.

In response to T.A.‘s East Side campaign, the Department of Transportation has committed to building better bus, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure from South Ferry to 125th Street. Included in the agency’s plans are bike lanes, bus lanes and improved pedestrian crossings that will not only make these notoriously congested avenues safer, but also better-performing.

Though the DOT has yet to identify the exact configurations it will use when construction begins this June, all of the possibilities are huge improvements over the order-less mess that now rules the roads in this part of Manhattan, and we commend them, as well as the Volunteer Committee members, community stakeholders, local politicians and countless activists who helped the plan come together.

To ensure that this wave of street reform doesn’t simply splash on to two avenues and wash away, Transportation Alternatives is organizing an East Side Streets Coalition to help spread these changes. With the support of T.A.‘s Volunteer Committees, citizens and civic organizations from East Harlem to Chinatown, the East Side Coalition plans to push for streets that reduce pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities from vehicle crashes by 50% in the next decade.”

T.A. is issuing a call to action. “Visit the East Side Streets Coalition website to take an online survey about current conditions and future possibilities, find out about upcoming community workshops and join the Coalition.”

BikeWalk Mississippi claimed a victory on February 8th when the Senate unanimously voted to pass SB3014, the John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act.

The safety bill will provide additional measures to increase safety on the road for both bicyclists and pedestrians. Critical components of the legislation include the implementation of a 3 Feet rule and Anti-Harassment language to protect bicyclists. There are a few more hurdles before the bill becomes official but BikeWalk Mississippi remains active and confident stating “this is an incredible day for bicyclists around the state.”

BikeWalk Mississippi extends THANK YOUs to both Chairman King and President Hewes for their amazing efforts in the Senate, “their leadership navigated the bill as well as our advocates through the legislative process.” To find out more about BikeWalk Mississippi’s efforts and the current status of the John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act, visit www.bikewalkmississippi.org

On Monday, February 8th, the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and other members of the Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition celebrated the introduction of the “Complete Streets” bill, (SF 2461/HF 2801) in the Minnesota legislature. Upon introduction, the bill had widespread support from environment, health, and transportation advocates throughout the state as well as bipartisan support in both legislative bodies.  Following the example of 18 states and more than 100 communities, the legislation aims to make Minnesota roads safer and more accessible for those who utilize all forms of transportation including transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians. A statewide poll by the Minnesota Environmental Partnership found that 73 percent of Minnesotans back the mission of the legislation, which would ultimately create policies that make the state’s roadways safer for all, especially the young and old.

For more information on the legislation visit :
http://www.bikemn.org/news_detail.cfm?id=783DB9CD-FCE9-45B4-B1B2-D80AAA96BFAB
or http://www.mncompletestreets.org/

According to a press release issued by the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has announced an agreement to save the historic Katy Bridge at Boonville. This comes after Union Pacific railroad moved to abandon the railroad right-of-way through the bridge which would have threatened the legal integrity of about 165 miles of the Katy Trail (currently used for biking and walking).

According to Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation:

“Trail advocates across Missouri have been working years to save the bridge

‘The MKT Bridge at Boonville is beautiful, historic, and surprisingly important for the legal health of a long section of the Katy Trail,’ said Brent Hugh, Executive Director of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation. ‘That is why trail lovers from across the state have been working for over six years to save and preserve the Katy Bridge.’

The Governor said that with the announcement of the bridge transfer, the Missouri Division of State Parks was prepared to discuss with Boonville officials how the bridge might eventually be incorporated into use by bicyclists, joggers and hikers using the nearby Katy Trail. Boonville is one of the most populous communities along the trail, which is used by more than 300,000 people each year.

Several groups from across the state took steps to build support for saving the bridge. Boonville’s Save the Katy Bridge Coalition has galvanized local support and fund raising, while groups like the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation have worked to develop statewide support. Great Rivers Environmental Law Center filed legal briefs in support of then-Attorney General Nixon’s state lawsuit designed to save the bridge.

‘In 2005, when the state allowed Union Pacific to abandon the Katy Bridge without taking the proper legal steps to preserve the underlying rail corridor, it put 165 miles of the Katy Trail in a very unfortunate legal situation,’ says Hugh. ‘Transferring the bridge to the City of Boonville will resolve that legal problem while also creating a historic and tourist attraction in Boonville. And some day we’d like to see the Katy Trail re-routed to use the historic bridge.’”

Background on the legal issues surrounding the Katy Bridge:

http://mobikefed.org/2005/12/map-of-rail-connections-to-katy-trail.php
http://mobikefed.org/2005/12/abandonment-of-boonville-bridge.php
http://mobikefed.org/2005/06/removal-of-mkt-bridge-at-boonville.php

—-

The Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation, founded in 1994, represents the interests of bicyclists, walkers, runners, and trail users throughout Missouri. Through its network of affiliated clubs and groups, MoBikeFed represents over 15,000 Missouri citizens and speaks for the 2 million Missourians who bicycle regularly and the 5.8 million who walk.

The Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation is working to realize its vision of active transportation in Missouri by creating a world-class bicycle and pedestrian network in Missouri, building a movement around walking and bicycling, encouraging more walking and bicycling, and increasing safety for all road users. Find out more or join the federation at http://MoBikeFed.org

Photo: Young bicyclist on Katy Trail with Katy Bridge at Boonville pictured in back. Courtesy of the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Foundation.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is continuing to see its re-paving project efforts pay off with a now smooth ride from Golden Gate Park to the Pacific Ocean.

The newly paved road means a safe, smooth, and enjoyable ride for commuters and other bicyclists and a win for the Coalition. SFBC and its team of volunteers have been working hard to identify San Francisco streets and neighborhoods in need of both re-paving and adequate bike lanes through their “Good Roads” campaign. Volunteers ride the city streets and tag/spray paint the most dangerous spots. These markings are an immediate help to many cyclists, but more importantly a designated legend for the Department of Public Works (DPW) who has committed to patching and smoothing the indicated spots. To view other resurfacing updates and projects visit www.sfbike.org/?goodroads. 

For more information on SFBC and the Good Roads campaign, visit www.sfbike.org