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In May, Bicycling magazine named Memphis one of America’s worst cycling cities. But a big push from local advocates could be the first step in turning around the Tennessee town. 

The ranking in Bicycling wasn’t exactly a surprise. According to the Alliance’s 2010 Benchmarking Report, Memphis lags in the bottom third of cities in just about every category, including safety and bike-ped policies. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act exposed just one example of the city’s seeming disregard for biking. While other jurisdictions loaded up their applications for stimulus funds with cycling and walking facilities, officials in Memphis didn’t include so much as a single sharrow in their ask for ARRA dollars.

Advocates with Livable Memphis weren’t content to let that omission slide. When the city started street repaving projects utilizing federal dollars, advocates rolled out an aggressive campaign to add accommodations for cyclists. 

Sarah Newstok, program director for Livable Memphis, says two Alliance workshops in 2009 gave her the tools to take on City Hall. The Membership Training in San Francisco, she says, clarified her organization’s mission. Then, attending a Winning Campaign Training in Little Rock armed her with tactics to advocate effectively.

“We really pulled out the stops,” Newstok says.

Livable Memphis members spoke at council hearings and sat down with council members. They lobbied members of his administration and met with Mayor A.C. Wharton Jr. himself. Advocates penned letters to policymakers, editorials for the local newspapers and saturated media with their pro-bike message.

“After chipping away from lots of directions the barriers seemed to crumble all at once,” Newstok says. “Our outrage about not including bike facilities in the repaving projects really came to a head this month, with a public scolding of our City Engineer by the Mayor.”

Shortly after the rebuke, Wharton committed to 55 miles of bike lanes and facilities, installed over the next two years. “Even though bike lanes were regrettably omitted from the city’s recent stimulus fund application,” Wharton announced on July 15, “I have directed our city engineers to make any necessary adjustments to their operating budget plans so we can get these lanes and facilities in place.” 

The about-face was significant. “This is a major turnaround for us,” Newstok says. “I feel like Memphis is finally at least facing the right direction.”

“Of course, this leaves us with a long list of next ‘to do’ items,” she adds. “But I’m energized and we have a very engaged crew of volunteer advocates. Here’s to getting Memphis off Bicycling magazine’s worst city list and to being awarded most-improved in the next ranking.”