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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.