Building the People Powered Movement
Alliance Guide to Fundraising (2012)Posted: 05/10/2012 Released in five parts throughout 2012, the Alliance for Biking & Walking Guide to Fundraising will help you develop an effective fundraising plan, craft successful funding proposals and leverage a variety of funding sources. (PDF) 1. Creating and Implementing an Effective Fundraising Plan 2. Anatomy of a Winning Proposal 3. Finding Local Funding Sources 4. Consulting and Contracts 5. Federal Funding Best Practices America Bikes Releases 2012 Survey ResultsPosted: 05/09/2012  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:
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. New Reports and More from Transportation AlternativesPosted: 05/08/2012
For more information and inspiration, visit the Transportation Alternatives site. Streetside Issue 38 ~ May 2012Posted: 05/03/2012
Click here to read this issue. Advocates Launch Eight New Campaigns at Boston TrainingPosted: 05/02/2012
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:
BikeWalkKC Engages Tech Experts at CityCampKCPosted: 05/02/2012
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. Vision Zero Campaigns - 4/25/2012 (Alliance)Posted: 05/01/2012 Vision Zero represents a shift in the perception that traffic fatalities are accidents over which we have no control. Through awareness campaigns, targeted enforcement and infrastructure changes, traffic fatalities are tragedies that can — and must — be eliminated. On our April 25 Mutual Aid conference call, panelists Rob Sadowsky, Mark Lear and Lindsey Ganson discussed the impact of Vision Zero campaigns in their cities and shared lessons learned. (PDF) (MP3) Vision Zero Campaigns Tip Sheet
Congressional Calendar 2012 (The Capitol Net)Posted: 04/25/2012 25 April 2012. Calendar for when the House and Senate is in session in 2012. Use this calendar when scheduling in-district meetings and events. (pdf) 2012 Congressional Calendar WEB.pdf Event Logistics Checklist (America Bikes)Posted: 04/25/2012 25 April 2012. 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. (pdf) Tips on Collecting Media Coverage (America Bikes)Posted: 04/25/2012 25 April 2012. 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. (pdf) Effective Messaging for Your “Show Congress” Event (America Bikes)Posted: 04/25/2012 24 April 2012. 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. (PDF) Inviting Congress to Your Bike Month EventPosted: 04/25/2012
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:
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. Community Bike Shop Leaders Discuss the Business of Running a ShopPosted: 04/24/2012 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. The Business of Community Bike Shops - 4/18/2012 (Alliance)Posted: 04/24/2012 Community bike shops work as advocates in their communities by putting more people on bikes, and, 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. (PDF) (MP3) The Business of Community Bike Shops Tip Sheet BikeWalkKC Completes Advocacy Advance GrantPosted: 04/24/2012
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. |
Invest in biking and walking advocacy where it matters most... on the ground!
Creating Walkable Communities on a Budget --Call on May 16
Making the Equity Case: Working with Transit --Call on June 06
Winning Campaigns Training: Houston, Texas
June 08 through June 10, 2012
05/22/2012 - 2012 Bicycle Friendly State Rankings Just Announced
05/22/2012 - Bikes, Tourists, and all that Jazz
05/21/2012 - San Francisco Implements 15-mph School Zones
05/11/2012 - Apply to Become a Walk Friendly Community
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.
