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Entries tagged: Alliance For Biking & Walking

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 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Andy Clarke, President, League of American Bicyclists
202-822-1333 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Jeffrey Miller, President/CEO, Alliance for Biking & Walking
202-445-4415 / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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.

Make your gift by Monday and your dollars will leverage an additional $4,000 for biking and walking!

As a bicycle and pedestrian advocate for the past 20 years, I know fighting for people who walk and bike is both inspiring and challenging work.

Each and every day brings new opportunities — and threats. But I’ve learned that one thing remains constant: the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

The Alliance is the only national organization that provides the training, coaching, networking and resources that make advocacy organizations more powerful agents of change.

We can’t provide that critical support without you.

Please, make your gift to the Alliance now and your donation will be DOUBLED! Help us meet a generous challenge grant led by Frank Peters of cdmCyclist and Rickshaw Bagworks by making a contribution TODAY.

These key supporters will match your donation if we can raise $4,000 over the next four days. Please pledge your support for the Alliance today — and spread the word to your friends and family.

Right now, our movement is at a critical moment. At the federal, state and local level, funding and programs for biking and walking are under attack. Now, more than ever, we need strong advocates with access to the best information and most up-to-date resources.

Every dollar you donate to the Alliance will go directly to important events and critical resources that no other organization can provide, like Winning Campaigns Trainings, the Alliance Leadership Retreat, the 2012 Benchmarking Report and so much more.

Please, pledge your support by Monday and your dollars will go even further by helping us meet our match challenge and leverage an additional $4,000 for biking and walking!

Your gift ensures advocates can continue to rely on the Alliance for the network and knowledge they need to transform their communities into great places to walk and bike. I hope I can rely on you to help us continue our important work.

Please, join me in making a gift to the Alliance today!

p.s. Make your gift by December 31st and you’ll get a free year’s subscription to Momentum magazine! PLUS, you’ll be entered into drawings for a new Uptown Infinity from Breezer (valued at $1,220!) or a year’s supply of CLIF Bars!

What individuals, organizations and businesses made your community a better place to bike and walk in 2011?

Make sure they’re recognized for their important and inspiring work by nominating them for an Alliance Advocacy Award.

Since 2009, the Alliance has honored excellence in biking and walking, giving the leaders and supporters of our People Powered Movement the spotlight they deserve for their tireless efforts.

Submit your 2012 nominations in the following categories:

• Advocate of the Year
• Advocacy Organization of the Year
• Business Advocate of the Year
• Winning Campaign of the Year
• Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award

Nominations will be accepted through December 18, 2011 on the Alliance website.

Anyone can make up to five nominations — one nomination per person, per award category. Nominations are not limited to Alliance members. A selection committee composed of Alliance staff, board, and advocacy organization representatives will evaluate all nominees and the winners will be announced at a high-profile reception the first night of the 2012 National Bike Summit.

For more information and to nominate an individual, organization or business in your community visit: www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/Awards

Photo: In 2011, Scott Bricker (R) accepted the Advocacy Organization of the Year Award on behalf of Bike Pittsburgh. 

The Alliance is committed to helping local and state bicycle and pedestrian advocates become stronger and more effective agents of change. We want to make sure our programs and offerings are what YOU want and need. But, to do that, we need your feedback.

So, as we plan new resources, programming, and training opportunities for 2012 we need your input.

Whether you’re an Alliance leader, individual supporter, business sponsor or member of an organization that isn’t yet a member of the Alliance, please take a moment to fill out our membership survey.

The survey takes 15 minutes or less to complete. Feel free to have multiple people from your organization take the survey, as this helps us determine the variety of different needs and perspectives from your organization.

Please complete the survey by November 9, and help to ensure that the Alliance is able to help you grow your organization’s capacity and strength in 2012 and beyond.

Imagine pedaling through dense stands of towering redwoods; cruising along a dramatic, rocky coastline; stopping next to lush vineyards and taking a sun-drenched ride over the Golden Gate Bridge.

It’s not a dream. It’s not a luxury vacation. It’s the Climate Ride — a 320-mile bicycle adventure that raised $300,000 for nonprofits like the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

Now in its fourth year, the Climate Ride was created by Geraldine Carter and Caeli Quinn as a means to leverage their decades of professional experience leading high-end bike trips to raise awareness and funds for climate protection. Since 2008, the ride has engaged hundreds of riders from across the nation who, instead of simply opening their wallets, raise money from friends and colleagues, which is directed to a number of nonprofit groups that work on renewable energy and active transportation issues.

As a participant in the 2011 California Climate Ride this month, I was impressed from the second I showed up in the parking lot to catch the shuttle from San Francisco up to the start of the ride in Fortuna. The riders were a diverse group — from restaurant owners to NRDC attorneys, people who work in greening the music business to a singer who had only ridden a bike 25 times before she got off the plane. But they sure had one thing in common: They were all fired up to pedal a stretch of the most scenic landscape in the U.S. and, along the way, talk shop about how, in our diverse capacities, we can build a more sustainable energy future.

First of all, even for someone who lived and traveled in California as a kid, I was constantly speechless at the incredible beauty of the route:

• The first day we rode through the redwoods, stopping for lunch among the thousand-year-old trees and writing postcards to President Obama under the canopy of the giants.
  
• On day two, we braved a driving rain, conquered the legendary Leggett Hill — a five-mile ascent — and were rewarded with views of the foggy, frothy waves of the Pacific.
  
• On the third day, the route snaked through eucalyptus trees as it hugged the coastline and more than two dozen Climate Riders completed the optional century ride — some tackling the mileage for the first time.
  
• By day four, a mere 50 miles seemed like child’s play, so many lingered amongst the vineyards, sipping the sweet stuff (at 10 a.m.!) at a sustainable winery and sampling oysters beach-side near the entrance to Point Reyes National Seashore.
  
• And on day five, the rain cleared just in time for us to glide over the Golden Gate Bridge with stunning views of the Bay and roll into San Francisco in our matching jersey’s, chanting Climate Ride all the way to city hall.

But the route was really just the sugar on top. The substance of the ride was also about networking and knowledge sharing. All along the way, as we stopped for snacks or relaxed over dinner, I got to know about the personal and professional efforts of countless climate and bicycle advocates. I rode down the Avenue of Giants with a gentleman who rode across the country on an electric-assist recumbent. I listened to an IT consultant talk about Richmond Spokes, a new community bike shop and education space, as we dodged cow patties on a steep ascent through a stretch of farmland. I took every opportunity I could to glean insight from the communications director for 350.org and the media team from Mighty Bytes in Chicago over breakfast and dinner.

Geraldine and crew made that resource sharing and relationship building even easier with evening sessions that allowed riders and supporters to share their work in a more formal setting. We got an insider look at the growth of 1% for the Planet; we got an author’s reading from Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat, a book penned by one of the wonderful riders from Team Clif Bar; we even got an intimate concert from singer and ukulele player Victoria Vox, who played on even as a blustery storm blew her tent away out in the campground.

Yes, it rained. A lot. But that just made the enthusiasm, professionalism and — there’s just no other word for it — awesome-ness of the support crew all the more apparent. From Blake and Geraldine — the ride directors — to the van drivers, bike mechanics and other volunteers, we were showered (sorry, bad pun) with humor, joy and energy even when we awoke to soaked tents and gloomy forecasts. And they didn’t just keep us well-fed and wrenched up: When I tweaked my knee on day two, just about everyone on the crew kept checking in the rest of the week to make sure I was feeling strong and taking my Vitamin I (ibuprofen).

Best of all, this incredible experience will have a lasting impact, even beyond our collective memories and photo collections. The ride raised more than $300,000 for a variety of nonprofits, including the Alliance and member organizations like the East Bay Bicycle Coalition and Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. A special THANK YOU to everyone who chose the Alliance as one of their beneficiaries — your dollars will help build the capacity of advocate leaders across North America. And, thank you, of course, to Geraldine, Caeli and Blake for putting together such an ingenious fundraising initiative and putting on such a phenomenal event.

Want to participate in the next Climate Ride? Registration is already open for the 2012 New York City to Washington, DC ride. Learn more here.

There’s just three weeks left to register and raise funds to participate in the ride of a lifetime!

Climate Ride is a 5-day, fully-supported bicycle ride from Fortuna to San Francisco under towering redwoods, through the Russian River Wine Country, and along the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route; one of the most scenic coastlines in the world. But there’s meaning to this magnificent tour. The ride, Oct 2-6, is the nation’s largest environmental cycling event and “green conference on wheels,” promoting awareness about and action to address climate change. Riders raise funds that are directed to organizations that work to protect the climate and promote sustainable transportation — like the Alliance!

Sign up for $75 and then raise at least $2,400 by September 23 and choose which organization you’ll raise money for. Registrants can direct their fundraising toward multiple beneficiaries, too. That means, you can ride for, say, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Transportation Alternatives or other great Alliance member organizations, and still direct a portion of your dollars to support the Alliance.

Join or donate to the Alliance team today!

As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, the Alliance is also looking to the future and all the important things we want to achieve. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a great deal of work to do to help create, strengthen, and unite bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations, so our movement can continue to transform communities across North America.

The Alliance’s strategic plan is our guiding document and we’re looking for your input as we update it.

If you are interested in reviewing the document and sharing your input, please contact Jeff Miller (jeff@PeoplePoweredMovement.org) by Tuesday, September 6th for more details.

How can you enjoy the experience of a lifetime while supporting the Alliance? Sign up for the Climate Ride — the nation’s largest environmental cycling event and “green conference on wheels” this October 2-6 from Eureka to San Francisco.

Anyone who signs up for the ride gets to choose which organization they will raise money for — and you can choose the Alliance! Registrants can direct their fundraising toward multiple beneficiaries, too. That means, you can ride for, say, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Transportation Alternatives or other great Alliance member organizations and still direct a portion of your dollars to support the Alliance.

Climate Ride is a 5-day, fully-supported bicycle ride from Fortuna to San Francisco under towering redwoods, through the Russian River Wine Country, and along the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route - one of the most scenic coastlines in the world. The ride also features nightly speakers who focus on bicycle advocacy, sustainability, and renewable energy.

The organizers have opened up the beneficiary choices so now you can choose to support the Alliance specifically with your fundraising dollars. If you select us as your beneficiary when you register, we will be the sole recipient of the funds you raise. Sign up for $75 (which includes a great jersey) and then raise at least $2,400 to participate in this all-inclusive 5-day bicycle tour.

Please visit our team link to sign up or make a donation: http://climateride.donordrive.com/participant/peoplepoweredmovement.

Recently, one of our member organizations told us they didn’t just want to match the more than 12,000 members of San Francisco Bicycle Coalition — they wanted to exceed it. What better way to do that than send their membership coordinator to learn tactics and methods from Kate McCarthy, the well-known and respected Membership Director of SF Bicycle Coalition, and Ellis Robinson, a leading guru in the membership development field.

Thirty-eight bicycle and pedestrian advocates — representing three countries, 24 states and provinces, 33 cities, and 30 Alliance member organizations — attended the second Alliance Membership Development Training, July 20-22. Hosted with special support from the Active Transportation Alliance in Chicago, the training offered two-and-a-half days of instruction, sharing of best practices, small group break-outs, and, of course, outside-the-training networking time for Alliance leaders to connect with each other and build those long-lasting and supportive peer relationships.

It also set out an ambitious goal for the bike-ped movement: The Alliance challenged the attendees to double their organization’s membership within three years. With the skills they learned, they’re ready and willing to take on that mission.

“I appreciated this training so much,” Elizabeth Stampe of Walk San Francisco said. “I can’t wait to implement the terrific ideas I got from my colleagues and the trainers to double our membership!”

Sue Prant from Community Cycles in Boulder, CO, echoed that sentiment: “This training gave us tools to help us refine our membership program, as well as giving us tips and ideas for new activities to engage and recruit new members.”

Tom Rousculp, from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance in Portland, OR, added: “The Alliance training has given me the skills and tools to take our membership program to the next level in a thoughtful and professional way.”

In addition to the training itself:

• SRAM hosted a “Welcome to Chicago” social on Wednesday evening
• Participants observe a pit stop — Active Transportation Alliance’s adaptation of the SF Bicycle Coalition’s Service Station
• Attendees gained first-hand knowledge of the city’s infrastructure with a bike ride and walking tour
• The entire group ended Thursday with a gathering in Millennium Park

Whether participants connected with peer groups working in similar geographic or modal scope, or gained insight on the improvements they need to make within their organization to grow their membership, the evaluations indicated that every participant walked away with new and powerful knowledge.

“Connecting with my peers over the better part of three days has not only given me new ideas but also a network to contact with questions and concerns as I grow our membership,” Cait Costello from Palmetto Cycling Coalition in Columbia, SC, said.

Elena Santogade from Transportation Alternatives in NYC described the training as “Inspiring, exhausting, exhilarating — a must-attend.”

Carol Feucht from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition summed it up: “After this training, I have confidence that my job matters. Members and volunteers matter, and I’m glad a training like this exists for bike and ped orgs.”

Find all the resources and training materials in the Alliance Resources Library here.

The Alliance for Biking & Walking is accepting applications for a fall intern to work with Advocacy Advance – the partnership of the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists – to help boost local and state bicycle and pedestrian advocacy efforts.

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 will include assisting with outreach to member organizations, development of a compendium of state profiles, sharing best practices of bike/ped organizations, and research of federal transportation funding.

This internship – based in Washington, D.C. – offers a flexible schedule with a fifteen-hour-per-week minimum commitment for three months. Applications are due by August 19th, 2011, with an anticipated start date in early September.

For a full position description and application information, click here.

The Alliance is happy to announce a request for proposals for our 2012 Winning Campaigns Trainings. Through a competitive process, we will select up to six communities to hold this must-attend training. All proposals must be submitted by August 15.

The Winning Campaigns Training is the signature training offered by the Alliance. Our proven curriculum helps biking and walking advocates choose, direct, and win various types of campaigns such as complete streets, share the road campaigns, infrastructure improvements, key legislation, and more. The training gives current and aspiring advocates the tools to craft and manage powerful campaigns. After two and a half days of fun and inspiring work with other leaders and advocacy experts, all participants leave with their own customized campaign blueprint and action plan to implement and win their campaign.

This is your opportunity to bring national bicycle and pedestrian advocates to your region to train your staff, board, volunteers, and other allies on how to win biking and walking campaigns in your community. In addition, you’ll have the chance to highlight your local/state successes and address your challenges, while sharing and learning from other advocates. Host organizations gain great exposure locally, regionally, and nationally. The Alliance awards a $1,000 stipend to host organizations in recognition of the assistance they provide in creating a successful training.

The Iowa Bicycle Coalition hosted a training this spring. “I was really excited about the opportunity to hone my advocacy skills and this program delivered,” says Mark Wyatt, the coalition’s executive director. “We’re thinking about campaigns in a much more strategic way than ever before.”

To send a proposal, complete the online application here. All proposals must be submitted by August 15. Any questions or request for feedback can be e-mailed to training@PeoplePoweredMovement.org by August 8.

We look forward to your proposals and working together to create successful trainings to advance pedestrian and bicycle advocacy in your community.

Photo: Smiling faces at the 2011 Winning Campaigns Training in Davenport, Iowa

One of the most powerful tools to boost biking and walking in your community is a large, active membership. The 2011 Alliance Membership Development Training will give you the proven tools and innovative best practices to engage more people in your important work. Is your organization looking to lay a strong foundation for its membership plan? Does your group already have a membership program, but want to take it to the next level? Attend this affordable, three-day training geared specifically for bike-ped advocates and learn from top experts in the field.

Registration is now open!

The training will focus specifically on best practices in membership development and retention, provide opportunities for group discussions and sharing of success stories with peers, and offer a limited number of one-on-one consultations with trainer and membership guru Ellis Robison, Kate McCarthy, Membership and Volunteer Director for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and other Alliance leaders with expertise in this field. This event also includes social activities Wednesday and Thursday evening, providing plenty of chances for peer-to-peer networking.

Click here for a draft agenda. Click here for all the details and to register.

We were proud to debut our 2010 Annual Report at the National Bike Summit last week. If you weren’t here in Washington, DC, to pick up a hard copy, it’s now online.

Click here to download the report, still hot off the digital presses!

Thanks to all our supporters, sponsors and member organizations across North America who made 2010 such a success. And special thanks to Yvonne Bambrick, who took many of the wonderful photos we used on the cover of this year’s report.

Back in November, we were excited to announce renewed funding for the Advocacy Advance partnership between the Alliance and the League of American Bicyclists. Since 2009, this dynamic program has allowed the League and Alliance to produce important research, provide critical technical assistance and award hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct grants to organizations across the country.

In 2011, Advocacy Advance has a renewed focus: tapping into underutilized or new sources of funding to boost bicycle and pedestrian projects in your community. Along with that fresh focus, the program also has a new website. Check it out!

At AdvocacyAdvance.org you can learn more about our mission, mark your calendars for upcoming trainings, get updates on our grants program, and read all the past reports from the Advocacy Advance research team. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for our e-mails and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, so you’ll be in the know when we post new reports or open registration for our Action 2020 workshops.

Interested in Advocacy Advance grants? I’ll be posting more information in a matter of days, so make sure you’re tuned in to AdvocacyAdvance.org.

Looking for work or an internship in 2011? The Alliance is hiring! We’re currently seeking qualified candidates in the following areas to help us unite, strengthen and build the grassroots bicycle and pedestrian movement:

Advocacy Advance Program Manager
Job Description: The Alliance for Biking & Walking is looking for an experienced organizer to work directly with state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations across North America. Based out of the Alliance’s office in Washington DC, the job will involve working closely with staff of the Alliance, and the League of American Bicyclists, and will require regular travel. Under the supervision of the Alliance’s President, the Advocacy Advance Program Manager will coordinate multiple components to the Advocacy Advance Program (a partnership with the League of American Bicyclists to train and assist bicycle and pedestrian organizations across North America). For a full job description, click here.

Spring Communications Intern
Position overview: The 2011 Spring Communications Intern will have a unique opportunity to work firsthand with a national non-profit.  Work includes regular editing and writing for web and print communications (including the Alliance’s blog and monthly e-news), administering and editing an online resources and photo library, outreach and research for Alliance publications, assisting with mailings, outreach to sponsor and partner groups, and other general communications tasks. For a full description, click here.

Technology Development Intern
Position overview: The Database/Technology Development Intern will gain firsthand knowledge working with the member organizations of our international coalition. This project-based work includes assisting with the development and integration of current Alliance Internet-based and internal technologies including web sites, listservs, contact databases, and other applications. For a full description, click here. 

Blog contributed by Alliance intern Alex Boardman

Last month, I was lucky enough to travel to Ecuador with my International Environment and Development class. Our trip was intended to be a case study on the trade-off between development and the environment — a topic we’ve focused on over the course of the semester.

The trip wasn’t exactly a vacation, and I was certainly grateful to be back in the United States for Thanksgiving! Luckily, despite all the time off from my internship, the past month gave me some interesting, international insight into bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

Ecuador was a perfect place to investigate the intersection of development and conservation, because of its constant conflict between preserving such a biologically diverse environment, while simultaneously trying to develop both socially and economically. For example, Yasuni National Park — the world’s most bio-diverse rainforest — has nearly one billion barrels of crude oil buried underneath it, amounting to more than $10 billion in potential revenue for the country. Over the course of three weeks, our trips included stops in Quito, Coca, the rainforest, the Galapagos Islands, and the Otavalo region.

Unfortunately, our first destination, Quito, which is the capital of Ecuador, was not particularly bike-friendly (picture below). Car ownership in Quito has risen more than 45 percent between 2002 and 2008 alone, and it continues to grow at an average rate of 30,000 more cars a year. With this significant increase in cars on the road, even something as simple as crossing the streets in the city is incredibly dangerous. To add further difficulty to bicycling and walking, the city streets are narrow, steep, and incredibly windy. There were virtually no bicyclists or pedestrians throughout the entire city. Our class had to take taxis to even travel three blocks from our hotel. Quito is also built in a valley, surrounded by the Andes Mountains, and suffers from severe air pollution and smog, especially as more and more cars occupy the road.

While Quito, and the rainforest (our second destination), weren’t particularly bike and ped friendly, I was more than impressed by the advanced biking and pedestrian infrastructure in the Puerta Ayora, the main “city” on Santa Cruz, in the Galapagos Islands. Residents and tourists of this small community enjoy streets with broad sidewalks and wide bike lanes. Included along the main road, Avenida Charles Darwin, bicyclists and pedestrians took advantage of two-way bike lanes. Cars seemed largely unnecessary in the town, where nearly everything is in walking distance of the few hotels in town. Residents in Puerta Ayora walked and bicycled everywhere—in fact, the only cars we saw were the white pick-up truck taxis intended for tourists.

In a country where car ownership is on the rise and such a unique environment is increasingly threatened by economic development, bicycle and pedestrian advocacy would be a great asset in Ecuador. In light of the recent holiday, we can certainly be thankful for the amazing groups we already have in place here and can only hope that in the future other countries around the world, like Ecuador will be able to further their bicycling and pedestrian accessibility efforts the way that we have been able to. I’ve certainly seen hope for this in the Galapagos.

The Alliance for Biking & Walking exists for a single purpose: To empower bike-ped advocates and supporters with the knowledge and resources they need to transform their communities into better places to bike and walk. Since 1996, we’ve grown from 12 to 168 member organizations, because we evolve to meet the needs of the movement.

To do that, we need your input.

Help us serve you better and advance biking and walking across North America by taking our 2011 Membership Survey. Help us understand what the Alliance is doing well and where we could improve. Let us know what programs are boosting your effectiveness and what new offerings would be the most beneficial to your organization or community.

We welcome and encourage insight from everyone. Whether you’re an individual supporter, business sponsor, member or staff from an advocacy organization, we need to hear from you.

Please click here to take the survey. The short time you spend answering these brief questions will ensure YOU get the most out of the Alliance in 2011 and beyond. AND every survey respondent will be entered in a drawing for $250 worth of Alliance publications and/or events.

Feedback is due by December 15th. So please take the survey today!

The League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking & Walking are pleased to announce a new, three-year campaign to double federal funding for bicycling and walking by 2013. The Advocacy Advance initiative is backed by renewed support from SRAM, an innovative maker of bicycle components.

The League and Alliance have been awarded up to $1.2 million from SRAM over the next three years to unite active transportation advocates across the nation and give them tools and resources to secure increased funding from existing federal transportation programs for critical bicycle and pedestrian projects.

“At SRAM we believe that bicycles improve the environment, ease congestion, reduce the cost of transportation and create healthier communities,” says Stan Day, SRAM CEO. “The biggest barrier to increased bicycle use in daily lives is the lack of appropriate infrastructure, and local bicycle advocates are working to break down those barriers across the country. The Advocacy Advance campaign will empower those advocates to dramatically improve conditions for bicyclists.”

The Advocacy Advance partnership was created two years ago, with major funding from SRAM. Under that banner, League and Alliance staff research issues vital to the bicycling community and create reports that give advocates the data and knowledge they need to effectively promote bicycling. The partnership also awarded more than $500,000 in direct grants, technical assistance and scholarships to build the capacity of local and state bicycle advocacy organizations and jumpstart innovative campaigns.

Building on these successes and stepping up to a new challenge, the Advocacy Advance Team is now strategically targeting federal funding. While bicycling and walking make up 12 percent of all trips in the U.S., those modes receive less than two percent of federal transportation dollars. By 2013, that will change.

“Our initiative to double the federal investment in bicycling and walking projects in three years is both bold and essential to creating more livable communities,” says Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “SRAM’s commitment to Advocacy Advance demonstrates its leadership in the industry, and its faith in the powerful partnership between the League and Alliance to accomplish this goal.”

“We know local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy leaders have both a remarkable passion and the community connections to make real change on the ground,” says Jeffrey Miller, Alliance President/CEO. “The Alliance and the League are committing to work even more closely with those leaders to deliver strategic training, assistance and grants so they can make communities better places to bike and walk.”

More details about Advocacy Advance will be released in coming months.

It was a nail-biter.

In the final weeks of the competition, the Alliance’s Gold Team mounted a valiant come-from-behind surge in the 2 Mile Challenge.

Alas, it wasn’t enough to propel us to first place. But we’re excited to congratulate our friends at Trips for Kids for bringing home the victory and grateful to the nearly 2,000 participants who pedaled for the Alliance.

The 2 Mile Challenge is a national competition created by CLIF Bar to encourage people to replace short car trips with bicycle travel. To lead the charge in 2010, CLIF Bar selected three nonprofit organizations, awarded each a $25,000 grant and assigned them to represent one of three teams: Gold, Blue, or Red.

The Alliance went for the Gold and 1,825 residents across the country joined our team. Over the past six months, our dedicated team members pedaled thousands of miles in their communities and logged their bike trips on the 2 Mile Challenge interactive website. The results are impressive.

The Gold Team:

• Traveled 166,441 miles

• saved 153,126 pounds of carbon dioxide

• and logged 18,106 trips on their bicycles

We may have come in second place, but we put up a first-place effort. Kudos to all our amazing Gold Team members for their efforts this summer.

“People from all 50 states have responded to the 2 Mile Challenge because it’s fun, healthy and gives them a tangible way to battle climate change in their own communities,” Lauren Hatfield, lifestyle experience manager at Clif Bar & Company, said in a press release this morning. “They also get to do twice the good by supporting non-profits who bring the bike and climate movements to broader audiences nationwide.”

“Our heart-felt thanks go out to all the participants helping to raise awareness and funds for grassroots bicycle advocacy and climate change education this year,” added Gary Erickson, CLIF Bar’s founder, co-owner and co-CEO.

While the CLIF Bar 2 Mile Challenge team competition is over for the year — slated to return in Spring 2011 — the website remains active for people who to want to continue or join, log bike miles and challenge friends to ride their bikes for short trips.

Click here to take the challenge.

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