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Entries tagged: Bicycle

According to 2009 data, women account for just 24 percent of bicyclists in the U.S. But, on Monday night, female cyclists of all ages and abilities packed the house for a new event hosted by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

An innovative evening of collective brainstorming, the Women’s Bicycling Forum convened nine female panelists who shared their bicycle stories and discussed ideas to close the gender gap. Nearly 80 ladies showed up to observe the lively conversation among the diverse bicycling “experts” and toss in their two cents on the timely and important topic.

The forum was the brainchild of Jesse Cohn, WABA’s Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Intern, a new position the organization created this fall. I had the pleasure of meeting with Cohn as she interviewed a number of women in the DC region about what keeps ladies from getting on bikes and how we can convert the large pool of interested-but-concerned riders. I cited some of the work of other Alliance member organizations, like the new Family Biking Guide produced by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and the “Women on Wheels” bicycle education classes offered by Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

For Cohn, the one-on-one insight was a prelude to a more public conversation. As she noted on the WABA blog: “I conceived of the Women’s Bicycling Forum as a way to jumpstart a conversation about this huge topic, bringing together a group of women to discuss the barriers and brainstorm the solutions.”

At least in DC, women are clearly hungry for that discussion; the response was so fast and furious WABA had to claim a bigger room in the West End Library.

To kick off the evening, Cohn set the statistical stage, noting that DC is actually a leading city when it comes to gender parity; more than 30 percent of area cyclists are women. But that pales in comparison to countries like Denmark and the Netherlands where the split is 50-50 — or higher. “We can aim for that one-to-one ratio,” Cohn said. “It is possible.”

That sentiment was shared by the panel, which included:

• Fionnuala Quinn, an engineer with Alta Planning + Design and Vice Chair of the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling
• Katie Knight, General Manager of Revolution Cycles
• Kate Ryan, reporter for WTOP radio station
• Veronica Davis, urban planner and founder of Black Women Bike DC
• Ellen Jones, Director of Infrastructure & Sustainability at the DowntownDC Business Improvement District and former executive director of WABA
• Heather Deutsch, trail planner for the DC Department of Transportation
• Tracy Hadden Loh, Director of National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
• Liz Sherwood, manager at Bicycle Space
• Katie Sihler, Program Director for goDCgo

The conversation and interaction among the panelists was both engaging and inspiring as they spoke truthfully and passionately about their experiences and ideas. The energy was palpable and WABA captured some of the choice quotes with their live Twitter feed from the event.

Just one of the comments that earned an audible amen from the crowded room came from Tracy Hadden Loh: “This is a movement that’s almost totally led by white men,” she said. That certainly sounded familiar to me.

In 2010, at the Alliance Leadership Retreat, a number of female advocates came together as a Women’s Caucus, and addressing the perception and reality of a male-dominated movement was one of the key issues that drove the discussion. We already knew we weren’t the only ones who considered this an important topic. The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals had just completed its Women’s Cycling Survey — and garnered insight from 13,000 women across the U.S.

The consensus at the informal Caucus was clear: We need to create a stronger network of female leaders by providing a venue where we can discuss our experiences, share best practices and get more women involved in the movement. Since then, I’ve been working with a number of advocates and Kit Keller, the executive director of APBP, to create just such a space that centralizes knowledge and fosters community among women bicyclists.

Stay tuned in coming weeks for ways you can get involved in the Women’s Cycling Project. In the meantime, read more about the Women’s Bicycling Forum on the WABA blog.

Photo credit: WABA

You did it! Thanks to your support, the Alliance took first place in the 2 Mile Challenge, earning a $35,000 grant from the good folks at CLIF BAR.

The 2 Mile Challenge is CLIF BAR’s online effort to fight climate change by encouraging bicycle travel for short trips. In the U.S., 40 percent of all urban trips are two miles or less, but 90 percent of those short distances are made by automobile. In just a few months this summer, the Challenge replaced more than 65,000 car trips—while donating $100,000 to bicycle advocacy and climate protection.

The Alliance was selected to lead the Gold Team and, from coast to coast, bicycle enthusiasts put their pedal power behind the effort. Collectively, our team:

• Logged more than 225,000 miles
• Replaced more than 35,000 car trips
• Saved nearly 208,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and
• Came in first place!

“Congratulations to the Gold Team for the bell-to-bell run of the 2011 2 Mile Challenge!” said Ryan Mayo, brand experience manager for CLIF BAR. “It was a hard-fought victory that came with a ton of passion for getting out of the car and onto your bikes to help support the Alliance for Biking & Walking. We’d like to thank all of the participants this year for a great 2 Mile Challenge effort that will live on through the grassroots bicycle advocacy work of the Alliance and our other two nonprofit beneficiaries: Safe Routes to School Partnership and 350.org.”

Thank you again, Gold Team members, for taking the Challenge. And, thank you, CLIF BAR, for such an innovative and fun initiative!

Thanks to the participation of thousands of bicycle enthusiasts from across the nation, the Alliance has replaced nearly 12,000 car trips with bicycle travel in the Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge. So who are the two-wheeling women and men who have logged 92,500 miles for the Alliance Gold Team?

Well, one of our most dedicated riders, is Pete Beers. For the purposes of the 2MC, Beers goes by the nickname Dirt, but in the real world he lives in Falls Church, VA, and works as a software product manager for a large company in Washington, DC. Since the start of the Challenge, Pete has logged nearly 11,700 miles, replaced 666 car trips and saved 10,775 pounds of globe-warming carbon dioxide.

To get to know our Gold Team members a bit better, we’ll be posting 2-minute interviews with some of our 2 Mile Challenge leaders this summer. To kick us off, here’s a glimpse into Pete’s passion for bicycling…

What was the first car trip you replaced with a bicycle?

The question is backwards. I started replacing bicycle trips with car trips for a little while in high school and for a little while after graduation. Since then, I primarily ride everywhere and occasionally replace a bike ride with a car trip. I ride 300+ days and over 10,000 miles per year. I drove my car a few times last year.

Why do you ride instead of drive?

The DC area has been said to have the second or third worst traffic congestion in the US. I’m one of the few people that I know who not only enjoys, but LOVES the hour+ commute to work every day.

What’s your favorite two-mile trip?

Three words for you: Westover Beer Garden. Great place to enjoy a cold one with friends and loved ones.

Why did you take the 2 Mile Challenge?

It isn’t a challenge for me to leave the car at home. The 2MC gives me an easy way to show people how easy it is to leave the car at home. It is really fun too!

If you could make two changes to make your community more bike friendly, what would they be?

The “If I had a magic wand” answer is easy: 1) Triple the price of gasoline for personal consumption; and 2) Double the price of personal automobiles. My practical answer is to work to show people that they can live better by turning pedals. I’ve had a little success at that. I’d love to have more.

Join Pete; sign up for the Alliance Gold Team today!

Between 2004 and 2007, traffic crashes affected more than 15,000 pedestrians and nearly 5,800 bicyclists in Chicago alone. For many of the victims, the impact of the collision didn’t end at the 911 call, the police report or the hospital emergency room. The physical, emotional and legal consequences of a crash often extend far beyond the immediate aftermath.

So this month, the Active Transportation Alliance opened a new Crash Support Hotline to provide additional aid and assistance to cyclists and pedestrians involved in traffic crashes.

“Crashes are an unfortunate reality on our streets,” Melody Geraci, interim executive director at the Chicago-based advocacy organization said in a press release. “And when they do happen, there are a lot of questions: What are my rights? Do I need a police report? When will I feel comfortable riding again? We are ready to lend that support.”

According to Active Trans, every caller will receive a response within 24 hours of dialing the Hotline. Trained volunteers will be ready to answer all post-crash questions, from attorney referrals to logistical support. The Hotline isn’t the first resource offered by Active Trans. Already, the advocacy group hosts a monthly Crash Support Group meeting — a free, confidential gathering led by a trained facilitator.

For more information, visit their Crash Support website.